sometimes watching star trek is like "how did this shit get approved" and it's 45 minutes of the most homosexual activity you'll ever see on screen that probably barely got past the censors and sometimes it's like "how did this shit get approved" and it's 45 minutes of the worst writing you'll ever see y'know

Not So Forbidden | Bucky Barnes

Summary: You were upset after a mishap that happened so your favorite bodyguard came to comfort you with good news.

A/n: I watched a movie called First Daughter and got inspired to write something cute and soft. It's kinda ass tho so beware.

Category: Bodyguard!Bucky x President’s Daughter!Reader

Warnings: Reader is 23, Bucky is in his late 20s/Early 30s, some crying on the readers part, the ending is rushed cause my creativity ran out lmao

Word Count: 1.8k

♡♡♡♡

“Care Bear secured.” One of your many bodyguards called into the mic that hid in the sleeve of his blazer as you crossed the threshold to your room, slamming the door behind you.

Just moments ago you had been dragged from an outing with one of your very very few friends as your bodyguards thought there had been an opposing threat. Turns out, there was just a loose dog running the streets and had scared a few people, but they had refused to take you back to your friend and continued to drive you back to the oversized house that you had been calling home for the last eight years.

You missed having the freedom you used to have before your mom decided to run to be President of the United States and won. It was like everything changed in the blink of an eye for you. Once a little girl who could run amok outside without a care in the world to a girl who had to be the perfect child for her mothers sake. Of course before, you were happy your mother was chasing her dreams and doing what she had always planned to do when she was growing up, you just wish that you knew that it’d come with sacrificing your public and private life.

A knock on the door pulled you from your thoughts, wiping your tears and clearing your throat, “I said I wanted to be alone.”

“It’s me.” The voice called. You recognized it immediately.

James Buchanan Barnes or as you would call him, Bucky. He was the head of your security team and ironically, one of your best friends. Bucky had been at your side nearly every day for the last five years when he got promoted to head bodyguard. In your opinion, he should have truly been a bodyguard for your mother. He had always done a superb job at keeping you safe, neutralizing threats and knowing when it was actually time to pull you from somewhere that may have started to get dangerous or too crowded.

Walking over to unlock the door, not even bothering to open it because you knew he already had his hand on the knob just waiting to push through. Shutting the door behind him, he watched as you walked over to your vanity, still trying to dry your eyes.

“What happened?” Bucky asked, slowly approaching up behind you.

“Oh, your buddies didn’t call it out to you?” You scoffed, shaking your head, “Apparently a stray dog running the streets is a threat to my safety now and they whisked me out of there, leaving my friend behind and all.”

“They were just doing their job.” He tried to reason with you, but he knew how much you hated not being able to do the simple things in life without stuff like this happening.

Turning to look at him, you furrowed your eyebrows at him, “Right, so where were you? Where was the knight to save his damsel in distress from a damn dog? Isn’t that your job? To be by the helpless princess’s side twenty-four-seven?”

“I was in a meeting with your mother.” He stepped closer to you, “I’m sorry, if I was there, that wouldn’t have happened—but you can’t be upset with them doing what they are paid heavily to do.”

“God Bucky, I know, I know. I’m not mad at them, I’m—” You huffed, taking a deep breath as you tried to control your tears, “I’m mad at the fact that I will never have a normal life. Everywhere I go, there’s a group of big beefy men following me around, cameras flashing in my face, news reporters covering every little thing I do. My skirt too short? I’m a slut. I don’t smile in a picture? I’m the president’s stuck up daughter. If I smile too much? I’m faking it for the cameras. Almost every friend I’ve tried to make in those short two years I went to college? Just using me to get popular while talking about me behind my back. I just can’t win.”

Bucky sighed, “I know..”

“No, Bucky, honestly you don’t. Every day, when I walk out of this god forsaken place, I have to put on a smile and a personality that doesn’t belong to me. Everything that I do reflects on my mother and what kind of daughter would I be if I ruined something that she worked so hard for?” You ranted, “I mean, she’s the first female President of the United States. She’s making history and I’m so proud of her, but it cost me everything, Bucky, everything. To the point where I can’t even hold the hand of the man I love in public because he’s my bodyguard.”

“Come here.” He held his hand out which you gladly took as he pulled you into his body, wrapping his arms tightly around you, “I’m sorry, baby.”

You relaxed in his embrace, sighing as you buried your face into his chest, smelling that cologne you bought for him not too long ago, “You have nothing to be sorry for, it’s not your fault.”

Kissing the crown of your head, slowly rocking the two of you from side to side, “I can’t change what happened earlier, I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I can’t change the reality of the life you live, but if I could pull you through a portal and take you to a universe where you were just a normal girl, I would. But there is one thing I can change.

Smiling softly at his words, you pulled back a little to be able to look up into those blue eyes that you loved so much, “Yeah? What’s that?”

He returned the smile, bringing his hand up to cup your face, his thumb slowly stroking your cheek, “Your mother said something similar to me earlier,”

A FEW HOURS EARLIER…

Bucky knocked on the door that led to the oval office after he was requested there.

“Enter!” His boss's voice called.

“Madam President.” He addressed her, keeping his position by the door, “You wanted to see me?”

“Ah, yes, Mr. Barnes. Please, shut the door and have a seat.”

He followed her wishes, shutting the door and sitting in a chair that was adjacent to her desk, “Is everything okay, Madam President?”

She smiled, moving her stack of paperwork to the side and taking off her glasses, “Everything is fine, James. No need to worry. And please, right now you may call me Diane.” Bucky’s heart was beating out of his chest, was this a set up? Was he being tested? Was she being threatened? A thousand thoughts flew through his head as he thought something was wrong, but before he could ask, Diane spoke again, “You may call me Diane because I didn’t call you here to talk to you about presidential or security reasons. I called you here to speak to you as a Mother to Y/n.”

Bucky gulped, deciding to play it cool, “I’m sorry, I don’t follow.”

Diane chuckled, “James, do you take me as a fool?”

“Of course not, Madam President.” He answered quickly, playing it safe just in case this was a test.

She sat back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other and folding her hands over her lap, “Five years ago, when my only daughter turned 18, I knew that whether I was president or not, I wasn’t going to be able to keep an eye on her forever. That eventually, she’d want to venture off on her own and I wouldn’t be able to stop her. I needed someone who I could trust to keep an eye on her while she tried to navigate her life. I was talking to your father about you before his passing. He was telling me how dedicated you were to your job, even if you were only guarding a door, so I promoted you to Y/n’s head bodyguard as I promised him that you’d always have a job here as long as I was president.”

Bucky’s eyes glossed over at the mentioning of his father’s passing. It may have been some years, but you’d never truly get over the loss of a parent passing, “I’m not sure If I understand what we’re talking about.”

Diane continued, “James, over these last few years, I’ve been how close you and y/n have grown. Your secret whispers, inside jokes, the looks you give each other when you think no one’s looking, the way you look at her when you think no one is watching. Even sneaking out almost every night.” His head dropped. This was it, he was getting fired. He had broken the number one rule and fell for his boss’s daughter. He went to speak, but Diane kept going before he could, “And I want to thank you for being there for her and making all of this the smallest bit easier for her.”

When Bucky slowly looked up, he saw Diane with probably the most genuine smile he’d ever seen from her, “You do?”

She nodded, “After I was elected President, I knew life for the two of us would never be the same. That we’d always be in the public eye and crucified for everything that we do, which is why in those first few years of my presidency, I shielded her from it. Kept her in the house and out of the public eye for as long as possible and the best thing I could've ever done was make you her bodyguard because you make her happy. She’s sacrificed so much for me, what type of mother would I be if I kept her from being with the only person who makes her feel normal?” She questioned, more so to herself than to Bucky, “Do you love my daughter?”

“More than anything in this world.”

“Then who am I to stand in between love?

PRESENT…

Your eyes were wide and filled with tears as Bucky told you what happened in the meeting with him and your mother. To say you were shocked was an understatement. You were so sure that you and Bucky were being careful enough not to get caught, “She knew this whole time?”

He nodded, “And she’s okay with it. She just wants you to be happy.” You couldn’t stop the smile that took over your face before you excitedly pulled him into a kiss. Bucky gladly returned the kiss, titling his head to deepen it. His hands traveled down to your waist, gripping the flesh to lift you up into his arms. Your legs naturally wrapped around his waist as he carried you to your bed and laid the two of you down on it, “I’m gonna marry you one day.” He mumbled against your lips, “I’m gonna take you away from all this. Maybe move to the country, somewhere far away from others and give you all the normalcy and privacy that you crave today.” A soft sob left your lips as you pressed your forehead against his, “Until then, I’ll be here, right by your side until your mother finishes her Presidency.”

“I love you so much.” You sighed, listening to his words.

“I love you more, baby.”

i’m making you know this knowledge in your brain now so that i’m not the only one

i was dealt psychic damage when my brain decided to realize this, but i would say that dragon riders of pern are easily definable as a (the?) proto-a/b/o [omegaverse] verse trope and now i can’t be the only one knowing this in my brain

a/b/o is literally just pern dragon mating with simplified “secondary genders” and mating bonds that aren’t guaranteed to be lifelong. 

and wikipedia hasn’t even pointed this out, so this is my groundbreaking contribution to literature/pop culture history because they only mention pon farr mating cycles 

actually POINT IN FACT they city the 1967 episode Amok Time ran in September of 1967, but the first dragonriders of pern book was actually comprised of 

Two components of Dragonflight were award-winning novellas published by Analog science fiction magazine. The first segment, "Weyr Search", illustrated by John Schoenherr, had been the cover story for the October 1967 issue.[3] The second segment, "Dragonrider", appeared in two parts, beginning in December 1967, and was also a cover story illustrated by Schoenherr.[4]

so obviously these works were more or less written simultaneously -- anne macaffrey couldn’t have possibly been influenced by  seeing Amok Time, since we can assume she had submitted her first draft before the october issue of Analog was published, meaning it was almost certainly already written, planned,  and edited for publication by the time the ST episode aired in september. and ursula k leguin didn’t publish the left hand of darkness until 1969. 

 i think i found a copy of the original 67 weyr search novella, as opposed to just my copy of the bundled publication dragonflight. 

this whole mates/unique people stuff is established here: 

“News travels fast,” F’nor chuckled, nodding at a hurrying craftsman, in the smock of a baker, who gave them a mumbled good day. “Not a female in sight.”

His observation was accurate. Women should be abroad at this hour, bringing in supplies from the storehouses, washing in the river on such a bright warm day, or going out to the farmholds to help with planting. Not a gowned figure in sight.

