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kaijutegu · 3 months

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Aug ABSOLUTELY deserves the praise, @ryukikit. St. Augustine Alligator Farm is one of my favorite animal facilities, hands down. It's a pretty zoo, doable in an afternoon if you kinda like crocodilians, or an all day affair if you REALLY like crocodilians. Here are my favorite things about it and why I think it's worth supporting.

1. They keep animals in interesting social groups.

Crocodilians are heavily involved parents, but most places that breed them don't have the enclosure space to let the babies stay with the parents. St. Augustine does. One of my favorite groups was their crèche of slender-snouted crocodiles. They had the parents and then a yearling cohort and a new hatchling cohort. This aligns with how these guys live in the wild- the babies stick around longer! They have the space for it, and they are very in tune with the social needs of their animals.

Very, very few zoos can keep their baby crocs with the adults and still perform maintenance and animal health checks safely. This doesn't mean these facilities are bad- it just means that they have different management practices. And frankly, a lot of these species aren't frequently bred elsewhere. Your average zoo doesn't need a setup where you can have a multiyear crèche for slender-snouted crocodiles. Some species have better success when the young are pulled early, and some zoos are better set up to raise out any offspring separately or behind the scenes. Every facility's practices are different, and this just happens to work well at St. Augustine and be really enjoyable to see as a zoo patron.

Crocodilians are exceptional parents and very protective. It's a sign of incredible animal management practices and animals that feel very comfortable with staff that St. Augustine can do this with nearly every species they breed.

2. They understand the social needs of their animals.

Some crocodilians are social. Some are solitary. Some can live happily with a member of the opposite sex but get territorial around members of the same sex. St. Augustine pays incredible attention to their social groupings to ensure that they aren't just meeting the animals' physical health needs but their social needs as well. They do continuous scientific research about social structures in crocodilians, taking blood samples to test stress hormones and observing stress behaviors to see how group dynamics change.

For example, St. Augustine is home to one of the world's largest known living saltwater crocodiles, Maximo. And his comparatively tiny mate, Sydney. During the educational presentations with these two, they point out that even their monster of a croc needs his social group- he won't eat if she's not around and he is calmer during medical checks if he can see her. These animal share a deep and special pair bond, and they make sure to talk about how the social aspect of these animals' lives is integral to their care. It's a unique aspect of the way they talk about these animals, because he IS a spectacle and he IS a sensation, but they don't talk about him like he's a mindless killing machine- they talk about him like he's a big, complex predator with social needs like any other animal. Aug is the only facility I've been to where the emotional and social needs of crocodilians is part of the education they provide guests- and speaking of education...

3. Their demos and presentations are extremely good.

The presentations at St. Augustine are some of the best I've ever seen, and I've seen literally hundreds of animal talks on everything from aardvarks to zebras. But as you... can probably tell from my blog content, I've spent a lot of time learning about and working with reptiles. I really enjoyed all of their presentations because they are very scientific about things and avoid sensationalism. They really want you to be fascinated by these creatures and love them- but more than anything else, they want you to respect them.

Also, they do a really good job handling their ambassadors. I really enjoyed something as simple as watching an educator tell us about snakes. Throughout the whole presentation she made sure that most of the snake's body was looped in her hand. The snake was always supported and was very calm. She gave the snake plenty of head room so that it didn't feel constricted- it was just good handling all around.

But also, the presentations made it clear how much the park cares about the animals' well-being. When they do the feeding and training presentations, they make it very clear that the animals' participation is entirely voluntary. They do things differently for their 9-foot saltie and their 16-foot saltie, because the 16-footer is so large and heavy he actually struggles walking on land sometimes. They adapt their programs and his care to ensure that he's completely comfortable- and he didn't actually participate in the whole feeding when I was watching! At no point did they try to push him into anything uncomfortable; they offered, he didn't engage, and they moved on. It was a clear expression of his boundaries, and I really appreciated how much his caretakers respected that.

4. Ethical Interactions

I've been to... a lot of tourist locations in Florida that have animals you can hold. Almost always against my will! Many of them are pretty terrible, and you don't actually learn much, if anything. But I really found that to not be the case at St. Augustine. Every single animal presentation and interaction opportunity was accompanied by education about the animal's biology, habits, and- crucially- their conservation status.

When I held a baby alligator at St. Augustine, the proctors- there were two, one to ensure I was holding the gator correctly and the other to educate- were very informative about the role alligators play in their ecosystem and their conservation history. The animals were all properly banded, and one of the two proctors was there to ensure that none of the baby alligators were uncomfortable. As soon as they started getting squirmy or tense, they were removed, unbanded, and taken to an off-exhibit area to relax. And when the babies age out of petting size, they just go in the lagoon to live with others of their species. I saw one upset alligator the entire time I was there, and he was clearly upset that his escape attempt was foiled by a keeper during my nursery tour.

Even though he's restrained in this shot, you can see that his full body and tail are supported, and the grip, while firm, is gentle. He's distressed, but after I took this picture, she put him in his enclosure and he calmed down immediately.

Sometimes when you have petting attractions with baby animals, those animals... don't have a happy ending. (See: cub petting.) But St. Augustine's program is fine- the gators are all aged out of wanting to have mom around, there's no declawing/defanging, and they're handled with care. And it's worth it, because people love what they understand. St. Augustine was integral in raising public awareness about alligators back in the 60s when they were endangered, and now they're thriving- largely in part to programs like St. Augustine getting people to care.

And speaking of getting people to care, let's talk about their research.

5. Shared Research Results

St. Augustine is also home to more species of crocodilian than anywhere else in North America- all of them, usually. (They didn't have a Tomistoma when I visited- that may have changed.)

Because of this species diversity, it's an incredible research resource. Having every species means that you can do a lot of work comparing their behaviors, their growth patterns, and more. They've been a major research site for crocodilian biology since the 1970s. Today, they're one of the key sites for studying crocodilian play and social behaviors. They actually maintain a blog where they post copies of papers that were written using their animals, meaning that you can actually see the results of the research your admission helps fund. You can see that right here: https://www.alligatorfarm.com/conservation-research/research-blog/

All of this adds up to a zoo that provides a unique experience, tons of actual education, and transparency about what its research and conservation steps actually are. St. Augustine's come a long way since its opening in 1893, and they really do want you to leave with a new respect for the animals they care for. Ultimately, if you're a fan of reptiles, you can feel good about visiting the St. Augustine Alligator Farm- their care and keeping are top of the line, they do a ton of innovative conservation research and support for conservation organizations, and you can see this animal there:

(Gharial from the front. Nothing is wrong with her that's just what they look like from the front.)

#long post #st. augustine alligator farm #alligator #crocodile #reptiblr

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vaciena · 1 year

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The worst part of going into a speciality after developing coping mechanisms as a cohort is that none of your jokes land anymore

#it’s not just the cohort it’s everyone even vaguely in the field #outside guest speakers do the same exact things it’s funny #but I went from general to hyper specific so there’s no longer the shared background knowledge ugh #and technically swapped into interdisciplinary I guess but that just makes it worse #the joys of being quite literally the only person in this field at the university

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galedekarios · 4 months

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one thing that really tugs at my heartstrings while going through the epilogue files a bit more is how desperately gale wants to stay in touch with the protag (unromanced) and the friends he's made on their journey together.

not only has he talked to his students about the protag and their adventures at length, he invites the protag to be a guest lecturer:

Player: I found the love of my life. I'd say I'm pretty happy. Gale: And I couldn't be happier for you. A fitting reward for the sacrifices you made in getting here. Gale: I've told my students plenty of tales about our escapades. You're something of a hero to them, you know. Gale: I'd be delighted to introduce you to my current cohort - as a guest lecturer, perhaps? I'm sure they'd have plenty of questions for you.

he is also happy to invite the protag to his tower for the duration of their stay:

Player: It would be my pleasure. Gale: Excellent. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the allure of sharing your expertise. Gale: Of course you'll be most welcome to stay with me in my tower. Tara the Tressym: Ahem. Gale: My apologies, Tara. That would be our tower.

and even if they should refuse his invitation to be a guest lecturer, he hopes they'll at least consider coming to visit him in his tower in waterdeep:

Player: I'll respectfully decline. Sounds too much like hard work to me. Gale: I totally understand. Perhaps our exploits might be a little on the mature side for my students, come to think of it... Gale: Still, at the very least you must come visit me. I've a pantry full of Waterdhavian delicacies and a delightful bottle of Elverquisst with your name on them... devnote: Attempting to persuade the player to visit him, really wants them to come [if the player is illithid] Player: My diet is more... cerebral these days, Gale. You'll need to rethink your menu. Gale: Say no more. There's a wizard in Blackstaff's anatomical department who owes me a favour, no questions asked. All diets will be catered for. I can hardly wait. [if the player rejected to become an illithid] Player: Good food and good company? Now that I can manage. Gale: Excellent, excellent, excellent. I can hardly wait. devnote: Relieved you've accepted his offer

[end of convo for both] Gale: It will give us plenty of time to catch up on your adventures. Gale: I'm very curious to know what you've been up to these past months, but I suspect the telling of that tale would keep you tied to me all evening. Gale: So, in the spirit of selflessness I encourage you to mix and mingle for now. We've time enough to come. devnote: Looking forward to staying in touch with the player

he's crushed if the protag refuses:

Player: Sorry, Gale. I don't think that's going to happen. Gale: Oh. Well, no matter. Dinner alone can be every bit as enjoyable as with company. devnote: Deflated, trying not to show it Tara the Tressym: Alone? And what am I - a stuffed toy? Gale: Please - enjoy the rest of your evening. devnote: Deflated, trying not to show it

this all ties into another little moment after this first conversation.

if the protag has talked with gale already and has hugged him, there's a second, shorter conversation, in which gale gets choked up as he reminisces over how the party is together once more:

Gale: I can't believe this is real. I never thought we'd gather like this again. devnote: Taking in the moment, appreciating it Gale: It's quite... ahem, yes really quite lovely. devnote: Getting a bit choked up, trying to hide it/breeze past it

tl;dr: gale loves his friends so very, very much and hopes they'll allow him to be able to stay in contact with them.

#gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #ch: gale dekarios #vg: baldur's gate 3 #series: baldur's gate #meta: mybg3

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dollyyun · 27 days

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𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍'𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔' 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒚 | 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒚𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆

PREVIEW: You've always steered clear of anything that screams trouble. Considering that you're about to graduate from university in a few months, you cannot afford to be distracted, especially when you're one of the top students in your cohort. Despite not being known affluently, almost everyone recognises you since you have earned the moniker of Crestview Meadows' good girl, albeit your reputation on campus is not something you deem pleasant, considering that most of the student body dislikes you as you are not an affluent figure unlike most of them. Fortunately, you are best friends with a few affluent figures who are totally likeable, which means no one will ever dare mess with you. You love your best friends, you really do, but sometimes their life choices make you question yourself. Halloween is approaching the next night, and your best friends have been imploring you to join them since they have been invited to an exclusive event that is known as 'The Devils Night' that is hosted by the fraternity of devil's knights. You know of them, including their club, and you know better than to involve yourself with them after hearing unpleasant things about them from your peers. In fact, from the day you stepped foot into the university, you had been warned to steer clear of any of the devil's knights members, and so you successfully did throughout those years, until now, because the moment you stepped foot into their territory, you have long since caught the eyes of the leaders of the devil's knights. Little did you also know that your life would change in a matter of days and that you would be ruined by the four devil's knights.

PAIRING: non!idols enha hyung line x fem!reader

GENRE: 18+ (mdni), semi-college au, adulthood, reverse harem.

WARNINGS: dark themes, angsts, dramas, alcohol consumptions, mentions of abuse of substances, smuts, unprotected sex, mental illnesses, yandere, coercion, obsessive, blood, violence, toxicity, perversion, corruption.

WORD COUNT: each part will most likely contain more/less than 15k words.

STATUS: WIP

PART FOUR TEASER: READ HERE

FEATURING: enha maknae line, txt, stray kids, zerobaseone, le sserafim, ive, aespa.

TAGLIST: [ open! (comment below)]

🖤SERIES MASTERLIST🖤

RUBY'S NOTE: this fic (which has been dusting away in my draft since last year) is inspired by the devil's night series by penelope douglas but with an entirely different plot. also, this is my first time writing in second pov so pardon the poor execution of the storyline if there is any.

SYNOPSIS: Final exams are approaching, and you have every intention to immerse yourself in studying for the next two weeks, but your best friends decide that it's a good idea to drag you out with them to attend an all-exclusive event called 'The Devil's Night' since it is Halloween week. Initially, you feel disgruntled and detested by such a social event, especially one that is hosted by specific delinquents, but eventually, you allow yourself to relax and enjoy the night. However, some of the invited guests, including you, have no notion of what the devil's knights' goal is for this year's Halloween. From the moment you begrudgingly agreed to go to the event, you were fucked because you had no idea what truly awaited you ─ you had no idea how your life would take a drastic turn, especially when you had become their prey.

PART 1 (READ HERE)

SYNOPSIS: Jake Sim has got to be more bearable compared to the others. Unlike the rest of his club members, Jake is friendlier, making him an approachable figure. You recall when you got lost in the campus building during your second week of college in your first year, but Jake found you wandering like a lost puppy and was kind enough to guide you to the place you needed to go. Even after three years, his kindness is engraved in your mind. So, when Jake approaches you, you have little reason to suspect that he has an ill-intention towards you, especially when you have completely fallen for his trap. How can you not? With that charming grin on his handsome countenance and how he makes you comfortable enough to be yourself around him. It’s so easy to be with Jake. Little do you know that he is every bit corruptive like the rest of the knights.

PART 2 (READ HERE)

SYNOPSIS: For some reason, Park Sunghoon utterly despises you ─ how you are the literal definition of a good girl who steers clear of troubles, how you remain loyal and abide by the rules, how you dress modestly, the fact that you're best friends with the popular girls who are his kind of girls, the way your eyes sparkle with your face being animated, and the dimples on your cheeks whenever you smile or laugh ─ you are every bit of a girl he has no desire to fuck. However, being naturally competitive even against his best friends, he is determined to be the one to break you, poison you with his corruptive ways, and change you for the worse.

PART 3.1 (READ HERE)

PART 3.2 (READ HERE)

SYNOPSIS: You have heard unpleasant things about Jay Park, one of which is his tendency towards violence, which brings you chills as you recall a student who nearly died because of him. You know better than to cross him, and so you ignore him whenever he attempts to speak to you or pesters you by throwing such crude remarks at you, because no matter how much you want to lash out at him, you worry that your words would greatly anger him. Little do you know that your silence and how you disregard his existence have long since angered him. So he decides to teach you a little lesson, making a different approach towards you and eventually you fall for his dark allure ─ one that has you on a delirious high, and yet you find yourself slowly breaking into pieces.

PART 4 (READ HERE)

SYNOPSIS: You and Lee Heeseung are pursuing the same major, and the two of you have always been the top students in your cohort throughout your university years, with the only exception that his name is always above yours. Although you have never exactly interacted with him, sometimes you catch him staring at you, and the intensity of his gaze is enough to knock the breath out of you. After being heavily involved with his comrades, you should be staying away from him, you should be avoiding him at all costs, and yet, in your vulnerable state, including the lust clouding your better judgement, you fall for his dark allure, allowing him to breach through the walls that you built to protect yourself from them.

PART 5 (READ HERE)

SYNOPSIS: Words are circulating around campus about how you've become their prey, which greatly confounds you, especially how you have received dirty yet pitiful looks from your peers. Even your best friends disapproved of your involvement with them, but despite your best friends' warnings, you continue to be involved with the leaders of the devil's knights, allowing them to corrupt you with their intoxicating yet addictive ways. Subsequently, you find yourself falling in love with them, always yearning for their affection even when they have shown you reasons why you should flee from them. You hope to be the one to change them, but something happens. Something that you should have seen coming, and that something eventually leads to you completely breaking you to the point where nothing is repairable. With exams finally over and results received, all that is left is a long school break before your graduation. As you are broken beyond repair, you have made up your mind to accept one of your best friends's offers to move abroad with her. For the sake of your sanity, you gladly embark on a new journey and leave Seoul for good, burying the bittersweet yet painful memories in the depths of your mind. Little do you know that fate has something else in store for you once again.