‘We used to be preferred mates,“ F’nor remarked caustically.

and

But she would have to be extraordinarily wary. Dragonriders were men apart. Anger did not cloud their intelligence. Greed did not sully their judgment. Fear did not dull their reactions. Let the dense-witted believe human sacrifice, unnatural lusts, insane revel. She was not so gullible. And those stories went against her grain. Dragonmen were still human and there was Weyr blood in her veins. It was the same color as that of anyone else; enough of hers had been spilled to prove that.

so we know that ‘dragonmen’ are different than other people, rumored to have ‘unnatural lusts’, talk about the status of being ‘mates’, and have an internal hierarchy [queen/gold, bronze, green, brown...]. 

my point here is like, yes pon farr is similar also, butI

dragonriders have:

secondary social “genders” and/or sexualities based on color of dragon 

secondarily the whole concept of green dragons being sterile females with usually gay male riders 

one specific dragon color that is like, the “one who can mate” and then lay eggs [the gold] is also more rare and highly coveted

the bronze riders are usually the big/powerful/strong personalities or w/e 

mating ritual chases [the mating flight lasting longer is supposed to be a good thing] and mating bonds

have the concept of the female rising [for the flight] which is just a dragon heat

have telepathy that may influence sex

the whole animal instinct thing/animal nature of people

dubious consent or rape is built into the structure of the whole...premise as a possibility aka “the dragon decides, the rider complies...” 

omegaverse is literally just simplified dragonriders of pern with less categories of “presentation” but with similar ritualization of status within society and sex/heats and instead of dragons, people use like, werewolves or wolves or whatever for the sake of knotting trope. the mating bite mark thing is unique from pern but the rest is pretty much the same

why does no on cite anne mccafrey’s weird dragon sex as an influence here like it’s so obvious and pern fans have a shitton of fanfic and text rp where they explore this whole.... *gestures* thing 

do you know i read those books in elementary school and i think they were even available in my school library??? weird dragon sex and all??? 

they were definitely on the list of possible book quizzes i could take for reading points or whatever the hell 

i don’t even read this genre but i do have pern books and now i can’t unthink this connection so there you go. 

Hikaru Sulu and Pavol Chekov: The greatest fictional friendship you have never seen.  

The original Star Trek series was known and remembered for being rather progressive and had a major impact on popular culture. The idea of a mirror dimension that has all the characters but evil came from Star Trek, many characters get referenced in different media, and a lot of fanfiction as we know it today started with the Star Trek fandom. The main reoccurring cast in the first season of Star Trek was Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy or “Bones”, Mr. Scot or “Scotty”, Mr. Sulu, and Mrs. Uhura along with a few other background characters that were not as prevalent. In the second season Star Trek decided to add another guy to the cast, Mr. Chekov. He was mostly just there to be Russian and a reason for teen girls to watch the show. However, I believe that is a boring way to see a character. If a character speaks, or even makes an on-screen appearance, then there is subtext that can be read into. This can most easily be applied to the main trio.  

Spock is a half-Human half-Vulcan who comes from a world that is highly built around logic and suppressing emotions. He never really ends up fitting into one singular category to the more ignorant people around him and is subject to many bigoted comments from both humans and Vulcans, in varying degrees of subtilty. In some cases, it is difficult to tell if a comment was meant to be directed at Spock and if it was malicious. Spock does not often react to these comments regardless and it is typically Kirk who would confront the person. McCoy is very opposite to Spock; he is a doctor and a part of being in the medical field is having empathy. Although McCoy does make jokes at Spock’s expense there is a clear difference between when McCoy, Spock’s friend, antagonizes him and when some random guy does. McCoy is often at odds with Spock because he is so deeply rooted in empathy and caring for others which often leads to, and is also rooted in, emotions. Vulcans aren’t supposed to feel strong emotions, which Spock clearly does for both McCoy and Krik. In the episode “Naked Time” he directly states that he feels strong emotions for Kirk, in “Amok Time” he asks Kirk to go with him as a companion to witness a culturally significant ceremony in Vulcan culture (McCoy is also asked and they both go). Spock is the “brain” of the trio, McCoy is the “heart”, and Kirk is the result of two equally unstable and stubborn people refusing to stop bickering. Many, much better, essays have been written about this, what I wish to discuss is the implied friendship between Mr. Sulu and Mr. Chekov. 

For the entirety of season one, Chekov does not exist. If one were to watch the show and take everything at face value, then he is a shallow, one dimensional, stereotype of a Russian put in a show made during a time when America did not like Russians. This, however, is not fun and is not technically true. Chekov has a more laid back and joking personality. The main joke he makes is that everything is made in Russia. It is important to keep in mind the political climate of the time this show was made in. Chekov is making a joke, the things he claims to originate in his home country are obviously not Russian, the main question is if the joke is being actively made by Chekov in the narrative, as in the he is telling a joke to someone else in the story canonically, or if the joke is just that Chekov thinks or is claiming things aren’t Russian to be Russian. If it is the former, then it adds to his character in a way that isn’t just throwing more ‘Russia’ onto the guy who’s main thing is being Russian. If it is the latter, then it adds more ‘Russia’ to the guy who’s main thing is being Russian. Every person who consumes a thing will come out of it with a slightly different reading. We can get a central theme and idea, but we have different ways of coming to the conclusion. We read a word in a different tone, completely changing the sentence, we focus on different characters and read relationships differently. The best thing about art is that there is no wrong way to read and enjoy it. I personally like Chekov. I see him as being a more sarcastic character who is, more often than not, mocking the viewer for laughing at a stereotype. Even if this not what he is, it is what a lot of the “made in Russia” jokes came off to me as. I also love the “made in Georgia” joke so I am biased towards a guy who would make a similar joke. But him saying that he “was the Tzar of all the Russians” when told that a man standing Infront of him (who had just grown multiple feet in height) was the god Apollo. He sheepishly apologizes to the captain for this comment, which made me think that he tended to say things without thinking because he was either personally insulted or just thought it would be funny. I also just thought that it was a bit cute. Chekov also obviously loves women (same) and is obviously loyal to Captain Krik, in “I, Mudd” he automatically dislikes Mudd because he is being held captive by him (with the rest of the crew) and because I think he has some level of loyalty to Kirk and the rest of the crew. He also dislikes physicals but that should be discussed later in this essay. One can also infer based on a comment made by Bones in “Who Mourns for Adonais?” where Chekov starts listing animals that can generate energy/electricity without any harm to themselves. Bones tells him to stop, and Chekov says that Kirk would need all the information. Bones then remarks that “Spock is contaminating this boy”. Which could also just mean that Chekov transferred to the Enterprise. It could also mean that Chekov trained under or spent time with Spock. It could mean both, it doesn’t fully matter but I think it’s fun to think about. This gives the impression of a character that likes to make jokes but cares about and is good at his job. Another thing about Chekov is that he makes what would ber historical references, especially Russian ones. In the episode “I, Mudd” he either called Mudd a former Surf or a former owner of a Surf. This would add to the ‘Chekov spent time with Spock” narrative as Spock studies history, but this doesn’t matter that much.  He is a bit young, impulsive, and very naevi, but also very passionate in the field he works in. Regardless of how good or real these conclusions I’ve come to are, it is still a semi-reasonable way to read and interpret the text.    

Sulu was a part of the cast sense the first season. He played a notable role in the episode “The Naked Time” where he was one of the first people to be affected by the virus that caused people to lose their inhibitions. Interestingly enough, Sulu became afflicted after his friend, who had originally contracted the virus and was the one who brought it back to the ship, had a mental breakdown and attempted to kill himself using a knife. He was apparently in a friend group with this character who existed to die, and Riley. They (Sulu and Riley) attempted to restrain their friend but ultimately failed. Sulu spent the rest of the episode fencing. The idea. that watching their friend die was never really considered as a possibility for Riley or Sulu’s strange actions. They are both noted to be acting out of character and that would have been a viable explanation. It isn’t why they are acting this way, but it is an interesting idea. He is mentioned to have been a good spacecraft fighter by Spock, but when they are attacked in season two, the first time, he is not present. The other time they are attacked they choose to retreat. Sulu has a more mellowed out personality compared to the more neurotic people who surround him. He enjoys fencing and is skilled in it, as stated before he was a fighter pilot. He cares about the rest of the crew members and is generally seen as trustworthy by those around him.  What we saw in “Mirror Mirror” also supports the idea that Sulu is a good guy, mainly because in the Mirror verse, he is not. From my understanding, the Mirror realm is where everything is the same, but the main characters were evil. This implies either a lot of things happening in the Mirror realm that led to people having vastly different morals or that the individual personalities and goals of the characters are swapped or moved around slightly. Realistically both probably occurred. Mirror Sulu is shown to be a bad person, he harasses women and torchers people who are below him in rank, although they did attempt to murder him. The characters, even when they are fully aware of how the people act in this world, are horrified and shocked over these actions. The normal Sulu would not take these actions, plus he’s gay. Although that doesn't mean that he would harass a woman.  Regardless, those just weren’t things that Sulu would do, which was why he was the one doing them in the Mirror realm. 

So why are these two friends? Well, a lot of their friendship is my own very liberal interpretation of the text. They interact as they are both helmsmen and sit next to each other when they have the same shift. Despite this, when Chekov is a major character in an episode, Sulu is typically either a minor character in the episode or not there at all and vice versa. In some episodes they also don’t have a lot of time to interact because they individually wouldn’t have a lot of time on screen individually. However, they do interact. One of the more well-known scenes the two share is from the episode “The Deadly Years”, where Chekov is forced to have a lot of physicals done on him and he is complaining about it to Sulu. He makes the remark “If I live long enough, I’m going to run out of samples to give” and Sulu responds with “You’ll live”. Chekov states that he will but he won’t enjoy it. They have a lot of chemistry in this short interaction, and it is one of the main things that convinced me that they are friends. The two would naturally spend a lot of time together because they work similar jobs. Although they wouldn’t always be on the same shift it is not unreasonable to assume that they would work together at least once or twice a week. It is also not unreasonable to assume that Krik or Spock would put people who get along with each other on the same shifts, it would make logical sense because it would lead to less infighting over irrelevant issues, and it would keep moral up. Unless two people distracted each other I don’t see why Kirk would purposely sperate people from their friends. Furthermore, both Kirk and Spock would be well aware of how important it is for people to care about each other. 