PART 6 (READ HERE)

PART 7, FINALE (READ HERE)

#enhypen #enhypen poly #heeseung #jake #jay #sunghoon #enhypen fanfiction #enhypen hyung line #yang jungwon #enhypen reverse harem #the devil's knights' prey #enhypen hyung line x fem reader #enhypen smut

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babushkatty · 5 months

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Tranquil SAGAU - Part 3

-> Part 1

-> Part 2

-> Part 4

Turns out, you did jinx yourself last week.

You should have learnt your lesson from all those times you and your sister had spoken bad luck into existence, be it unannounced guests or other inconveniences.

But you didn't, so here you were.

Staring down motherfucking Ursa the Drake, with Dvalin pinning them (her?) down with his massive body and motherfucking Crepus Ragnvindr looking at you both simultaneously like it's Christmas and like he thinks he's schizophrenic.

Diluc didn't look any better. He was as white as a sheet and if you were any better at identifying emotions, you'd think he was about to cry.

...surely not?

But then again, he was younger than in the game and his father was right there, alive and well - you doubted he was anything like the cold and grumpy Diluc who closed himself off from the world that you knew.

A terrified baby that was probably overthinking how Ursa would kill him, his father and the whole cohort they traveled with all the way to Tuesday.

...now you just felt bad for judging. You wouldn't be any better in his place, especially without your scary Dvalin priviledges.

"Ursa, darling, what exactly are you doing?"

All you got for your troubles was a roar in your face.

Except it didn't even feel like a scary dragon about to eat you, it felt like a child throwing a tantrum.

...the notion of Ursa being this uncontested and plaguing Mondstadt for a thousand years while being a mere child was kind of terrifying actually, so you very deliberately decided not to dwell on it. For your own sanity, if nothing else.

"Dvalin, you know Ursa, so... Any ideas?" You asked the dragon, who looked almost bored as he outright lounged on Ursa as if they (she?) were his beddings. If that didn't make a statement, you didn't know what would.

"While we did not cross paths frequently in the past, I had always thought her to be... Especially nefarious."

Ursa trashed around, but Dvalin didn't budge and effortlessly kept them (her? her.) pinned down.

"She reminds me of Durin. But where Durin was oblivious to the grevious harm he caused and merely wanted to play, Ursa is fully conscious and reveling in the pain she inflicts on others, often being open to agreements that involve human sacrifice."

Ursa screeched. In protest, maybe?

"For now, there is not much that can be done. You would need to be much stronger to subdue her permamently, which requires time. But I shall stall her until you are strong enough, alongside Boreas."

Oh.

So your scary Dvalin priviledges were being voided. It was a shame, you really liked his company -- his stories were a delight to listen to and he spoiled you rotten for comfortable accomodations, any bed or chair from now on would be a massive downgrade.

Still, it was understandable. Responsibilities and human lives were priority over your comfort. You weren't going to complain too much.

"I'll miss you," you say as you stroke his wings, not really having access to his torso or head to hug him properly due to Ursa.

Speaking of Ursa...

"Be good. You're making trouble for everyone."

And maybe you were being reckless and simply asking for your arm and face to be bitten off, but you flicked her on the snoot, because you only live once and Dvalin had you mildly convinced nothing in Teyvat would hurt you.

Ursa startles and then, honest to God, whines.

Dvalin huffs in what you assume is amusement and grabs at Ursa with his massive limbs. His wings stretch as he readies himself to take flight.

"I will miss you too, (Name)."

And just like that both dragons are gone like the wind.

...

That left you all alone to face the Ragnvindr and C.O., so you put on your customer service smile and clap your hands in fake excitement you really don't feel.

If nothing else, working in retail taught you how to play the fool.

"So, now that that is done and over with. I believe you have a mess to clean up?"

Crepus looks at you like you grew an extra head, before doubling over in a hearty laugh that broke through the weird atmosphere that settled over the caravan as easily as a hot knife through butter.

Diluc still looks like a poke would knock him over, but at least he got some colour back in him.

"Ah, thank you for that."

Crepus walks over to you and offers you a handshake, gripping your hand firmly and with enthusiasm that was entirely on him. Not that you weren't excited to meet characters from Genshin... but that was the thing, wasn't it? They weren't the characters you knew in Genshin. Crepus was barely a mention, Diluc was a different person entirely and the rest of the caravan were either NPCs hanging around on the map somewhere or didn't exist in the game at all.

So, you had to treat them like actual people.

And you weren't good with people.

"No problem. I'm (Name) (Last Name), just call me (Name) please."

Smile through the pain Harold, grant me your strength.

"Crepus Ragnvindr, and the redhead over there is my son, Diluc. It's a pleasure to meet you, (Name)."

He lets go of your hand and smiles so brightly you half-heartedly wished for some sunglasses. Was this man sunshine personified? Certaintly felt like he was.

"I would say I wish we met under different circumstances, but that's not exactly the truth, is it? Any other circumstances would have me trying to fight Ursa the Drake and that was bound to end badly for me, so... Thank you for saving my life."

And at that precise moment the Knights of Favonius spurred on by Kaeya Alberich himself burst into the scene, weapons ready.

...Kaeya looked like such a baby too, it had you thinking on just how young the literal children like Diona would be.

☆(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ* ✨ Author Note✨

Suprise, we're 4 years early in the timeline! And I have no idea what the timeline is besides what little I glimpsed from the Wiki, so lore accuracy is thrown out the window!

✨ I still can't tag the one person that asked to be tagged and I'm feeling horrible for it even when it's not my fault ✨

Also, yes, ✨ is my favourite emoji, why do you ask? :D

Also, also -- yes, I did pump out 3 parts in 2/3 days, it is an anomaly, do not expect such pace from me especially since I'm about to throw myself head first into HSR.

✨Self-plug time✨

My UID is 715 837 832 and I got a lvl50 Bronya as support.

I am still on Walt copium, even though I didn't get him even once despite the many, MANY rerolls I did, but that is neither here nor there.

#genshin sagau #sagau x reader #sagau #genshin impact #x reader #genshin x reader #isekai #x gender neutral reader #x gn reader #x gn y/n #self aware genshin

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animentality · 1 year

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#polls

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bookofbonbon · 4 months

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I really love you keep him there/christmas kiss! you mention that it’s common theme amongst polite capitol society children to have known each other their entire lives, did this also include sejanus when he arrived in the capitol? and was she friends with him? 🥺

you'll never belong - coriolanus snow.

Pairings/Characters: Coriolanus Snow x Reader. Sejanus Plinth. Arachne Crane.

Word Count: 1.1k+.

Apart of: You Keep Him There. Christmas Kiss - however, these can absolutely all be read as stand alones.

A/N: I know this wasn't a request but, it does answer your question and it's an opportunity to introduce one of the reasons why she doesn't 'like' Coriolanus. Also, military family = her mother's side; blizzards = father's side (murdoch is paternal grandfather).

Heavensbee Hall buzzes with excitement, every available standing and sitting space filled with Academy faculty, graduates and their parents, bar yours - not that it mattered to you. For the last ten years, July 4th has been a high priority and exceptionally busy day for your family with your parents always personally overseeing the network’s airing of the Reaping for each District - not even your graduation could take priority over that. Not that you’d expect it to either, you had barely scraped a pass; it was with the help of one person that you were graduating at all, one person you were currently looking for and had finally spotted in the corner with his parents.

You quickly tell your grandparents, “I’ll be back.”

But before you can step away from them, you’re immediately stopped by them - the pair acting as eyes and ears for your parents. You didn’t blame your parents for the precaution and if it had been up to you, you wouldn’t have been here at all but, instead with them. Unfortunately for you however, they had asserted that you were to attend your graduation and remain present for the entire ceremony - no exceptions. They’d even gone so far as to inform your Aunt to keep an eye out for you since she’d be present as a guest of honour.

“Where are you going?” your grandfather asks gruffly.

You nod towards Sejanus Plinth and show him the medium-sized gift box in your hand.

“I need to give this to him.”

There’s a look of disdain mixed with suspicion in his eyes as he looks to where you nod, at the Plinth’s, then back at you until finally he relents but, not without a warning to remain in his sight.

You want to roll your eyes, your mother knew what she was doing when she sicked her military parents on you.

Weaving through several bodies to get to him, you catch bits and pieces of conversations here and there. Only one catches your attention however, involving your three elite cohort - the topic bringing you to a halt.