Having people who you care about and who care about you would make space travel and any type of work much more enjoyable, easy, and safe. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy obviously care about each other and regardless of how it is interpreted Kirk and Spock clearly love each other. A lot of what motivates people is interpersonal relationships, and it would make sense to put people who like working together, together. That unnecessary tangent aside, it has been proven that just being around a person more can increase affection towards that person. People like and trust those who they are familiar with more than the people who they are not, even if both people are strangers. Obviously, this can also work in reverse if one is annoyed with a certain person but that’s beside the point. We like things that we are familiar with, and that extends to people. So, it would not be unreasonable to assume that Chekov and Sulu would have built up some sort of repour with each other over the course of the second season of the show. Chekov also openly complains to Sulu in an incredibly casual way, and Sulu responds similarly. Although they both are generally seen as friendly, in this particular scene it is taken to a much higher level than would be normal. The two personalities aren’t necessarily contradictory or opposites, but they are clearly different. Chekov is younger, impulsive, and much more unprofessional. However most of the time when he does interact with people of higher ranks he is professional. He will make an occasional joke, but it isn’t a constant thing. Sulu, although not as professional as say, Spock, takes his work seriously and won’t make jokes during debriefings. If the two were to be put in more situations together they could easily work well together and balance the other one out. It is not hard to imagine the two running into trouble on the enterprise that get increasingly more ridiculous.  

All of that is hypothetical, which is my main problem. I have made up most of this friendship in my head and I have spent an unreasonable amount of time thinking about this thing that is not real. I often find myself liking random background characters for little to no reason apart from them having one line that I thought was funny or a few scenes that I thought were interesting. The main reason why I like Generation One Bumblebee was because it was mentioned in an episode that he was “late again”. It didn’t add anything to the story or further the plot, but it did give a small amount of character to Bumblebee and gave some insight into how the characters interact with each other. The normal length of a Star Trek episode for TOS is 50 minutes, which gives a lot of time for the characters to interact and have these small moments. The scene of Chekov complaining about all the medical tests served to show his youth in a sense. His complaints were likely meant to come off as childish and overdramatic. I am assuming that they weren’t drawing enough blood to fill one of those blood donation bags but he had done at least three physicals and two of those were back-to-back, so his complaints probably were somewhat reasonable. When Scotty was left in charge of the Enterprise during the events of ‘Friday’s Child’, Chekov makes a “thing that was definitely not made in Russia was made in Russia” joke. When Sulu and Scotty look confused, Chekov just smiles and Sulu also smiles, whereas Scotty just looks a bit annoyed with the comment. They also have a small conversation in “Amok Time” when Sulu asks what Chekov thinks about the current traveling situation. Chekov responds with a joke. The two also complain about how indecisive the commanders are being about where they are traveling. These scenes that show them making jokes together as they work make me think that they would spend time with each other outside of when they were required to work together. They make jokes with each other and don’t really get annoyed the way that the others do. In the epiosode where the enterprise is given a supercomputer that could very well replace them it is implied that both Chekov and Sulu dislike it. When Kirk tells Chekov to plot a course back to a star base Sulu is very happy and the two joke a bit and are smiling. There is also another episode where the two are very physically close to each other. I believe that Sulu was helping Chekov track something. Although two characters being physically close to each other does not automatically mean that the characters are close friends, it does say something about their relationship. They both feel comfortable enough to be working closely on a high stress project. In fact, it almost seems to make them calmer. This could also have just represented Sulu’s anxiety around the current situation, but it could also imply that the two are friends.

 But what is the actual appeal to the idea of their friendship? For me, the idea that two background characters who get enough screen time to not be completely obscure but not enough screen time to be considered a main character could have a friendship that just existed without being connected to a main character is cool. 50 minutes is a lot of time for the characters to just interact and any filler that has Chekov and Sulu together only strengthens my belief that they are best friends. If both of them are included in the episode, stay on the ship, and have at least a supporting role in the A or B plot then they will probably exchange funny looks or have a short conversation. Chekov, as a character, was meant to fill three main rolls, he needed to be Russian, he needed to be the appeal for teenage girls, and he was typically the comic relief character that was also the almost redshirt. Sulu also is sometimes placed in the ‘almost red shirt’ category. The audience knows and cares about him but he isn’t a main character. The writers will not kill off Spock, Kirk, or Bones. Scotty and Uhura also have a good amount of plot armor. Sulu and Chekov both have plot armor, but they aren’t integral to the ship functioning. There is more than one navigator and helmsman. They can be replaced, and they work in shifts. The main thing that separates them from a sacrificial security guard or science officer is that they have had their names for more than one episode. They are reoccurring background characters that the audience cares for, but they are not unkillable. Will they die? Probably not and it definitely wouldn’t be in the same way that your average red shirt would, but they could. The main way the writers can establish a thing as a threat or something we as the audience should be worried about is by having one of these ‘almost red shirts’ be impacted by it. They won’t die but they will be mind controlled or put in harm’s way. 

They are in no position of power and just have to deal with the consequences of the commanders’ actions in a way that is different from the actual people in power. Kirk goes to a planet and discovers that someone has contracted a disease, Spock, McCoy, and Kirk would be in charge of actually fixing the situation, but characters like Sulu and Chekov don’t actively work on solving the problem. In “Amok Time” they are shown to be changing the courses when Kirk goes back and forth on the Vulcan issue, but they aren’t the ones who are actually deciding what they should do. Kirk will ask Chekov a question about a navigation specific problem, but Chekov isn’t the one in charge of if or not they will go through with the plan; he is just there to give advice. They are both annoyed by how indecisive Captain Kirk was being in ‘Amok Time’ and although they will complain amongst themselves, they will never take their grievances to him directly. Nor will Kirk ask what they think about the situation because they are not the people who would know or care that much about the issue. This makes them resemble coworkers who are friends who must deal with their boss’s antics. We don’t focus on the people who do everyday jobs on the Enterprise because that is boring when compared to the adventures that Captain Kirk and Spock would go on. We still watch people do their everyday job, but what makes it interesting and fun is the setting and characters. For a show like “The Office” to work the characters need to be funny or entertaining. The main reason why people watch TV is because they want to escape from the monotony and stress of day-to-day life. If “The Office” was just about people working a typical office job, then it wouldn’t have as large of an audience because it would be boring. We wouldn’t want to have a boss like whoever the boss is in The Office (I’ve watched one episode of the office I don’t know how bad the guy is but from the clips I’ve seen all of these characters seem like the type you’d want to avoid having to spend long periods of time with) or be put in life threatening situations, but these are fake. They didn’t happen in real life and a lot of the absurdity is funny because of that. It would be much more interesting to watch the main three, and that’s why the show is heavily focused on them. However, the idea of Chekov and Sulu is funny. It may not be enough to fill a 50-minute block of TV or even a 22-minute one, but it does make for potentially humorous situations. These stories and situations would not have a large impact on anything, but the idea that they happen or could happen makes the world feel more real and a bit more fun.  Although they might not interact a lot in the original show the movies do present evidnce that they are friends. When the crew is given shore leave, Chekov and Sulu spend that time together. They get lost in Yellowstone together and the idea of them being friends is much closer to cannon than it ever was in the original show. The argument was never if or not they were friends, it was why this hypothetical relationship was good and entertaining. I personally find both characters endearing and I think that they would be friends based off of how they interact in the text. Their general personalities also serve to complement each other, Sulu is much more laid back and thoughtful whereas Chekov is impulsive and doesn’t really take things seriously, his inexperience is obvious, and he is easily startled. Sulu has been on the Enterprise much longer than Chekov and he is more used to the universe constantly trying to kill them.

  

Ultimately, both Chekov and Sulu are background characters in a show from the 60s’. What they did, their thoughts and feelings on certain matters, and individual thoughts do not matter to the narrative. They serve to fill up the world and make it seem less empty and less like the writers couldn’t be bothered to make characters to fill the roles that they fill. The conversations that they have are mostly just filler and have little substance. That, however, is a boring explanation and much less fun. It is fun to imagine these characters being friends, it’s fun to overanalyze everything that they say and do, and it’s fun to make up your own little stories for characters you enjoy. A shallow character or a shallow story can still have an impact on people because they can add depth to it. Star Trek is neither a shallow story nor does it only have shallow characters, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still fun to make stuff up. The world of Star Trek is a sandbox world, there is an unlimited number of stories a person can tell. Star Trek is one of the earliest series that had fan works that were actively labeled as such and it’s not hard to see why. Many characters are charming and have a lot of chemistry with each other. The show generates creativity and wants the viewer to think. And I did that. I thought 4k poorly worded words into existence that you managed to read. Good job!

I know I might get bashed like hell for this but I don't care: Chat Noir and Ladybug are realistically the weakest Cat and Ladybug miraculous holders of their respective legacies.

And it's not just them. Every single Parisian hero of the current generation, from Rena Rouge to Viperion, are significantly weaker in terms of skill and power than their predecessors.

This isn't their fault entirely, as Ladybug and co have more disadvantages than the heroes that have come before them and there are those who don't take the job seriously [Chat Noir and Queen Bee].

They're Very Young

The first most glaring issue is the fact that they are still minors. The most consistent rule of the show is that a miraculous being used by a child is like the free trial version of a streaming service. Five minutes after using their special power, they will de-transform and will need to feed their kwami to resume their transformation. Unlike Hawkmoth and Mayura who can keep up their transformation even after using an akuma/amok, Ladybug and Chat Noir have to proceed with caution because they aren't grownups which limits their ability to fight all out. This is especially the case with Chat Noir and Ladybug as they are the main superheroes and characters used to emphasize this rule.

If the wiki is to be believed, then previous Ladybugs like La Déesse Coccinelle, Piao Chong, Tentomushi, Jeanne d'Arc (in the mlb universe), and Mudangbeolle were all adults according to their respective time periods and didn't have the same restrictions that the current Ladybug has. The same could be said about previous foxes, bees, turtles, snakes etc.

They Lack the Necessary Training

The second drawback that Marinette and Adrien have are their backgrounds. More specifically, their comfortable lifestyles. Marinette in particular, went from a clumsy girl who lived a normal life to a beloved superheroine in just one day. Not that there's anything wrong with that on a character level, but on a logical level it makes sense for her to be ill prepared for the duties of a hero at first. She was thrusted into it suddenly with no training [something I see is regularly addressed in crossover fanfictions with Batman and the DCU] or any background in combat, the latter she had to learn on her own. Though it's hinted at that Sabine is an exceptional fighter, it's pretty clear that she taught none of it to Marinette.

Adrien at least has some combat training in the form of fencing which is evident in the way he uses his staff like a fencing saber. But as someone who has been fencing since I was seven and been up against many talented opponents, Adrien strikes me as mediocre at best. He beats Kagami in Riposte sure, but by real fencing standards Adrien would be slaughtered by someone who had been trained their entire life to be an Olympic worthy fencer [Kagami].

I'm bringing this up because literally every past Ladybug, Black, and others have experience in combat, were vigilantes in armies, were warriors before using their miraculous, or fought in actual wars therefore becoming hardened veterans. In this category Adrien [again, even though he's mediocre] and Kagami are the only heroes of the current generation who have previous training in the form of a combat-oriented sport. Though, in my opinion, Kagami as Ryuko is the only hero that can hold a candle to her predecessors.

Alya, Nino, and Chloe are also very weak in this regard due to the aforementioned reasons above. They all have comfortable lifestyles and were thrusted into the world of heroes without any training or focus. Chloe nearly ran into a wall because she wasn't paying attention and Alya needed to be guilt tripped into giving the miraculous to Ladybug by Trixx. You can make the argument that the miraculous costumes make up for their lack of actual experience, which is 100% valid, but I can also argue that having battle training or any sort of athleticism can make a hero even more effective. I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion, but Kagami will always be the most effective and skilled temporary hero as evidenced by her being able to piece together her transformation phase, her attention to detail, her impressive battle awareness and her ability to right her mistakes [jumping into the fight without listening to Ladybug's plan in Ikari Gozen] with her quick thinking. Say what you will about her, but Kagami is objectively the best candidate to be a permanent hero, especially since Chat Noir has been demoted to sidekick/temporary hero status.

[Kim is also an athletic person, but his skill is in swimming, which isn't helpful unless he has an aqua form, which he doesn't so ehh]

They Have Little to No Knowledge of Their Own Powers

The third thing that the heroes have going against them is their lack of knowledge about their powers. By this point in the series, the heroes are just going with the flow and figuring things out for themselves as they go along.

As we know, these are the first heroes since the Order of the Guardians was destroyed. This context is important because in Feast, we learn that countless grimoires and Miracle Boxes burned away or eaten.

The miraculous date back to Ancient Times so there had to have been thousands of years of documented information about the miraculous of the Chinese Miracle Box. I'm not even going to say it's an assumption. It has to be a fact that there were secrets about each miraculous including how to train each Guardian that would have been extremely helpful to Ladybug and the others if they had access to it. Master Fu is responsible for tens of thousands of years' worth of knowledge being snuffed out in just one night.

This puts the heroes who wielded a miraculous after the Order was destroyed at a significant, almost sad disadvantage to those who were heroes before the Order fell. It's highly likely that after gaining their miraculous, previous heroes had access to the archive in which they could learn to utilize their powers to their absolute fullest potential. Whereas with the current heroes, it feels like they can only use a fraction of their miraculous's abilities.

Another problem with their lack of knowledge is the time separating Ladybug and Chat Noir from their predecessors. Bo Rua and an unnamed Vietnamese Black Cat were the last LadyCat duo before Feast swallowed the Order, with Adrien and Marinette being their immediate successors. However, Master Fu was confirmed to be in his 180s when he relinquished the Miracle Box to Marinette and Austruc confirmed Bo Rua and her partner to be in their early twenties, meaning that Bo Rua and LadyNoir have over 200 years separating them, confirming that their knowledge was lost over time after they died and can only be recovered by speaking to their spirits like in Reunion [which I have several complaints about]. Master Fu is obviously lacking knowledge about the miraculous to a severe degree, so it makes sense for Chat Noir and Ladybug to as well.

I'm not bashing Adrien and Marinette and co for being objectively weak because it makes so much sense. They lack proper training, they're kids with set limits on their powers, and they don't have access to crucial information that would've probably led them to defeat Hawkmoth by now. Sure, the two of them [more so Marinette] are the strongest heroes of their generation but if you put them up against their forebearers, they would be massacred with no difficulty whatsoever.

The show would be 100 times more interesting if this was acknowledged, which would lead to the introduction of the previous holders in a more natural and useful way.

[If I missed anything, any reblogs with your personal opinions on the matter will be very appreciated]

Never Nearer Never Farther

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/52593571 by TheMajesticMoose Very few times in his life has Spock been moved enough to lose control, but seeing his Captain's radiant smile, where he thought he never would again, is the one he looks back on with the least amount of shame. Words: 471, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Star Trek: The Original Series Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek) Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock Additional Tags: Angst and Feels, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Sun/planet metaphor, Pining, they're in love ok, Episode: s02e05 Amok Time, Mentions of Death, Ficlet read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/52593571

Darkest Hour

Book: Open Heart (AU)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Casey Valentine

Category: angst

Rating: 18+

***trigger warning: this story deals with non physical domestic abuse- if this is triggering please do not read***

Warnings: language, mentions of unwanted pregnancy, abortion, abuse.

Summary: Ethan finds out a painful secret from Casey’s past

Authors note 1: everyone this is an AU, not my head canon. There will be some similarities but there will also be differences. This is part 1 of two and prompt for this story is an ask that was sent by @jerzwriter asking what would Ethan’s reaction be to finding out Casey had a child that she put up for adoption.

Author’s note 2: another submission for the cfwc please be prompt event. Prompt will appear in bold.

————-

It was a normal day in the halls of Edenbrook, interns running amok, patients getting treated and inane meetings to attend but little did he know his day was going to change on a dime. He and his fiancé Casey had started discussions around children. Casey has poly cystic ovarian syndrome.Today they had a scan booked with Dr Watson to see the state of her ovaries and uterus. Today was also the day that Ethan would find out her darkest chapter from her life. He knew that she had a really bad relationship in medical school which she had not elaborated on too much. She wanted to tell him but how do you tell the man you love about the abuse you suffered and having a child to this person? She knew that the scan and the sono hsg that was to be performed would show evidence of her secret. She tried to book it for when he had a meeting, he deserved to know the truth but it seemed too cruel to find out this way but she had no such luck.

She met Ethan in the waiting room, he could tell she was nervous but he assumed it was about the procedure. They are called in. Dr Watson does the scan on her abdomen and her ovaries and everything looks good, she can not see any evidence of child birth but she knew that would change as soon as the scan went transvaginal. Her cervix showed visible signs of having previously dilated and he even noticed that. She could see him tense up. The sono hsg procedure was then performed and that went well, there were no significant blockages in her Fallopian tubes. Dr Watson was happy with how everything looked and Ethan schooled his features and thanked her. But Ethan left without saying goodbye and Casey knew that she would have to tell him the painful truth.

Casey hoped for a work emergency that would enable her to delay the inevitable but it never came. She went home and waited. Finally he arrived home and he put the keys in the bowl on the entryway table. He made his way to the living room. It took one look for Casey to know that he was still angry, betrayed. He took a long drink of the scotch that she had ready for him.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” He says through gritted teeth.

Casey is quiet, the cat is out of the bag now and now there is no hiding.

“Believe me I wanted too, so many times but as you know I had a not great relationship whilst at medical school and you saw how upset I was whenever it came up.”

“Upsetting or not, you still did not tell me that you had a child. Planned or not, that is still a big deal.” Says Ethan angrily.

“Don’t you think I know Ethan, given your history? Do you think there is an easy way to say I was in an abusive relationship that I managed to get out of and the unwanted pregnancy was because of that, Ethan?” Says Casey while she is trying to hold back the tears.

“You did not need to give me the full story but how do you think I felt today seeing evidence of something I had no clue about? Tell me Casey?”

“I don’t know what to say anymore. Yes I should have told you, but it still is difficult and despite what you said you deserved the story in full, not just some shortened version.”

“Well are you going to enlighten me as to why you had a child you did not see fit to tell me about?”

Casey goes to the kitchen to grab a glass of wine.

“Don’t you think you are going to get out of telling me!” Says Ethan.

“You want me to fucking tell you? Well yes I will but sorry for wanting a drink.” Yells Casey.

Ethan takes a breath and allows Casey to dictate the timing of this evening.

Casey pours her wine, has a sip and begins.

“I met him in the early weeks of my first year of medical school. He was in the same cohort as me. We bonded over what we wanted out of our careers in medicine and love of good coffee. As time went on we were in a relationship. I was on the pill at the time to try and ease my PCOS symptoms and I was religious in taking it at the correct time. He was from a religious family so needless to say I was surprised when he brought up wanting to have sex. I was also apprehensive about bringing up birth control but he seemed to understand that I was on it for control of a medical condition. Anyways the relationship went on. He took me to church, I was not into it like he was but he seemed to appreciate that I at least tried. We kept the sexual part of our relationship a secret obviously. As time went on, he got himself into my study groups, kept calling me to make sure I got home ok. I thought it was caring at first but then it started to annoy me. I missed these signs as a way of control.”

Casey took another sip of wine.

“Eventually my cycle started to become irregular despite being on the pill. I went to the Doctor myself and he ran a test, I was not pregnant but showed that my PCOS was worse so I was put on a stronger pill. It seemed to be helping initially but then my cycle started going crazy again. Then one day I woke up feeling a little nauseous, I put it down to an arduous schedule. It passed. I kept pushing myself, and working and I convinced myself that the exhaustion I was feeling was because of the work I was putting in. There was this day my fatigue was so bad I nearly fainted. My friend who I was catching up with was with me and she convinced me to take a test as I realised that I had not had a period for two months at this point. The test was positive and I freaked out. I knew I wanted to have a child or maybe two if my ovaries permitted but certainly not now. I contemplated termination but I knew this was a discussion I needed to have with him. He was shocked as much as I was and convinced me we could make a child work. I was apprehensive but he came across as caring and considerate. I reluctantly agreed. He became more and more protective of me to the point where I was restricted in my movements, I assumed it was because he was worried I would harm our child. Anyways one night he went out and I was in his room. I went to grab a sweater from his drawer and there I found a stash of what looked like my birth control pills. I found it odd as I only had a pack at a time and it was on my person, never in his drawer. I took them and went back to my room and messaged my friend. She came over and took the pills away and was going to get them tested. She took a pack from my drawer for comparison. Later the next day I met with my friend again, who told me that he had been routinely swapping out my birth control pills for a placebo and found a way to make the packaging and tablets identical to avoid detection.

I was furious as you could imagine, not to mention betrayed. He knew I needed them to control a medical condition.

I went to his room that night and confronted him.”

Casey took another sip, and was starting to lose control over her emotions.

“He was surprised I found out. I asked him why, he knew I was on the pill to control a medical condition. He said he did it because he wanted it all with me, marriage,kids,a fucking white picket fence even. I said why did you do it, you still could have had those with me without trapping me into it. He stated that he was concerned about the long term fertility impact of me being on the pill for so long. I was furious. I reminded him that we did not need to have sex to have a fulfilling relationship and I would have understood. He was not convinced and he felt that it was the only way to keep me. I told him well you have now lost me and I told him I was going to have the baby, I was just half way at this point. I then walked out. He pursued me for several weeks, stalking me, trying to get me to reconsider but I refused. By this time I was researching adoption processes. I knew if I kept the baby he would try even harder to entrap me and I did not want that for myself or the child. Thankfully the timing of the birth was mid summer break so I was able to get my end of pregnancy care transferred to Delaware and as soon as finals were completed I went home.

I gave birth to a healthy girl. I requested not to know where she was placed but did say that if she wanted to find out about me she was able to access her records when she turns 18. It got back to him about the birth and adoption, which is why I did not want to know where she ended up, as it also meant he could not find out also. He taunted me for months and finally transferred elsewhere.”