“... I don’t like him, Arachne. I tolerate him. He’s district.”

“No need to guess who the three of you are talking about,” you interrupt Coriolanus, Arachne and Festus.

“Well, well, well,” Arachne drawls with her nasally voice. “So nice of you to actually show but, shouldn’t you be in the Academy Rouge? You certainly didn’t place in the top 24.”

“You know it’s funny you mention that, Arachne, because Murdoch actually offered to buy me your place in the top 24 but, out of the kindness of my heart, I told my grandfather, no.”

Thick tension fills the air, Arachne’s red painted lips dropping into a scowl, furthermore when you lean in close and remind her of her place.

“Never forget, Arachne - truth doesn’t matter, only perception and I control the narrative, always,” you smile, saccharine. “Not you.”

You want to roll your eyes at the stubborn look of hidden terror on her face. As if you’d actually do anything to the detriment of any of them - Murdoch had successfully hammered unwavering allegiance to this little group here - The Old Guard of the Elite - into you but, still... they could use a little reminding every now and then of their place.

Stifled laughter from both boys breaks the tension and you divert your attention to them, specifically Coriolanus; your eyes immediately finding the red rose pinned to his waistcoat, the smallest of thorns still present on its stalk.

“A rose,” you touch the stalk gently. “So, very fitting of you. Beautiful to look at but harmful if you touch.”

You allow the thorn to prick your finger, a little bulb of blood blossoming on the tip. You hold your finger up to show him.

“A shame that not everyone knows this,” you tell him disdainfully.

Recognition flashes in his eye, you’re talking about Sejanus - you excuse yourself from the group, carrying onto your final destination who was already headed your way but not to you.

“Hey,” Sejanus greets you with a small smile when you plant yourself in his path.

You bypass the greetings, “where are you going?”

You already know where he’s going and you’re not surprised when he tells you - to Coriolanus - but, you asked as a courtesy.

“Why?”

“There’s something I need to tell him before the ceremony starts.”

“There’s no need to talk in code, I already know about the Plinth Prize or should I say lack thereof.”

Sejanus looks at you puzzled but, before he can ask how you know, you provide him with the answer.

“You all seem to forget who my Aunt is, she’s the one who told me.”

Recognition becomes Sejanus and he nods in understanding.

“Hey, listen.” You step closer to him. “You should really stop hanging out with Coriolanus.”

“And why is that?”

“He’s not your friend.”

This makes him laugh, “oh and you are?”

“Compared to him? Absolutely I am. Sejanus, you could have all the money in the world and it will never make them- him like you.”

Sejanus bristles at your words, becoming defensive - you don’t mean to hurt him but, you do.

“Thank you for pointing out the obvious,” he tells you bitterly. “As if I needed another reminder that I’ll never belong here.”

You roll your eyes, “I’m not trying to remind you that you don’t belong here, I’m trying to tell you that they don’t care about you. Coriolanus Snow does not care about you.”

“And how exactly would you know that when you only care about yourself?” he snaps at you. "He has been the only person who has ever been my fri-"

“Well then you are as stupid as you are willful, Sejanus Plinth because Coriolanus Snow only cares about Coriolanus Snow,” you cut him off.

Irritation seeps into your voice because what he said wasn’t true about Coriolanus or about you.

You were fiercely protective of those you care for and love - your military grandfather said it would be your downfall - and right now, despite your unwavering allegiance to the Old Guard, you were stupidly trying to protect him.

“He’s going to get you into trouble or worse- but you know what? What do I care, right? So, whatever- here.” you shove the box into his hand. “My thanks for your help.”

You don’t give him time to process, swiftly turning and walking away once you feel his hands take hold of the medium-sized gift box - baked goods from District 2.

That would be the last conversation you’d had with Sejanus Plinth before he was hanged for treason in District 12 only two months later.

You’d hardly known him and yet you cared for him; his death still hurt.

The truth of Sejanus's death would find you eventually, haunting your relationship with Coriolanus; unable to completely trust him.

Can you guess where the Blizzard family has made their wealth?

All fics are my own work - I have not posted my work anywhere else.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters/places mentioned above.

Do not copy. Do not translate. Do not repost.

#coriolanus snow #sejanus plinth #arachne crane #coriolanus snow x reader #sejanus plinth x reader #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coryo snow x reader #coryo snow #coryo x reader #I’m sorry I don’t know how to tag this #the bulk is Sejanus x reader #but the actual pairing is Coriolanus x reader

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rickybaby · 15 hours

Text

We keep talking about media literacy, but it's actually something very difficult to put into practice in this very overcrowded F1 media ecosystem, especially for new fans. I thought it would be a good idea to put together a list of reliable sources to hopefully make this year's silly season easier to navigate.

Publications

Auto Motor und Sport (more commonly known as AMuS) - the German publication is arguably considered as the most reliable source for F1 news. Most other publications will very often quote AMuS as source.

Speedcafe.com - Australia's foremost motorsport website. Mat Coch, their F1 editor, has access to Daniel's management and was one of the first people to seek clarification from Daniel's team when the rumour that he would be replaced by Miami first cropped up.

Other reliable publications: Autosport, Motorsport, PlanetF1 (caution to be advised with PlanetF1 because very often, it just quotes sources like AMuS or tends to have a lot of clickbait articles), BBC F1.

Journalists

Chris Medland - Chris is a freelance journalist with permanent FIA accreditation. He usually writes for RACER.COM. In my opinion, he is the most reliable from the whole cohort of journalists on twitter. He may not always be the one to break a story, but if he tweets out about a rumour or story, this is pretty much confirmation that the rumour or story is true.

Nate Saunders - Nate writes for ESPN F1 and is generally considered to be the Ricciardo camp mouthpiece. However, this does not necessarily mean he is, at all times, privy to insider information from Daniel's camp. Look out for him quoting 'sources close to ...'

Thomas Maher - Thomas writes for PlanetF1 and while PlanetF1 is not the most reliable of publications, I think Thomas is a good source to follow on twitter as he is pretty good at reaching out to his sources in the paddock when it comes to seeking clarification on a rumour.

Erik Van Haren - the Dutch journalist writes for the Telegraaf. He has the reputation of being close to the Max & Jos Verstappen camp and was the first one to break the Christian Horner SH story. Therefore, anything he writes about Max or Red Bull can be more or less be relied upon.

Albert Fabrega - he is a longstanding reporter with great technical expertise and is considered as the go-to source for the Spanish/ Spanish-speaking drivers, especially Alonso. Though, caution to be exercised after the whole 'I cannot believe what I have just been told' thing he pulled last year.

Lawrence Barretto - Lawrence is a presenter for F1. He is one of my favourites in the paddock and from time to time, he will have some insider information when it comes to Daniel. He was the first one to report on Daniel's best lap at the Silverstone being good enough for the front row.

F1 Pundits

There is a whole host of characters who act as commentators or guests across a variety of international broadcasts over a race weekend (or some of them just hang around the paddock). Think Martin Brundle, Crofty, Karun Chandhok, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan, Ralf Schumacher ...

Their opinions are invariably given a lot of weight by virtue of most of them being former drivers or World Champions, but fact remains that many of them have no insight into what's actually happening within a team. However, that being said, a few of them still have close relationships with some of the teams, for e.g., David Coulthard with Red Bull or Mika Hakkinen with McLaren and whatever they say about these teams could potentially be relied upon.

Caution ⚠️

Joe Saward - Joe is rather notoriously known for his Green Notebook column on his blog. The column is supposedly meant to provide titillating insider information about F1, but it more often ends up being a regurgitation of the rumours that have been floating around that week. He has more misses than hits when it comes to rumours and anything he says needs to be taken with a generous dose of skepticism.

Will Buxton - if you see Will tweet something out, please lock your phone and walk away. This is not to say Will doesn't know what's happening in the sport - after all, he was the first one to give any indication of the Lewis to Ferrari story, but he is too committed to playing the game of shit-stirrer for engagement. The unfortunate thing is, we're all too human and we all invariably for his game and we end up going into a downward spiral of 'what does he mean???' when he tweets something out...