Casey then started to cry. Ethan did not know what to do. He was still angry that she had not told him but after now being told he was more angry, not at Casey but for the asshole that did this to her. Casey then went to bed, in the guest room and Ethan sat there stewing in the emotions that the bombshell that Casey dropped had caused.

Sleep did not come for him that night. He was angry at him, angry at her, angry at himself. He insisted she tell him but now he did not know what to do. His own issues with his mother came to mind. He had heard her out, heard her apology for abandoning him and his dad but he did not pursue a relationship with her. He knew the circumstances were different but he could not feel like Casey would abandon him as she opted to put a child up for adoption. He had so many questions. He knew without asking why she fid not try to work things out with him but surely she could have found a way to make medical school work.

Casey made her way to the kitchen. She asked him if he had any sleep and he said no. He told her about his sleepless night and the questions that went in his head, including why she opted to not even try and look after the baby herself.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me right now? Yes I could have but there is no way I could have gone back to Grossman, not with him there and if I transferred he would have found out and hounded me there. There would have been no escape for me Ethan. A closed adoption was the only way. You do not get to pass judgement. Yes I did not keep the baby but she was put into the care of people who I knew would love her as their own, who could not have their own, I was also protecting her from a piece of a shit father also. You were not there. I get why you feel betrayed because I did not tell you but how do you think I felt when I found out how betrayed I was and how controlled I was. Did you want me to end up as a statistic because if I kept her Ethan, I fucking would have been one and I would not be standing here right now.” She said, through another stream of fresh tears.

“You are right, I was not there but surely there would have or could have been a way?”

“Well if there was a way it was not clear to me.”

She slips her engagement ring off her finger and places it on the table.

“I know you are upset but I think you need time, as do I to process and work through this. It is not the end for now, more a pause, if you feel that you can forgive me and we can be together I will happily wear this ring again. The ball is in your court Ethan.” She hurries to his room to get changed and get clothes. Ethan sits there, bewildered and upset. He knew he needed to work through his emotions but he also just wanted to be there for Casey and he knew she would not let him do the latter without doing the former. He tried to get her as she made her way to the door, wanting to work through this together but she was too quick for him.

He let out a guttural scream. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

Authors note 3: do not panic, part 2 I will fix this.

Tagging: @jerzwriter @jamespotterthefirst @potionsprefect @ofmischiefandmedicine @genevievemd @bex-la-get @a-crepusculo @crazy-loca-blog @schnitzelbutterfingers @binny1985 @liaromancewriter

@openheartfanfics @choicesficwriterscreations

Smarter Than You Know

by splixx

Terry is the bleeding heart of the group, the one who bandages the replicants up when they scrape a knee, the one who soothes Korvo's worries when his mind is running amok, the one who stays up into the late hours of the night rocking Pupa back to sleep.

For as long as they've been cooped up on Earth together, Terry has always been the person the others have turned to when they needed a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen to their nonsensical ramblings, or just an overall comforting presence in times of sorrow or doubt.

Terry is, undoubtedly, the tape holding his teams' emotions in check, their reliable rock when nothing seems to be going right and they need a little bit of positivity in their life.

So what happens when Terry is the one who needs comfort? Well, he hides it, of course.

Words: 3852, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Solar Opposites

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Terry (Solar Opposites), Korvo (Solar Opposites), Jesse (Solar Opposites), Yumyulack (Solar Opposites), Pupa (Solar Opposites)

Relationships: Korvo/Terry (Solar Opposites)

Additional Tags: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Self-Hatred, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Doubt, Self-Worth Issues, Established Relationship, Canon Gay Relationship, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Caretaking, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Team as Family, Family Dynamics, Family Bonding, Crying, Aliens, Alien Biology, Insecurity, Snippets, Terry-Centric, Terry Angst, they/them pronouns for pupa, Married Couple, Emotional Baggage, Mental Instability, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Short, Nightmares, Dreams and Nightmares, Night Terrors, Trauma, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Alien Cultural Differences, Past Character Death, Alien Planet, Planet Destruction

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/41858022

You should write your own version of Ash in Paldea fanfic because i would like to read it

Anon, my dear, I am sooooo sorry it took me FOREVER and a day to respond to this ask! As much as I would like it I feel that would be a bit much for me to write a proper worthy fic! Such a fic would take a shit ton of planning and time and I already had some still in progress fics that have long been waiting to be updated! But your ask did make me wanna at least do a run through of which of our Paldea Pokémon would Ash have most likely gotten had he been able to hang out in Paldea! Let’s go through them one by one (or evolution group by group)! Some of my answers will be short one sentence stuff but others might be more wordy! Overall though it’s gonna come down to “can I picture him with one based on how well I’ve gotten to know him over the past 20 something years?”

I’m leaving out the four ruinous treasures Pokémon as they are considered legendaries and Ash doesn’t officially get the legendaries unless they are the “follow you from the start” ones like Nebby in Alola was for him. As for the Paradox Pokémon I was originally gonna include them (other than the legendary versions again) since I'd generally consider them to be similar to Ash's Poipole/Naganadel in being more special than other Pokemon but still fair game. However I thought it over more and considering the game emphasizes the whole "Paradox Pokemon will more than likely cause harm to the ecosystem as they are outside their own time period and so need to be kept in Area Zero where they and those around them will be safest" I think it'd be FAR more likely for them to be used in special episodes like the Ultra Beasts were treated in the Alola anime.

For the record my own opinions and biases are at play here! If anyone reading this has their own thoughts please share them!!! I definitely wanna know what others think on this!

Koraidon-Miraidon: Like I said earlier Ash doesn’t get the legendary unless they’re with you from the start and that’s the category the raidons fall under! I think either one could work well with Ash and while personally I would love Miraidon as that’s my baby I feel like Koraidon would probably mesh better with Ash’s vibes. I can actually imagine a storyline where both Professor Sada AND Professor Turo exist and are clashing with their ideals regarding past and future (so both kinds of Paradox Pokemon will be around to run amok). And while Ash gets one of the raidons as his buddy the other raidon (the alt one instead of a copy) can play as Ash’s raidon’s personal antagonist. How the relationship between the two raidons change over time would be interesting to see!

Sprigatito-Floragato-Meowscarda: The Galar anime brought an end to the tradition of Ash being guaranteed at least one of the starters. And before that Kalos broke the tradition of Ash for sure getting the grass starter. But I still feel like the Sprigatito line has the best chance of being part of Ash’s team of the starters. Is this partially fueled by how for every generation to date Ash and I have meshed on starter choices (yeah I guess that doesn’t mean much for the generations he got all three for BUT STILL!!!!) Plus I love the idea of Ash getting a Grass/Dark kitty to go with his Fire/Dark kitty Incineroar!

Fuecoco-Crocalor-Skeldirge: This friendly fella does have a fair chance, although I picture it following the same vein as Oshawott or Rowlet or Totodile before it.

Quaxly-Quaxwell-Quaquaval: Again, I can see it but in the sense of being treated like Oshawott, Rowlet, and Totodile were.

Lechonk-Oinkologne: Hmm, I can’t really see it.

Tarountula-Spidops: Really can’t see it.

Nymble-Lokix: You know, I can sorta picture it. Not one of those “oh yeah totally fits” ones but if it did happen in a canon setting I wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at it.

Pawmi-Pawmo-Pawmot: As much as I adore this line Ash NEVER gets the Pika clones since his main buddy is the original Pika pal!!!

Tandemaus-Maushold: Nah I don’t see it happening.

Fidough-Dachsbun: Listen I would LOVE if Ash got this line! My boy deserves an adorable puppy Pokemon okay? It would be the cutest shit imaginable and I would be all in for it! But in a canon setting I personally would be pleasantly surprised if he got one rather than thinking it’s one of those almost guarantees. But holy hell do I want a universe where this dream is real.

Smoliv-Dolliv-Arboliva: I find this to be an adorable little guy who evolves into an interesting guy but I don’t know I can’t exactly see Ash having one. But I can’t exactly give it a hard no either because Ash’s Sewaddle-Swadloon-Leavanny was one I didn’t think would work but ended up fitting more than I expected and the Smoliv line kinda is in that same category.

Squawkabilly: Don’t really see it.

Nacli-Naclstack-Garganacl: Originally I would’ve given this one a pass but I’ve kinda grown on the idea of Ash having one? I don’t know I guess it’s a step above my reasoning for the Nymble-Lokix line for some reason. Yeah, this is one of those “I can’t explain why but the idea is more interesting than expected” ones.

Charcadet-Armarouge-Ceruledge: FUCK YES! Please it would be a travesty if Ash didn’t get one okay? I actually have an idea that follows that plot that tends to get repeated of Ash taking in another trainer’s abused Pokemon. Ash taking in this poor little Charcadet that had been let down over and over by its previous trainer and slowly learns to find a new happier and healthier home with Ash and his friends. And as it grows stronger over time it also has to face up to those emotions it feels over what it went through with its old trainer. And trying to sort through those emotions and how it grows and accepts different aspects of itself and what happened to it and how it will live on comes together when it has to decide which armor it will wear, and thus whether it evolves into Armarouge or Ceruledge. And honestly I think good arguments can be made for it picking either evolution (Ceruledge is my baby so I want that option so badly) but I feel like Armarouge and everything that evolution stands for may ultimately be the one that it takes.

Tadbulb-Bellibolt: Another one of those “don’t picture it too well but wouldn’t be too surprised if it happened” ones.

Wattrel-Kilowattrel: This is a tough one in that Ash has a habit of getting a regional bird (though this tradition is not that set in stone but still happens). But Paldea doesn’t exactly have a true regional bird. The closest would probably be the Wattrel line. I don’t know I’m really fond of the idea of Ash getting one but I’m not as set on it as I expected to be.

Maschiff-Mabosstiff: I don’t think so. I mean a small part of me can picture it but for the most part I feel like this fella is way more associated with my guy Arven. And in this hypothetical anime with Ash I do indeed picture Arven in it and of course they’d give him Mabosstiff.

Shroodle-Grafaiai: I won’t give this one a hard no. I’m not sold in all the scenarios I’m picturing but I can warm up to the idea.

Bramblin-Brambleghast: Not really seeing it.

Toedscool-Toedscruel: Haha I live for the silly run this guy has in the game but no I don’t see Ash having his own.

Klawf: As much as I think this goofy fella is entertaining I don’t see one ever joining Ash’s squad.

Capsakid-Scovillain: I can’t imagine this spicy fella with Ash at all honestly!

Rellor-Rabsca: No I can’t see it.

Flittle-Espathra: I really like the evolution of this line but I just can’t see one meshing well with Ash. But part of me would want it to happen just to see how the anime would make it work!

Tinkatink-Tinkatuff-Tinkaton: Listen I’m surprisingly invested in the idea of Ash having one of these fellas on his team. Like it can be genuinely cute and cool and I actually like picturing Ash helping out Tinkatink with gaining bravery and confidence, and how that growth and bond between them affects each evolution.

Wiglett-Wugtrio: Nah, not at all 😂

Bombirdier: Not seeing this one either.

Finizen-Palafin: I’m more into this than I expected! I can’t say hard yes or hard no. But I like the idea of it and would wanna see how it would work in the anime.

Varoom-Revavroom: I don’t see it.

Cyclizar: I don’t see it. And it’s not just because I believe Ash would get one of the raidons, even if they didn’t exist I don’t see Ash clicking with a Cyclizar.

Orthworm: Gosh I love this silly looking guy so much but half the fun is when it’s that giant Titan sized one and unless Ash gets that giant goober what’s the point???

Glimmet-Glimmora: Another one I really don’t picture Ash having for his own.

Greavard-Houndstone: No I don’t see it. I actually picture this Pokémon to be more evolved in a special episode with Ryme that goes into her backstory rather than Ash getting one.

Flamigo: Gosh I want it. I find the idea so funny! And I think Ash could actually work well with one of these guys. Just….the idea of Ash going around with what is basically a fucking flamingo 😂😂😂

Cetoddle-Cetitan: This is yet another one of those 50/50 “can’t say yes for sure but can’t give it a firm no either” ones. I actually find the idea of Ash getting one cute!

Veluza: Don’t see it.

Dondozo: Another don’t see it.

Tatsugiri: And a third don’t see it, sadly!

Frigibax-Arctibax-Baxcalibur: This is an odd one in that you can make a fair argument in either direction and I’d probably say “yeah I get it” every time.

Gimmighoul-Gholdengo: Ahhh this oddball. Yeah sorry, I cannot imagine it in the slightest.

Annihilape: This is one where it’d be nice to have Ash’s Primeape make a comeback for a potential evolution into Annihilape! And you know what it can be a fun episode of character growth of Primeape centering on whether or not it WILL evolve and what that means for it and its character and all the training it has done so far and will continue to do. Plus I love me those good old evolution drama episodes they make for some good character stuff!

Paldean Wooper-Clodsire: I adore this adorably cuddly fella so much!!!! But hmm I just can’t imagine Ash with one. Like I try to picture it and it just doesn’t come through.

Farigiraf: Not really. I never really could picture Ash with a Girafarig to begin with, so it hasn’t really changed with the evolution.

Dudunsparce: Nah, I don’t see it. I can imagine it showing up in a couple joke episodes though!

Kingambit: You know I like the idea of it. Ash finding a small Pawniard who so desperately wants to become strong but is a tiny fella always pushed around. And Ash helps it to train and prove itself to the other Pawniards. And by the end it proves it has grown but knows it needs to explore more to gain more strength and improve. And how better to do that than by joining up with Ash in his journey to ever grow and improve as a Pokémon Master in the making! And we get to watch the little guy grow over several episodes into Bisharp and finally Kingambit.

Paldean Tauros: You know what I was originally gonna say no because Ash already has his herd of 30 Kantonian Tauros. But I started imagining a fun episode where maybe Ash runs into a Paldean Tauros that, for some reason, doesn’t have its own herd and is having difficulty integrating with another. Maybe Ash tries to help this Tauros bond with various herds over the episode but all failing while also he himself bonds with the Tauros. And maybe Ash at the end is like hey I have a bunch of Tauros of my own and they’re a great bunch would you like to join? And Ash has this Paldean Tauros meet his own 30 Kantonian Tauros and at first it’s like “oh Paldean Tauros has already been rejected so many times what if it happens again?” But then the Tauros happily let the Paldean Tauros join the herd. And fuck man now I’m invested in this 🥹

And yup, that’s all my thoughts on which of the Paldean Pokemon Ash would likely get if we did get a Paldea anime with him!

Yeah I know like 99% of my “no” choices basically just came down to me being unable to imagine Ash with that Pokemon 😅 But I did say my opinions would A) basically come down to that and B) be biased because how can it not be? But like I said earlier I would LOVE to hear any other thoughts, both from those who agree or those who disagree. Whatever, I’m game! It’s a fun little thought exercise, right?

Hijinks ramblings – SNW S1E05

This post – naturally – contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the episode yet and do not want to read spoilers, please do not read any further.

This is not an episode review but rather just a bunch of ramblings which I’ve tried to at least sort a little bit into categories.

Season 1 – Episode 5 – Spock Amok

This was more of a funny, goofy episode with some character development built in. And of course we do have to discuss THE green wrap uniform. But one at a time.

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Pike’s inner demons - continued

Erm nope. Nada. Nothing at all in this episode, not even hinted. So lets just move on with the next topic.

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Correction to my last rambling

Because I’m stupid and scatterbrained, I mixed up Lt. Mitchell with Ensign Christina. But the message stays the same, for both actually! I hope we keep both in SNW for a long time and we’ll see more of both! Especially Ensign Christina is so cute, I want to cuddle her!

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T’Pring and Spock

I do love, love, love T’Pring being played by Gia Sandhu. Not only is T’Pring very beautiful, she’s also extremely well characterized. In TOS T’Pring wasn’t very likeable, because she flat out requested kal-if-fee on Spock who by then was already one of THE most liked characters. Of course we’d be biased by the time T’Pring was trying to hook up with a new partner.

But SNW now allows us to learn what’s leading to that point. And we learn what T’Pring’s desires are. I hope Spirk shippers don’t lynch me for saying this (btw, just because Spock is in a relationship now doesn’t mean all is written in stone) but, even though the relationship was arranged (as it usually happens on Vulcan), Spock’s and T’Pring’s love for each other is true, yet conflicted. The little nuances of affection and love we see from T’Pring (who is a full Vulcan mind you!), hidden within stoic logic, are a treat and joy to watch. And when both swapped bodies, it was a lot of fun to watch both actors pulling off the opposite traits so well.

For comedic reasons, I wish they had kept their secret towards Pike a little longer. IMO it would have been funnier if Pike only found out by himself while the diplomatic talk with the R’Ongovians was already ongoing. But on the other hand, Pike seems to know both well enough that he most likely would have found out way before the meeting anyways. The writers would have to be super careful not to turn it into a farce, so maybe revealing it as early as they did was the best way, as it was believable.

Pike’s reaction was super cool though. It was kind of oh, another day on the Enterprise, another of the usual problems. Today is body swap Tuesday. Haha! Okay, let’s get this done anyways. And I also love how he’s totally unabashed when Spock calls him Chris (before he knew it was actually T'Pring).

(Dimple alert!)

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Pike is a diplomat through and through

I begin to understand why all his Timelines cards have a high diplomacy score. This episode demonstrated so well why Pike is an expert for intercultural diplomacy. He doesn’t just go by protocol, he really tries to understand the people he’s talking to.

To find out that the R’Ongovians don’t just imitate their respondents, but that one of their prime traits is empathy, and that their desire is to be understood, wasn’t so easy to conclude from their behavior. Even though they even told Pike that right in his face when Captain Vasso said “We too listen. Empathy is a hallmark of our people. Few understand that.”

But who would go that far and realize that is their main desire?

Pike analyzed all encounters and came to that conclusion anyways, while everyone else was more or less confused about the R’Ongovian’s weird behavior. Pike also took a lot of risk when he talked like a waterfall about why they should NOT ally with the Federation. I could literally see Robert April die a little bit more inwardly with every word Pike added to his speech.

(Robert April be like “Shut up you idiot!”)

And that cocky grin Pike had when the R’Ongovians left? At that point he KNEW he hit the bulls eye.

I begin to wonder with all of Pike’s diplomacy (omg I misspelled it at first and wrote dimplomacy! haha, Freudean slip!) skills why he didn’t become a Federation ambassador after his time on the Enterprise. Instead he became Fleet Captain with the focus on overseeing the cadet education. Sure, you need a lot of empathy to train cadets (which Pike totally has! And which is a trait I am missing on his Timelines cards as well btw!!). But what a wasted opportunity not to use Pike’s diplomacy skills even more after his active duty on the Enterprise.

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The green wrap uniform

I cannot write about this episode without talking about THAT! I gotta admit when I saw the trailer, I wasn’t too fond of it as I only saw a small part of the uniform. And that color on Anson was just….

But when I saw Pike in the full uniform, I changed my mind. I am still not 100% fine with the color, but the uniform cut and the level of detail was a wonderful homage to TOS. Needless to say that Anson rocked the uniform as he fit very well into it, if I may say so.

The only complaint I have is that undershirt was not needed at all. 😇

I am not sure what the official purpose of this uniform version is though. Is it for diplomatic meetings only? Wouldn’t Pike wear it for every first contact situation then as well? Or is Pike going to change between uniforms whenever he feels like it, just as Kirk did?

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Some Randoms

The way Spock’s and T’Pring’s katras were switched back to their own bodies felt like a quick and dirty fix for me. On one hand it fit into the comedic episode. It’s hilarious that the solution is some stuff smeared on their foreheads with some crystals stuck into them and then magically, their katras are made to travel. But I’d much rather have seen this issue being fixed in a Vulcan way. I just don’t see a human finding the solution for a centuries old Vulcan procedure, even though I have no doubt that M’Benga is one hell of a doctor. Surely situations like these must already have happened in the Vulcan history? Even if it’s rare, I am sure a solution could be found in the Vulcan database. But this is just a minor nitpick as it fit into a comedic episode.

Una and La’an felt a bit out of character, and then again not. Especially La’an’s usual no-nonsense behavior makes her behavior in Spock Amok a bit unbelievable. But it seems when she’s around Una, she is a lot more opened up and ready to just enjoy her life. The contrast is stark though. It makes me wonder why she has so much trouble to open up to other people even though they already have proven to La’an that they want nothing but her well-being. But maybe that is her story in this show, that she’ll slowly overcome her deep trauma and is able to open up to other people. Time will tell.

We got Robert April again! YAY! I am so happy about that. I love his dynamic with his former Number One and I love how close they apparently are. There is no rank calling involved at all between the two. And around April, Pike can act like one of his protégés. For a change he can be the one who gives April the headaches. 🤭

In my last rambling I wrote that we’d make a time jump in this season to have the Enterprise repaired offscreen. It looks like that assumption was wrong. Instead this episode is a bit of a continuation from the last episode and the Enterprise gets repaired at Space Station One while most of the crew is granted shore leave. I didn’t know space stations also have space docks. I always thought space docks were their own kind of orbital stations.

Speaking of shore leave, I would have loved to see what Pike had in mind for his. Also, can we appreciate his civvies for one moment please? Please more of that!

Kyle is mean? 😱 Can we please also see that and not just get told?