#i should also point out how certain of these so-called commentators are highly biased #re danica and villeneuve #there is also the whole italian media side who usually reports on ferrari related news which im not aware about #please feel free to correct anything in the post or add any other useful information #i'd say happy silly season but ricnation has perpetually been in silly season since 2022 #daniel ricciardo #information

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pearl-blue-musings · 1 year

Text

Genshin men as your ex

Feat.: Alhaitham, Kaveh, Kaeya, Tighnari, Thoma, Kazuha

Warnings: angst, no comfort for some, break ups, moving on, I torture my favorites because I care

Buckle up y’all

Alhaitham

📝 It wasn’t easy being in a relationship with him, and even harder when the two of you broke up

📝 The reason you broke up was all on him you think, considering you had asked him to do one thing one thing!

📝 You had asked him to let you know when he’d be going out of the city for work and who in case anything happened to him as a safety precaution

📝 It wasn’t that hard to do, right? Right!

📝 But his most recent trip to the desert for the new grand sage had him away from you for an undetermined amount of time

📝 He didn’t tell you anything, not who he was working with, the fact that someone you knew who had feelings for your lover was also on the trip

📝 You’d been fine with them being around each other but the last time they got too handsy and he wasn’t refuting their advances

📝 And so when the members of the adventure came into your home unannounced and they were all over him you lost it

📝 You yelled at him, to his surprise and a one sided argument ensued

📝 He didn’t understand the problem with him not telling you things since he wasn’t allowed to tell you or that his coworker was close to him

📝 What threw you over the edge was the mission called for them to be a couple and prove it

📝 “We had to kiss, which was easy cause it felt like kissing you”

📝 Your jaw was on the floor, kissing a random person was like kissing you???

📝 And to add insult to injury they added that they had to practice, unsure if they’re lying but you didn’t care

📝 You point to the door, his guests staring at you all in awe as you tell him to leave and never come back

📝 Months later he finds himself staring into crowds or the house of daena looking for you wondering how you are

📝 When he sees you talking casually with kaveh he feels something tick at him

📝 Oh, so this is the jealousy you had felt

📝 He doesn’t like it

📝 And his new roommate???? How fucking dare you

📝 So when he finds you at the dimly lit tavern, a few drinks in and kaveh nowhere in sight, he saunters up to you

📝 He knows you’re overly emotional when you’ve had a bit and immediately decides to take you home

📝 He leaves kaveh and takes you begrudgingly to sober you up

📝 He tells you he still loves you when he sees you crying over someone who broke your heart

📝 You wanna kiss him so badly but know that he won’t change

📝 You say fuck it and throw caution into the wind

📝 You both wake up and debate about getting back together but first some hard conversations need to be had

Kaveh

💼 You never thought the architect would break up with you

💼 He claims it was a scheduling issue

💼 But in reality he was ashamed of where he lived and his occupation

💼 He felt he didn’t live up to your expectations considering you’re being a higher rank than his roommate

💼 Hell you were being considered for one of the new sages!!

💼 How could he compare?? You should be with someone better

💼 So he dumped you to help you, at least that’s what he thought

💼 You however were utterly heartbroken

💼 You loved him so much that it made you feel stupid

💼 He brought you out of your head and made you feel like less of an object for the akademiya

💼 Everyone loved your brain and thoughts

💼 But kaveh loved all of you and now he’s no longer part of your life

💼 A year later you’re still a new sage and taking your job very seriously

💼 Seldom you’ll ask alhaitham about kaveh and he gives you very short answers

💼 One day you do ask and he deadpans at you “he’s miserable without you just date him again”

💼 You’re shocked that he said that as he takes his seat as the meeting starts over

💼 You lose your breath when kaveh walks in with some papers and cohorts, explaining the additional building and potential growth for education in the desert

💼 He looked regal

💼 When his eyes caught yours, he faltered

💼 After his proposal was approved you rushed out

💼 You call out his name and he freezes

💼 You turn to a secluded corner, biting your lip at him fumbling his words

💼 You look up at him, breathless and a goofy smile on your face

💼 “Buttercup we can’t,” his voice barely above a whisper

💼 You cup his face with tears falling down and shake your head

💼 “But why? I love you!”

💼 Kaveh holds your hand and kisses the top of hand shaking his own hand

💼 “And I love you too, but I’m holding you back. I mean, look at you! You’re a sage! You approved my proposal. We’re doing what we wanted.”

Kaeya Alberich

❄️ How long has it been since you left Mondstadt?

❄️ Years it seems

❄️ And yet kaeya still goes to the top of the windmill towers to throw dandelion seeds on the first day of spring

❄️ He sighs heavily after throwing all the seeds and comes down

❄️ Secretly he hopes the seeds fly to you and let you know how much he misses you

❄️ Or how much he still loves you

❄️ You couldn’t handle all of his lies

❄️ Diluc had warned you, hell the whole city warned you

❄️ But you were smitten and so you ignored them

❄️ Being a bartender at Angel’s Share how you two met

❄️ And inevitably where you broke up

❄️ He was coming back from a raid and met up with his crew at the bar

❄️ You were happy to see him and wanted to bring him his favorite drink

❄️ You pause when you see Rosaria giving him more attention than usual

❄️ It didn’t help that he was flirting back

❄️ He’s always flirted back with anyone who flirted with him

❄️ And you knew the sister does her best to stay out of peoples business but you also knew she used to harbor feelings for him

❄️ This wasn’t the first time this had happened

❄️ Jean, the traveler, Eury, Blanche, literally anyone who walked and talked to him while drinking he’d flirt with

❄️ It didn’t help being the bartender that you’d have to keep tending to him

❄️ So when he kissed rosaria on the cheek you lost it

❄️ You ended your shift early and went to the upstairs balcony for some air

❄️ You heard the door behind you and rolled your eyes

❄️ “Snowflake it was just a kiss on the cheek-“

❄️ “Then next time it’ll be just a kiss on the lips right?”

❄️ He tries to hug you but you shrug him off and attempts to ask what this is really about

❄️ You sigh and stare into his eyes, “were you ever gonna tell me about khanriea’h?”

❄️ He blinks slowly and watches as you pull the letter from his dad out of your pocket

❄️ “Where did you get that?”

❄️ “Does it matter? You’ve been lying to me about your heritage! Do they even know we’ve been dating for 2 years?”

❄️ You’re met with silence and you scoff. “Diluc was right about you. We’re done.” You throw the letter back at him and walk back down.

❄️ That was almost 2 years ago

❄️ Last he heard you were in Liyue, overhearing a conversation Timeaus had with his lady love

❄️ You have taken on a new lover, some guy who works at a funeral parlor

❄️ As he makes his way down the windmill, he sighs and stares at the photograph from the last windblume festival you attended together

❄️ Kaeya makes his way to headquarters to speak with Jean, surely he can make up a reason why he needs to travel to Liyue right?

Tighnari

🌳 The terms forest rangers, you, and Tighnari always were together

🌳 So it hurts when he travels alone to do his job

🌳 Being a forest ranger wasn’t ideal, but he did enjoy it especially if that meant time with you

🌳 The two of you had shared interests during your scholarly days which became a mutual interest of joining the forest rangers

🌳 Protecting the forests and its inhabitants was what brought you together, but it also drove you two apart

🌳 On a day when Collei’s disease had taken a turn for the worst, you gave her an herbal supplement that Tighnari has not approved of

🌳 Although the inflammation had subsided, your boyfriend was furious with you

🌳 “You could have killed her, you know I’m the only one who knows what’s best for her”

🌳 More and more arguments like that had happened, disagreements about which medicine or procedure to take for certain things

🌳 Until one day Tighnari snapped at you

🌳 “Damn it, can't you listen to me for once in your life? I’m the lead forest ranger for a reason, and there’s a reason why the akademiya denied you over and over again. You’re just selfish and stupid! Let me do it.”

🌳 Your lip trembled before you ran out of your shared treehouse, aware everyone had heard what he said to you

🌳 He was surprised when you weren’t beside him in the morning, usually coming back to bed after an argument to talk it over

🌳 But all he found was a letter saying you were done and had left

🌳 Inwardly he was panicking, but outwardly he had a job to do

🌳 So he kept up his job as months and months went by

🌳 He didn’t touch any of your stuff in hopes that you would return so he could apologize; does he sniff your pillow before he sleeps and starts his day? Yes, yes he does

🌳 It seemed his world halted when Cyno visited him with a piece of cloth from the shirt he made you

🌳 “What’s the meaning of this?”

🌳 Cyno sighs and sits with him. “We found this near an abandoned eremite camp, seems they’ve been captured and held for ransom. Something about some herbal medicine they made that was approved by the akademiya”

🌳 Tighnari goes from being alert and guilty, his tail and ears softening as he is remembering what he last said to you

🌳 “Why come here?”

🌳 Cyno stares at him “really? And I’m the one with the bad jokes… you’re dating?”

🌳 “Not for the last few months. They left after I called them stupid.”

🌳 “Well that was pretty stupid of you.”

🌳 Tighnari pinches his nose in frustration before begging to join him in the search and bargain for you

🌳 It takes days to track you down, visiting the places you made camp and explored guiding them toward the desert

🌳 Tighnari is usually pretty composed but his tail and ears gave him away any time Cyno would ask him a question or let him know how close they were

🌳 The general and forest ranger attacked the remote camp holding you hostage, taking everything they needed and apprehending the mercs

🌳 When Cyno walked out with you, hands still tied behind your back, Tighnari almost cried

🌳 He’d never seen you look so run down and broken, upset that they even dared to hurt you in such a way

🌳 He tries to hug you but you shrug him off, breaking his heart more

🌳 “Sweetheart…” he tries

🌳 Cyno shakes his head at his friend and commands everyone to return to the city

🌳 On the trip back it truly hits Tighnari of what he had done, the things he said, as he sits alone by a river bank

🌳 “I really messed up didnt i?”

🌳 He knows you’re behind him when you sit near him, still hesitant to have him enter your bubble

🌳 “Yeah, you did.”

Thoma

♦️ Helping people and making the world a better place is what Thoma does best!

♦️ And that’s what really drew you into him

♦️ You saw him feeding and taking care of some dogs outside of the city and soon enough you started to join him

♦️ It was a lovely and blossoming relationship, one filled with love and trust

♦️ But his duty came first and it just got in the way

♦️ You were heartbroken, but you knew the kindhearted man meant well and you had hoped things would be okay

♦️ He didn’t speak to you for months, despite his promise to always keep in touch and eventually a couple years passed

♦️ Since he was a busy body you wouldn’t run into him and vice versa

♦️ But boy did he want to see you again

♦️ He knows his lord and lady are in need of his services but he just wanted one week to try and find you, if just for friendship

♦️ He hadn’t told you of his occupation lest you get in trouble or hurt because of him

♦️ So to say he was taken aback when he saw you adorned in traditional wear next to Ayato, would be an understatement

♦️ The commission leader had called in Thoma for an upcoming announcement that he is to be married

♦️ Ayato recounts the story of how you met on the outskirts of the Kamisato Estate and that became your secret meeting spot for the last year and a half

♦️A year and a half? But you and thoma broke up over 2 years ago?? There’s no way… you wanted to see him? And make your relationship public?

♦️ If only he wasn’t working in Ritou at the time!!

♦️You smile so politely at Thoma and genuinely at Ayato with the same glimmer in your eyes that was reserved for him

♦️He does his best to hold back his emotions but you can read him like a book

♦️Besides, you did date the housekeeper for almost a year you should know him

♦️Ayato excused himself to attend to some work but encourages you to talk to Thoma

♦️The silence is awkward and suffocating until he finally has the courage to speak up

♦️“Why him?”

♦️“I came here to talk to you, he saw me at our secret spot, and you now know the rest.”

♦️“But that’s our spot…”

♦️“Thoma…” you move to wipe his tears and he holds you tight, kissing you along your neck

♦️“I still love you”

♦️“I’m engaged”

♦️“Sunshine please,” you wanna tear up from the pleading in his voice

♦️“I’m sorry, he put me first”

♦️Ayato returns and kisses you on the cheek and you giggle like a schoolgirl

♦️Thoma sees himself out and blinks away the tears threatening to fall once more

Kazuha

💨The ocean breeze blows through his hair as he stands on The Crux

💨Beidou is shouting orders and the crew does as she commands

💨His smile fades as he spots a beautiful bird in the sky, notating they’re closer to land

💨He remembers the days the two of you would go bird watching

💨You’d tell him of all the different calls, migration patterns, feather designs all meant and he would rest his head on your lap

💨He loved the sound of your voice in the calm breeze and he misses it every day

💨He wonders if you even remember him, it has been a little more than a year

💨He wasn’t sure how to handle relationship and even worse at when you decided to break it off with him

💨The sea and Inazuma was his home, but your home was in Mondstadt

💨The distance was getting too much for you and Kazuha didn’t wanna admit he was feeling it too

💨He loved to spar with you with his clans sword and talk to you about his family history

💨But that was when you were visiting Liyue and traveled with him once

💨Sea life wasn’t for you, the city of freedom is where you belong

💨His love of writing poetry seemed to disseminate the longer you were away

💨Huh, it seems you were his muse

💨Seeing the bird sparked something, but all he could think about was you

💨He could’ve written about the birds wings but wrote about your blissful personality

💨He wanted to write about the majestic flight, but wrote about how your eyes held the future in them

💨No matter what he did he would always write about you

💨Kazuha sighs and walks away from the boats edge

💨The captain approaches him and hands him an evenlope.

💨“Another letter from Mondstadt”

💨Kazuha takes it and puts it in his pocket, next to the other one

💨“Are you ever gonna read them?”

💨The anemo wielder knows better but gives in and reads what you have to say

💨It’s mostly just how you’re living, still admiring birds and reading up on them

💨You mention how you miss him and hope he’s doing well

💨You let him know that he is always welcome to Mondstadt to see you, but it’s strictly platonic

💨Your intricate words of how intoxicating his love is has him rethinking love in all senses of the word

💨Did he truly take your breath away to the point it drove you away?

💨Was loving you too much or too little for you?

💨He rips up the letters and let them float in the wind, hoping it’ll sink into the abyss

💨Similar to what his heart is doing right now

#genshin impact x reader #genshin angst #alhaitham x y/n #alhaitham angst #alhaitham x reader #kaveh x reader #kaveh x y/n #kaeya angst #kaeya x reader #kaeya alberich x reader #thoma x y/n #thoma x reader #kazuha #kazuha x y/n #kazuha x reader #my writing #i did the thing

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mothwingwritings · 3 days

Text

What Picture Of You The Baki Men Choose As Their Phone Background, Pt. 1 <3

Reader X Baki, Retsu, and Katsumi

I saw this prompt for some other fandoms and thought it was absolutely adorable, so here are some silly little sweet headcanons for your reading pleasure!

Thank you and I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Mostly fluff, some mentions of suggestive themes and spicy texts, but other than that it’s rather mild. Also, it’s pretty lightly edited. No gendered words, but leans towards a female reader.

/)/) /)/) ( . .) (⸝⸝ᵕ ᵕ) ~ ♪ (ა📱ა૮( )ა

Baki Hanma 📱

Lock Screen- A cute picture of the two of you from one of your first official dates. It was at an amusement park and some of the park employees were greeting oncoming guests dressed up as mascots, milling around the front of the park posing with and taking pictures with the newcomers. At the time you were rather embarrassed, the characters mostly flocked to the children that were entering the park, but since there were no children in your party they all buzzed around you instead. The huge, florescent pink cat-suited individual that danced around you commented on what a lovely couple you were, urging you and Baki to form a heart with your hands as they posed energetically behind you, their cohort (an equally bright blue dog) snapping a quick picture of the three of you with Baki’s phone. Though the photo was rushed and a little blurry, you are all smiles in the shot, both yourself and Baki looking both bashful and genuinely happy. The love radiating through that image alone warms his heart each time he glances at it, and it warmed yours in turn to know he cherished the memory as much as you did, going so far as to set it as his lock screen so that he could be reminded of it each time he checked his phone.

Home Screen- A candid picture of yourself on another one of your dates, taken quite some time after the amusement park picture was taken. The newbie awkwardness in your relationship had greatly diminished at this point, a peaceful sort of comfort and familiarity now reigning supreme in your romance. Years of being with another person does that to you, your new-relationship jitters subsiding as you get to know all about your partner, their best and worst sides. With time all their obnoxious or gross habits have long since been laid bare, but you are still somehow simultaneously finding new things about them that make you love them even more. Your love changes with time, morphing from something fresh and new to something much deeper, more concrete, more real. The picture he displayed on his homes screen was taken on a random day at a random time when nothing in particular was going on. You were simply walking in front of him and stopped for a brief moment to look at something across the way. He wasn’t even sure what it was that caught your attention, didn’t even really care, he was just fully fixated on you and how breathtakingly gorgeous you looked in that average, everyday moment. Before he even realized he was doing it he snapped a pic, and he was very grateful that he did. Each time he stares at his screen his heart races, beating so rapidly it’s as if he was back in the puppy-love stage of the relationship, and he falls for you all over again.