So Una and La’an punish the two ensigns, and then do exactly the same things? I would have preferred once they completed their bingo cards they had gone to the transporter room and told the Ensigns that their punishment was lifted. But from now on the air lock part has to be scratched from the bingo card. It feels a bit mean and hypocritical to me that they didn't.

What exactly is this thing in Pike’s quarters? Is it some sort of moving picture? A video frame? An aquarium but for a forest? Or is it a hologram (which would make all the canon crusaders go berserk)? It is very pretty, that’s for sure!

Dianna Soriel is peak “Gundam Girl”

Queen of an entire race of moon people, she can improv the shit out of a speech without being preachy, and none of that Pop Singer shit like Lacus.

She sits proper, full of class, and so much composure. 

She can feign ignorance in one breath, and command the room in a second. And it’s not cringe “girl boss“ energy, she’s a PROFESSIONAL. 

It’s legitimate qualifications, you believe it she’s done this shit for a while as a career and is about it.

300+ Year old Queen that’s not above learning the joy of simply washing clothes lol, and will put a cap in your rump if you start rampaging in a mobile suit in her name.

She’s not having it:

"Do i even remember my parents"

Is something she says towards the end of the series, just before a battle, the finale battle. 

A very odd thing to just drop in the finale, but it’s little nuggets of character like that that puts her up there in the Gundam “character” list, not just the honorary female category, but Gundam characters period.

Now, i’m zero bullshit, the reason why she’s not as marketable among current day audiences as your Lunamaria, or Lacus, Nena, or Sayla. Is mainly exposure and sex appeal, let’s just get that out the way.

Turn A Gundam is underrated, so it goes under the radar (Exposure)

Dianna Soriel is too well written to be classified as a “waifu”, she’s not an infantilized idiot with a fat ass, and she’s not treated as such. (Sex appeal)

Turn A Gundam has it’s moments of fanservice but it’s not My Sus Academia levels of Pedobear- it’s entirely context oriented and it doesn’t dwell on it. It passes, and we move on.

So she’s not a sex symbol in this franchise, and for the most part is not flaunted like a piece of meat, she’s written like a Ghibli Studios character. 

Is that enough reason for her to go unnoticed? 

Unfortunately yes, to an extent. I’m a straight male with working testosterone, i know the game. 

Just look at your top “anime girl” lists and count on five fingers how many of them:

Got that spot because they’re well written vs possessing some blatant form of sex appeal, despite being 2D with eyes the size of a respiratory organ

NOT a Shonen female character

Not from a mainstream anime that everybody rides because it’s mainstream 

Leads their own series

And contributes something legitimate to the situation beside being there or being hot

Cause i guaran-fucking-T you you won’t see Marlene Angel on that list, her anime has fanservice, however the anime itself is like a cult classic type situation.

People in this anime straight have sex, and the narrative function is like Attack on titan, end of the world, creatures run amok.

People are trying to feel alive in the moment because it could be their last time.

That’s the context, it’s called Blue Gender, brutal, fucked up, tragic. I recommend it. 

You’re even less likely to see BALSA Yonsa on that list

And she’s a beast.

Explaining her story would take another post, just go watch her anime:

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

So because the anime is underrated and retro, and her sexual market value is not exploited-

No, she’s not going to get her due respect.

If she was treated like Makima is, she would also have stan group on Twitter compiling entire tweets dedicated to pointing out the anime itself featuring frames of her ass, chest, her in lingerie, the whole “woof” meme, lmfao. 

Because we’ve never seen that shit before. Originality. 

Niggas calling her “Mommy” and shit, bruv chiiiill with all that hogwash.

Can’t make this up, her relevance is being a fetish mascot, fabulous.

Writing 101: When your character is as transparent as a Ziploc bag, over compensate with sex, “that’s a neat trick”.

Can see it a mile away. Because at some point, writing wise, most people have done it, it’s definitely tempting, cause humans are sexual. And writing is freedom so you’d think, why not?

However, the measure of a writer’s competence in this context, is choosing not to do that. 

Because giving a character depth takes more work & EFFORT vs letting your fandom project their libido onto the character because you want to misdirect the fact that she’s not much of a character. 

And her popularity is founded on that, longterm, she’ll fade into obscurity when the Makima or Akane Shinjou  is introduced.

Oh? You forgot about that weirdly “foot fetish-y” sexualized teenager that everybody was panting over not long ago? 

Well don’t worry about forgetting she ever existed, cause so did everyone else-

And that’s my point.

Sex appeal by itself isn’t the issue, women are attractive, that’s not a sin. Active sexualization (especially of teenagers, cmon bruv) at the expense of presentation and characterization, is straight narrative laziness.

Laziness and wasted potential is the issue.

So Makima’s biggest contribution to the average normie is being a “Woman in a suit” aesthetic (Which i personally think is under-represented), but in the culture, that’s all the majority care about.

Which is not surprising because a lot of Mangaka’s do not use their work as a proxy to share their storytelling prospects & ideas like competent writers but instead insert their kinks to project onto millions like scumbags.

And it works, because the industry attracts and rewards that energy.

And of course the characters either succeed because the content is good, they're relevant for a few weeks cause they're cute, or get butt fucked in on rule34 for it then they're replaced by the next pinup girl.Trending today, forgotten tomorrow.

Trending today, forgotten tomorrow.

Dianna Soriel does not have this problem, because she’s not written to be an eroticized effigy to pander. She’s not a proxy, she’s a character.

And that’s partly why she’s under the radar for the most part.

 TL;DR Put respect on her name.

1) Who is your favorite Ferengi if I didn’t already ask?

2) Favorite episode from each Trek you’ve watched?

3) Catagorize all the Cardassians (with names) as FMKH (kiss or kill, depending on the situation, and hug).

-Horta-in Charge

Ooooh, v good questions, friend! Thank you!!

1.) You asked about favorite Ferengi episodes, not which Ferengi specifically is my favorite. I’d have to say...either Nog (from DS9) or Krem (from Enterprise).

2.) Favorite episodes. Ooooh, yes! TOS: “Amok Time” (because Spirk fight) TNG: “The Wounded” (because Cardassians) DS9: This changes a lot, but atm it’s “To The Death” VOY: “Eye Of The Needle” (because Telek R’Mor) ENT: “The Andorian Incident” (because Shran and his step-on-me boots)

3.) Oh fuck yes! This seems so fun! If I forget anyone, lmk and I’ll add them to the list! Some of these are questionable decisions, but hey, it’s all fiction, so it’s fine! And if you want an explanation for my reasoning on placing people in their respective categories, feel free to ask, bc I do have reasons for every single one! Fuck: Garak, Dukat, Madred Marry: Macet, Daro, Damar, Tekeny Ghemor Kiss: Telle, Boheeka, Ari, Entek Hug: Mavek Alternately, Kill: Evek, Danar

I feel like I’m missing several Cardassians?? So definitely feel free to shout some more names at me and I’ll categorize them too lol.

How to Incorporate Astrological Wisdom Into Your Daily Routine by TwinRay

Discover how to read your birth chart and interpret its positions of zodiac signs, sun, moon, and planets with this illustrated book of star lore. Gain psychological insights as well as ways astrology can assist in self-help efforts.

Beyond daily Sun sign horoscopes, gain an in-depth knowledge of what each day brings with its energy.

Sun Sign

Shekinah Ma and Sanandaji  (TwinRay) highlight that after reading your daily horoscope (or tarot/oracle reading), take a moment to visualize the energy you will be working with that day. This exercise can help expand your awareness while beginning to trust your intuition.

Once your goals for the day have been set, continue your routine with an open yet peaceful mind. This helps harness energy in an effective and fun manner!

To help us identify which astrological wisdom may best correspond with your sign, we can divide the subject matter into elemental categories:

Astrology can guide fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius) regarding creative pursuits, relationships, and business ventures. Fire signs thrive when given freedom and support to express themselves freely and take risks in pursuit of their creative endeavors.

Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) find comfort in routine and the comfort of home and nature. Finding time for reflection, meditation, journaling, or working on creative projects can ground and re-energize them; their zodiac is also ruled by Saturn and Pluto, which represent structure and discipline, respectively.

Air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) can find motivation through intellectual pursuits, new hobbies, or considering situations from an alternate angle. Their expansive energy allows them to see the bigger picture and visualize solutions to seemingly impossible problems.

Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) should take steps to release emotions or seek emotional healing through therapy or manifestation practices that help them stay centered with life's flow. Massages, spa treatments, or time in nature will naturally nurture them as sensual beings.

Moon Sign

If your moon sign falls within Cancer, you are an empath who prioritizes emotional centeredness. While you tend to be generous and loving, sometimes your emotions can run amok and get out of hand - this lesson requires learning to become more self-sufficient so as not to give away too much energy through giving.

Your moon sign of Gemini combines your chatty social side and soulful, emotional sensitivity in one package. TwinRay can see that you feel everything deeply, often processing them by speaking aloud about them. Additionally, this placement gives you a sixth sense of who to connect with, often seeing patterns others miss. However, as this could leave you talking in circles at times, activities to calm the mind and reduce anxiety could help alleviate some of this tension.

Your moon sign is one of the most intimate components of your astrological chart, providing insight into archetypal qualities and challenges for each month of your birth report. While knowing more about your moon sign may provide deeper insight, it remains vitally important for understanding your entire chart through this lens.

At birth, every sign represents 30 degrees; your moon's position at that time will determine which sign best describes you. For instance, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's moon resides in Gemini, while tennis player Serena Williams falls under Virgo.

Knowing your moon sign can give you a deeper connection to both spiritual and emotional aspects of yourself. By better understanding yourself and how you express emotions more openly, you'll be better equipped to craft an authentic and balanced life for yourself.

Rising Sign

Astrologers recommend getting to know both your Sun sign and rising sign. Your rising sign describes how others perceive you; some even call it the mask you wear! Learning your rising sign can be done through either reading a horoscope for your star sign or your birth chart.

According to TwinRay, birth charts provide a map of the skies at the precise time and location of your birth, showing which planets were in motion at that exact moment. Astrologers use 12 divisions called houses to analyze various aspects of life when writing your horoscope; the rising sign is one such house, which allows astrologers to gain insights into aspects of your life when writing it out for you.

Search "what is my rising sign" into any search engine, and you will be met with numerous calculators that require your date, time, and place of birth to produce results. While these calculators may only show you your rising sign alone, or full birth charts featuring every planet at its position at the time of your birth, with which signs influencing each planet can also be purchased separately.

Assemble a list of trusted friends or family members to remember the date and time of your birth, or go directly to a hospital and request your birth certificate. If you're fascinated with astrology, more in-depth readings, called natal chart rectification, are also available - these involve asking more detailed questions about your life while using an astrologer who uses rectification to discover exactly when your birth time was.