/)/) /)/) ( . .) (⸝⸝ᵕ ᵕ) ~ ♪ (ა📱ა૮( )ა

Retsu Kaioh 📱

Lock Screen- Like Baki, Retsu is rather fond of candid pictures. Something about capturing you spur of the moment in your day to day life really appeals to him, his heart fluttering when he catches glimpses of reminders that you have become a part of his daily routine. He gets to witness you in all states of being, and knowing you are comfortable enough around him to be your most natural, unguarded self, warms his heart like nothing else. You yourself didn’t find anything super special about the picture he took of you at the home and garden store. If anything you felt the image of yourself holding a succulent in a death grip, eying it a little too intensely as you debated whether you wanted to purchase it or not, was embarrassing. Retsu begs to differ, and each time you gripe about it he goes on a mini spiel, explaining to you in a little too much detail just how endearing he finds your ‘suffering an internal crisis as you try to find the perfect plant for the kitchen windowsill’ expression. This never ceases to instantly make your cheeks blush bright red at the impassioned nature of his tone. Still, the fact that he can find such ardent moments of love in the mundane is one of the reasons why you fell for him to begin with. You hope to share many more little adventures with him that yield even more random pictures you can look back on and smile, whether you personally find them flattering or not. As long as they bring Retsu joy, you will find joy in them as well.

Home Screen- If the picture of you at the store made you a little self-conscious, then his home screen was enough to make you want to bury your face and cry. At some point he had snapped an image of you asleep on the couch. This wasn’t some cutesy ‘I just fell asleep and look like a peaceful little angel’ snooze either- you were DEEP in the troughs of a nap, completely dead to the world. Mouth wide open with a rivulet of drool seeping out the side, old shirt rumpled up with your hand rested on your exposed belly, hair an absolute rats nest as it messily framed your head, it was the kind of picture that could easily be used as blackmail. Yet Retsu cherished it, beaming down at it like a parent looking at their child’s straight A report card. While you cringed each time you peered at his phone screen, questioning why in the world he would pick such an unflattering picture of you to stare at each day, it crossed your mind that maybe he set it as a joke, or to poke fun at you. That thought was quickly laid to rest however, as the sheer look of pure love that reflected in his eyes each time he stared at it made you keenly aware that his choice of setting it as his wallpaper was no prank. Somehow he found true beauty in that gross picture of you, and that in and of itself melted your heart a little bit. So it didn’t really matter how much you loathed the picture, after seeing Retsu’s puppy dog eyes as he stared at your passed out visage you decided it was fine to let him keep it as his background in lieu of something a little more complementary (as long as no one else was allowed to use his phone and potentially see it, that is).

/)/) /)/) ( . .) (⸝⸝ᵕ ᵕ) ~ ♪ (ა📱ა૮( )ა

Katsumi Orochi 📱

Lock Screen- He is definitely the type of dude to have some kind of dweeby, professionally done picture of the two of you as his lock screen. You remember thinking he was kidding when he asked you if you were interested in booking a couples photo session, but when you noted the serious look in his eye as he pressed the issue, you knew the offer wasn’t a joke. Though hesitant, you found yourself unable to turn him down, and a few days later you found yourself in a photo studio posing awkwardly while a photographer happily snapped away, complimenting what a cute couple you were as he directed you to pose this way or that. Despite the previous uncertainty and slightly uncomfortable atmosphere, quite a few gems were born from the shoot, and you ended up being very happy to have some beautifully charming shots to look back on. A certain picture stood out from the rest, one grabbed just as some silly, random comment from Katsumi made you both burst into a fit of laughter. With his arms wrapped around you from behind and huge genuine smiles engulfing both your faces, you leaned into one other, reliant on each other’s support lest you collapse to the ground into a pile of giggles. It was such a fun, happy capture that it very easily became your all-time favorite picture of the two of you. So you couldn’t help but smile when you happened to spy his lock screen, finding it ironic that he chose your favorite picture to grace his background, especially when your own lock screen displayed the exact same pic. <3

Home Screen- A spicier selfie you sent him in the past. While there is no nudity in the shot itself, you can pinpoint the precise moment you took the shot, remembering it as one that definitely led to some much more revealing pictures (with provocative text to match). You also remembered being quite proud of the selfie- the seductive smolder in your eye, the way your shirt had slunk down your shoulder, the coy little smile on your face as you bit into your bottom lip, all of it came together for a truly sexy presentation. You weren’t one to often brag about your looks, but that day you worked hard to look hot and it had certainly paid off. That day had also blessed you with good lighting and one of the best hair/makeup days of your life, so to see the image grace his phone screen made butterflies burst in your stomach, a feeling of elation washing over you with the realization that the effort you put in was not in vain. Though it made you blush a little to see that he had made one of the private pictures you sent him his phone background, there was no denying that it pleased you greatly. He was the type of man that earnestly believed that you were the most gorgeous thing on the planet no matter how much or little you were dolled up, but realizing that he took extra notice of when you put in effort to look your best for him, liking it to the point of making it a picture he could stare at all day (while all manner of fantasies were surely buzzing through his brain)…. Well, it certainly set your heart a flutter, for more reason than one.

/)/) /)/) ( . .) (⸝⸝ᵕ ᵕ) ~ ♪ (ა📱ა૮( )ა

#baki x reader #baki x y/n #baki the grappler x reader #baki the grappler x y/n #baki hanma x reader #baki hanma x y/n #retsu kaioh x reader #retsu kaioh x y/n #katsumi orochi x reader #katsumi orochi x y/n #baki headcanons #baki the grappler headcanons #just felt like writing some fluff in between all the carnage I usually unleash upon the masses lul #thank you so much for reading!!!#mothwingswritings #more will probs come later #I am thinking of Jack Hanayama and Biscuit next

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winepresswrath · 8 months

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The princess told me that she had felt for a long time that the Cohort movements didn't make sense to her. She said what would be most economically productive was intermingling with these people, allowing immigration and absorption into the Nine Houses; that shepherd planets got more costly the further the Houses extended themselves, and that instead of creating long-lasting industry we were doing little more than slash-and-burn trading. Scattershot, she said. Notwithstanding the moral issue. She said she and her sister had always been interested in the way the Houses were being run, and that lanthe had encouraged her interest. She had always thought we were being wasteful... Afterward she said it was much more than theory. She said she had groomed herself for something and all it had done was make her unfit for the purpose. What purpose? ... I told her she wouldn't understand. When she asked me why not, I said I was just an administrator; she was a princess. A king. ... The princess turned to me then and took my hands. I kept my balance. She said, Jody, if I offered you that sword, wouldn't you take it? I know how to use it. I know what it would mean. Lieutenant Dyas is dead. My own necromancer wouldn't have me. Won't you let me be your cavalier? Here, now, at the end of the world? Save me, Jody. Bind me to you, or who knows where I will go? What throne will I mount, if you don’t bind me down?

- As Yet Unsent

“But we’re closer to the goal than ever before.” “Of course we are, you perfect genius,” said Crown, lovingly, and she took the dead gloved fingers, and she kissed them. Every single dead soldier’s fingers twitched. Prince Ianthe Naberius raised hers, an involuntary movement almost, and that waxen, handsome face was an expressionless mask, with only the cool grey eyeballs moving in their sockets. Then Crown said quietly, “We can do good work, Ianthe. I know people who need us.”

-Nona the Ninth

- The Unwanted Guest

Corona recoiled from Gideon and looked up at her, her golden hair smeared to her forehead with sweat and tears. “She took Babs,” she said, which seemed fair enough. But then Corona started crying again, big tears leaking out of her eyes, her voice thick with misery and self-pity. “And who even cares about Babs? Babs! She could have taken me.”

-Gideon the Ninth

Emphasis mine, excuse my dreadful formatting I'm just excited because every time we learn more about the Tridentarii's schemes I remember again how Coronabeth (Crown) wants to be eaten and knighted and bound, but also possibly be god-king of the universe, allegedly on the grounds that Jod's forever war is morally bankrupt and economically likely to lead to bankruptcies.

#coronabeth tridentarius #tlt spoilers #spoilers #always! everybody's! girl #quick to sympathy and quick to violence #cries over every sob story and her #blood boils at any perceived injustice.#admittedly this is what judith and ianthe have to say about her and they simply cannot be trusted #ianthe isn't ianthe tridentarius anymore she's ianthe naberius #excited to see what will happen as they continue to diverge #not such a matched set now are we

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mostlysignssomeportents · 6 months

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Big Telco’s fury over FCC plan to infuse telecoms policy with facts

I'll be at the Studio City branch of the LA Public Library on Monday, November 13 at 1830hPT to launch my new novel, The Lost Cause. There'll be a reading, a talk, a surprise guest (!!) and a signing, with books on sale. Tell your friends! Come on down!

Reality has a distinct anti-conservative bias, but conservatives have an answer: when the facts don't support your policies, just get different facts. Who needs evidence-based policy when you can have policy-based evidence?

Take gun violence. Conservatives tell us that "an armed society is a polite society," which means that the more guns you have, the less gun violence you'll experience. To prevent reality from unfairly staining this pristine ideological mind-palace with facts, conservatives passed the Dickey Amendment, which had the effect of banning the CDC from gathering stats on American gun-violence. No stats, no violence!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickey_Amendment

Policy-based evidence is at the core of so many cherished conservative beliefs, like the idea that queer people (and not youth pastors) are responsible for the sexual abuse of children, or the idea that minimum wages (and not monopolies) decrease jobs, or the idea that socialized medicine (and not private equity) leads to death panels:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/26/death-panels/#what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-CMS

The Biden administration features a sizable cohort of effective regulators, whose job is to gather evidence and then make policy from it:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/23/getting-stuff-done/#praxis

Fortunately for conservatives, not every Biden agency is led by competent, honest brokers – the finance wing of the Dems got to foist some of their most ghoulish members upon the American people, including a no-fooling cheerleader for mass foreclosure:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/06/personnel-are-policy/#janice-eberly

And these same DINOs reached across the aisle to work with Republicans to keep some of the most competent, principled agency leaders from being seated, like the remarkable Gigi Sohn, targeted by a homophobic smear campaign funded by the telco industry, who feared her presence on the FCC:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/19/culture-war-bullshit-stole-your-broadband/

The telcos are old hands at this stuff. Long before the gun control debates, Ma Bell had figured out that a monopoly over Americans' telecoms was a license to print money, and they set to corrupting agencies from the FCC to the DoJ:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/14/jam-to-day/

Reality has a vicious anti-telco bias. Think of Net Neutrality, the idea that if you pay an ISP for internet service, they should make a best effort to deliver the data you request, rather than deliberately slowing down your connection in the hopes that you'll seek out data from the company's preferred partners, who've paid a bribe for "premium delivery."

This shouldn't even be up for debate. The idea that your ISP should prioritize its preferred data over your preferred data is as absurd as the idea that a taxi-driver should slow down your rides to any pizzeria except Domino's, which has paid it for "premium service." If your cabbie circled the block twice every time you asked for a ride to Massimo's Pizza, you'd be rightly pissed – and the cab company would be fined.

Back when Ajit Pai was Trump's FCC chairman, he made killing Net Neutrality his top priority. But regulators aren't allowed to act without evidence, so Pai had to seek out as much policy-based evidence as he could. To that end, Pai allowed millions of obviously fake comments to be entered into the docket (comments from dead people, one million comments from @pornhub.com address, comments from sitting Senators who disavowed them, etc). Then Pai actively – and illegally – obstructed the NY Attorney General's investigation into the fraud:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/06/boogeration/#pais-lies

The pursuit of policy-based evidence is greatly aided by the absence of real evidence. If you're gonna fill the docket with made-up nonsense, it helps if there's no truthful stuff in there to get in the way. To that end, the FCC has systematically avoided collecting data on American broadband delivery, collecting as little objective data as possible:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/05/26/pandemic-profiteers/#flying-blind

This willful ignorance was a huge boon to the telcos, who demanded billions in fed subsidies for "underserved areas" and then just blew it on anything they felt like – like the $45 billion of public money they wasted on obsolete copper wiring for rural "broadband" expansion under Trump:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/27/all-broadband-politics-are-local/

Like other cherished conservative delusions, the unsupportable fantasy that private industry is better at rolling out broadband is hugely consequential. Before the pandemic, this meant that America – the birthplace of the internet – had the slowest, most expensive internet service of any G8 country. During the lockdown, broadband deserts meant that millions of poor and rural Americans were cut off from employment, education, health care and family:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/12/ajit-pai/#pai

Pai's response was to commit another $8 billion in public funds to broadband expansion, but without any idea of where the broadband deserts were – just handing more money over to monopoly telcos to spend as they see fit, with zero accountability:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/05/26/pandemic-profiteers/#flying-blind

All that changed after the 2020 election. Pai was removed from office (and immediately blocked me on Twitter) (oh, diddums), and his successor, Biden FCC chair Jessic Rosenworcel, started gathering evidence, soliciting your broadband complaints:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/03/23/parliament-of-landlords/#fcc

And even better, your broadband speed measurements:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/14/for-sale-green-indulgences/#fly-my-pretties

All that evidence spurred Congress to act. In 2021, Congress ordered the FCC to investigate and punish discrimination in internet service provision, "based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion, or national origin":

https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ58/PLAW-117publ58.pdf

In other words, Congress ordered the FCC to crack down on "digital redlining." That's when historic patterns of underinvestment in majority Black neighborhoods and other underserved communities create broadband deserts, where internet service is slower and more expensive than service literally across the street:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/10/flicc/#digital-divide

FCC Chair Rosenworcel has published the agency's plan for fulfilling this obligation. It's pretty straightforward: they're going to collect data on pricing, speed and other key service factors, and punish companies that practice discrimination:

https://www.fcc.gov/document/preventing-digital-discrimination-broadband-internet-access

This has provoked howls of protests from the ISP cartel, their lobbying org, and their Republican pals on the FCC. Writing for Ars Technica, Jon Brodkin rounds up a selection of these objections:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/11/internet-providers-say-the-fcc-should-not-investigate-broadband-prices/

There's GOP FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, with a Steve Bannon-seque condemnation of "the administrative state [taking] effective control of all Internet services and infrastructure in the US. He's especially pissed that the FCC is going to regulate big landlords who force all their tenants to get slow, expensive from ISPs who offer kickbacks to landlords:

https://www.fcc.gov/document/carr-opposes-bidens-internet-plan

The response from telco lobbyists NCTA is particularly, nakedly absurd: they demand that the FCC exempt price from consideration of whether an ISP is practicing discrimination, calling prices a "non-technical aspect of broadband service":

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/110897268295/1

I mean, sure – it's easy to prove that an ISP doesn't discriminate against customers if you don't ask how much they charge! "Sure, you live in a historically underserved neighborhood, but technically we'll give you a 100mb fiber connection, provided you give us $20m to install it."

This is a profoundly stupid demand, but that didn't stop the wireless lobbying org CTIA from chiming in with the same talking points, demanding that the FCC drop plans to collect data on "pricing, deposits, discounts, and data caps," evaluation of price is unnecessary in the competitive wireless marketplace":

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/1107735021925/1

Individual cartel members weighed in as well, with AT&T and Verizon threatening to sue over the rules, joined by yet another lobbying group, USTelecom:

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/1103655327582/1

The next step in this playbook is whipping up the low-information base by calling this "socialism" and mobilizing some of the worst-served, most-gouged people in America to shoot themselves in the face (again), to own the libs:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/15/useful-idiotsuseful-idiots/#unrequited-love

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/10/digital-redlining/#stop-confusing-the-issue-with-relevant-facts

Image: Japanexperterna.se (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/japanexperterna/15251188384/

CC BY-SA 2.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Mike Mozart (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/14325839070/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/14325905568/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeepersmedia/14489390566/

www.ccPixs.com https://www.flickr.com/photos/86530412@N02/8210762750/

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