People perceive those born under Libra rising as charming and flirtatious, yet you are an adept strategist behind the scenes. Being known as the sign of equilibrium, Libra air signs often think before speaking and carefully weigh all their options before making decisions based on peer pressure or gut feelings. You have good intentions overall!

Third House

TwinRay can attest that the third house symbolizes your intellectual processes and environment. This house represents communication in its many forms: writing, reading, teaching, and research--it is where your voice may lie. On a more mundane note, foreign affairs treaties and legal documents may also appear here.

While not as riveting, your third house remains essential in your chart. Many astrologers consider it the most crucial in Western astrology - making it key if you wish to learn how to communicate clearly. Suppose this is where your journey begins.

You could be very creative with words based on which planets reside in this house. This sign governs poets, writers, journalists, and anyone working with words in digital or coded forms such as website pages, apps, and electronic games. Furthermore, this house governs research analysis interpretation, including astrological knowledge.

Your intuition will also flourish here as an effective listener and witness to events not seen by others. Your instincts, under the guidance of TwinRay, can also be quite acute - strengths and liabilities depending on where natal Pluto lands in your chart. While you're great at motivating others around you naturally, taking people at face value might prove challenging; you may need to go deeper to get to the truth.

Your third house placements provide you with an abundance of charisma, which you can use either for good or ill. Selling lattes to strangers and making people like you may seem effortless. However, be wary before using these relationships for personal gain or starting an argument on Twitter that gets squashed later. Take time before speaking up or posting content online, as each word or tweet could turn toxic; thus, take care before speaking, posting, or sending anything that might lead to unwanted action from others.

Time Management for Parents: Juggling Family and Personal Time

Explore practical strategies to balance family, work, and personal time. Plunge into the pages of this blog post filled with laughter, brimming with valuable time-saving tips and clever parental productivity hacks.

How Does One Juggle Life? A Parent's Dilemma

Parenting is like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle – an entertaining yet challenging spectacle. As a parent, you're not just managing kids and chaos; you're balancing work, personal time, and the mysterious realm of family responsibilities. So, buckle up for a rollercoaster ride through the life of our fictional character, Jane Jugglesalot, as she unveils the secrets of time management in the peculiar world of parenthood.

The Circus of Parenthood: Juggling Family Responsibilities

Jane, a seasoned juggler in her own right, found herself in the ultimate circus tent – the household. With kids running amok, deadlines looming at work, and personal desires quietly whimpering in the background, she wondered, "How do I keep all these balls in the air without accidentally setting the house on fire?" Parental Time Management 101: The Three-Ring Strategy Enter the Three-Ring Strategy, Jane's brainchild for managing family responsibilities. Ring 1: Family, Ring 2: Work, and Ring 3: Personal Time. Each has its own spotlight moment, but blending them seamlessly is where the magic happens. Jane started her day by donning her Family Ring hat – ensuring the kids were breakfasted, dressed, and ready for the day. Once the little circus performers were off to school, she slipped into her Work Ring attire, tackling emails and conference calls with the precision of a tightrope walker. By lunchtime, she gracefully segued into the Personal Time Ring, a magical intermission where she nurtured her interests and passions. The key here was not to let the circus tents overlap, avoiding the chaos of a lion suddenly appearing in the middle of a juggling act. Transitioning effortlessly between these rings became Jane's secret to maintaining sanity and avoiding the chaos of a clown car collision.

Balancing Act: Work, Parenting, and Personal Time

As Jane masterfully balanced her life rings, she pondered, "How do I keep my priorities straight without accidentally swapping the grocery list with the quarterly report?" Parenting Productivity Hacks: A Balancing Act with Precision Precision was the name of the game. Jane realized that setting priorities was crucial, and color-coded calendars became her trusty sidekicks. Work meetings were in blue, family events in green, and personal time was a burst of rainbow hues. Transitioning smoothly between these vibrant categories brought a sense of order to Jane's chaotic circus of life. Time Management Tips for Parents: The Power of 'No' Another revelation struck Jane – the power of saying 'no.' Not to the kids, of course, but to the unnecessary extras that threatened to creep into her schedule like uninvited clowns. She chuckled at the thought of turning away those time-stealing jesters. "Sorry, Mr. Clown, I can't attend your impromptu party. I've got a juggling act of my own to perform!"

The Parenthood Time Warp: Efficient Techniques for Time Travel

Parenthood sometimes feels like a time warp where days blend into nights, and suddenly, you're wondering if you missed a month or two. Jane faced this temporal conundrum head-on, asking herself, "How can I stretch time without breaking the space-time continuum?" Time-saving Tips for Parents: The Time-Turner of Parenthood Jane discovered her very own Time-Turner – a magical device known as delegation. She recruited the kids as junior jugglers in the household circus, teaching them age-appropriate tasks and transforming chores into a collaborative routine. With each child contributing their bit, the time-turning magic happened – suddenly, Jane found herself with an extra hour or two every day. It was as if the laws of time bowed to the efficiency of a well-coordinated family unit. Delegating tasks not only lightened Jane's load but also taught the kids essential life skills. Talk about killing two birds with one juggling pin!

The Great Escape: Personal Time for Parents

In the whirlwind of family responsibilities and work deadlines, Jane recognized the importance of a great escape – a moment where the spotlight was solely on her. She mused, "How can I reclaim my personal time without resorting to a full-fledged disappearing act?" Parenthood Time Management: The Art of 'Me' Time To avoid drowning in the sea of parental obligations, Jane crafted a weekly schedule that reserved specific blocks exclusively for 'Me' Time. Whether it was indulging in a good book, pursuing a hobby, or simply savoring a quiet cup of coffee, these moments became her lifelines. Carving out intentional personal time not only rejuvenated Jane but also made her a better juggler in the circus of life.

The Grand Finale: Parental Work-Life Harmony

As Jane perfected her juggling act, she marveled at the grand finale – a harmonious blend of work and family, with personal time serving as the glittering confetti on top. She questioned, "Can I truly achieve work-life balance, or is it just a mythical unicorn that parents chase in vain?" Strategies for Busy Parents: The Unicorn of Work-Life Balance Jane discovered that work-life balance wasn't a mythical unicorn; it was a dynamic creature that required constant attention and adaptation. Flexibility became her ally, allowing her to adjust the rhythm of her juggling act based on the demands of the moment. Adapting to the ever-changing circus of life, Jane realized that work-life balance wasn't about perfect equilibrium but rather a dance where each partner took turns leading.

Wrapping Up the Circus: A Standing Ovation for Parenthood

In the grand finale of Jane's circus of life, the audience rose to their feet in a standing ovation. The laughter, the tears, the perfectly executed juggling act – it was a spectacle that left everyone in awe. Jane took a bow, her heart filled with gratitude for the chaos, the challenges, and the moments of sheer magic. As you embark on your own juggling act, remember the wisdom gleaned from Jane Jugglesalot's journey – prioritize, delegate, and savor those precious moments of personal time. Life may be a circus, but with the right juggling techniques, you can turn it into a showstopper. And so, the curtain falls on this whimsical tale of parental time management, leaving you with a smile and a newfound appreciation for the juggling act that is parenthood. Normal Working Days: TimeActivity6:00 AMWake up and morning routine7:00 AMPrepare and have breakfast8:00 AMCommute to work or start remote work12:00 PMLunch break1:00 PMResume work5:00 PMFinish work and commute home6:00 PMFamily time and dinner8:00 PMChildren's bedtime routine9:00 PMPersonal time, relaxation, or chores10:30 PMPrepare for bed and sleep Holidays: TimeActivity7:30 AMWake up and relaxed morning8:30 AMFamily breakfast10:00 AMOutdoor activities or family outings1:00 PMLunch and leisure time3:00 PMHobbies, personal projects, or relaxation6:00 PMFamily dinner8:00 PMMovie night, games, or quality family time9:30 PMChildren's bedtime routine10:30 PMExtended personal time or early bedtime Read the full article

Hello, found sad find, new g3 bakugan living through same situation as was with monsuno - lack of fandom and so popularity. Literally same. Even if g2 was pretty popular, g1 is legacy, and g3.... g3 is monsuno. I guess I've got what I wanted, haha... Hargrave's kid, Chase-Dom-Klipse-Dawn hybrid and experiment kid. I mean, no one even said anything about Backslash, even if people talked about Hargrave in monsuno fandom.

You can always talk about Hargrave jr to me. Because I’m pretty sure I need a butterfly net to get Backslash and take him back to his family. Sure that action would collapse the entire Insect Clan, but someone needs to tell the Klipse’s that they can’t keep letting their sons run amok.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, it’s in the New Release category on Netflix. That’s better than nothing. I mean sure it has competition on the anime side, and it doesn’t help that it’s spooky season now with Castlevania out, but it’s there. And it’s still the first season, so there’s a chance it can have more meaning that the fandom could grow.

Also, and you can disagree with me on this one, I kinda am okay with a rather small fandom now because that means there’s little chances of a fandom war breaking out since we can always read a fan’s head canon on the show and have fun without tearing each other’s feelings. Like if you’ve seen the shit shows that went down of other Netflix animation fandoms in past years, you know that it’s better to have a fandom community that doesn’t want to destroy itself over slight disagreements. The only time we should get into fights with other fans is if they start stirring bs and want to make the fandom toxic because that’s the best way to run new fans off a fandom.

That being said, Idk if I even am in the g3 Bakugan fandom because while I watched and enjoyed it, and I want to see the new season, I’m kinda shy to join and do something with the fandom.

Hold me together

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/42670662

by hawkayjax

In his life, Spock has had to overcome a lot; his heritage while on Vulcan as a child, losing Michael, then Chris, and then... And then nearly losing Jim. He knows he needs to meditate but he hasn't been able to for years, not like how he needs to anyways. But Jim is his closest friend, he trusts him implicitly even if it is illogical. He supposes he gets it from his father. So it's only natural to ask Jim to help; it's terrifying but Spock knows it's right. When he can't trust his hands to tie the knots he used to do he trusts Jim to be there for him. And he is. He always is, like he's done it a hundred times before.

Words: 4010, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Spock (Star Trek), Spock Prime, James T. Kirk, James T. Kirk Prime, Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Michael Burnham, Christopher Pike, Sarek (Star Trek), Amanda Grayson

Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock

Additional Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, spock has trouble meditating, Vulcan Culture, is a bitch and he struggles to fit in, POV Spock (Star Trek), spock is traumatized and needs a hug, shibari spock, spock does shibari, but it isnt sexual its meditative, and he asks kirk to help after amok time, Post Amok Time, just a bit of overstimulation, and there was only one bed, No beta we die like redshirts, Implied Asexual Spock, asexual spock does shibari, and jim helps him after, im projecting but thats fine

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/42670662