#may i be a vehicle by which the universe cares | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

quotesfrommyreading · 9 months

Text

Much of the public discussion of Ukraine reveals a tendency to patronize that country and others that escaped Russian rule. As Toomas Ilves, a former president of Estonia, acidly observed, “When I was at university in the mid-1970s, no one referred to Germany as ‘the former Third Reich.’ And yet today, more than 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we keep on being referred to as ‘former Soviet bloc countries.’” Tropes about Ukrainian corruption abound, not without reason—but one may also legitimately ask why so many members of Congress enter the House or Senate with modest means and leave as multimillionaires, or why the children of U.S. presidents make fortunes off foreign countries, or, for that matter, why building in New York City is so infernally expensive.

The latest, richest example of Western condescension came in a report by German military intelligence that complains that although the Ukrainians are good students in their training courses, they are not following Western doctrine and, worse, are promoting officers on the basis of combat experience rather than theoretical knowledge. Similar, if less cutting, views have leaked out of the Pentagon.

Criticism by the German military of any country’s combat performance may be taken with a grain of salt. After all, the Bundeswehr has not seen serious combat in nearly eight decades. In Afghanistan, Germany was notorious for having considerably fewer than 10 percent of its thousands of in-country troops outside the wire of its forward operating bases at any time. One might further observe that when, long ago, the German army did fight wars, it, too, tended to promote experienced and successful combat leaders, as wartime armies usually do.

American complaints about the pace of Ukraine’s counteroffensive and its failure to achieve rapid breakthroughs are similarly misplaced. The Ukrainians indeed received a diverse array of tanks and armored vehicles, but they have far less mine-clearing equipment than they need. They tried doing it our way—attempting to pierce dense Russian defenses and break out into open territory—and paid a price. After 10 days they decided to take a different approach, more careful and incremental, and better suited to their own capabilities (particularly their precision long-range weapons) and the challenge they faced. That is, by historical standards, fast adaptation. By contrast, the United States Army took a good four years to develop an operational approach to counterinsurgency in Iraq that yielded success in defeating the remnants of the Baathist regime and al-Qaeda-oriented terrorists.

A besetting sin of big militaries, particularly America’s, is to think that their way is either the best way or the only way. As a result of this assumption, the United States builds inferior, mirror-image militaries in smaller allies facing insurgency or external threat. These forces tend to fail because they are unsuited to their environment or simply lack the resources that the U.S. military possesses in plenty. The Vietnamese and, later, the Afghan armies are good examples of this tendency—and Washington’s postwar bad-mouthing of its slaughtered clients, rather than critical self-examination of what it set them up for, is reprehensible.

The Ukrainians are now fighting a slow, patient war in which they are dismantling Russian artillery, ammunition depots, and command posts without weapons such as American ATACMS and German Taurus missiles that would make this sensible approach faster and more effective. They know far more about fighting Russians than anyone in any Western military knows, and they are experiencing a combat environment that no Western military has encountered since World War II. Modesty, never an American strong suit, is in order.

— Western Diplomats Need to Stop Whining About Ukraine

#eliot a. cohen #current events #politics #ukrainian politics #american politics #warfare #strategy #tactics #diplomacy #russo-ukrainian war #2022 russian invasion of ukraine #war in afghanistan #vietnam war #ukraine #usa #toomas hendrik ilves

477 notes · View notes

naturesapphic · 21 days

Note

Is it possible for a lady dimitrescu x reader where Alcina has a lover in the past before the cadou but died and years later she meets reincarnated reader when she saves reader from a crash (aircraft or vehicle etc.) and the three daughters meddling thinks that reader will be their new parent?

Reincarnated

Lady dimitrescu x fem!reader

Warnings: little bit of angst, cussing, fluff

- the crash was horrible, there was many cars involved and only few survived

- you were one of the survivors

- the ambulance and cops were surrounding the whole area

- you were in and out of consciousness

- when you came too, there was someone carrying you to the ambulance

- when you woke up, you were in a hospital bed with a tall woman standing over you with three people behind her

- she introduced herself as alcina dimitrescu and her three daughters were daniela, Cassandra, and bela dimitrescu

- for some reason those names and how they look looked so familiar to you

- the lady must have felt the same because she kept looking at you and was always with you

- you always did wonder why she saved you and not the other people, why did she care for stranger so much?

- after you got out of the hospital the lady and her three daughters wanted to keep in touch

- you agreed because she did save your life and they did seem very nice

- even though you had a gut feeling that you knew them, maybe from a past life or something

- it’s been around a year and you have developed feelings for the lady and has grown fond of her daughters as well

- when you left the hospital a year ago, she invited you to stay with her until you rested up

- you didn’t live far from her so you decided to take up on her offer and now you are living in her castle

- sometimes you overhear her daughters beg and meddle her about how the two of you need to get together

- you thought it was cute and actually wondered if alcina felt the same way you do

- so one night you came into her office and you told her the truth about how you feel about her and the deju vu feeling you’ve always had with her since the first time y’all met

- she was very understanding and had the same romantic feelings you have for her which made you relieved and so happy

- she even showed you a photo of her old lover which looked a lot like you and she explained that you may have been reincarnated and came back, that’s why you look the same and the extreme deju vu you’ve been having ever since you’ve met her

- you were shocked beyond belief and everything suddenly came back to you

- memories of you and her started flooding in and you starting sobbing which caused alcina to worry

- but you quickly reassured her that they were happy tears and that you were so happy that the universe brought you back together

- you both enveloped each other in a tight embrace and share many kisses that were lost throughout the years

- after the two of y’all shared a special moment, you both decided to go tell her daughters

- they were absolutely ecstatic and were so happy

- they knew they had a good feeling about you and told them that you died before the cadou and before they were born

- a few months later you got married and you had your wife and her children now with you

A/n: sorry anon that this took so long but I hope you enjoyed it and I hope the rest of y’all enjoy it too! Requests are still open for all of my characters including of course Rhea ripley/Demi Bennett. I have my own buy me a coffee page! You can give me a dollar and it will help. I also have some different commission types I will do so here's my page to look into it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/naturesapphic Requests are open for yeehaw!wanda, country!wanda, and any other southern variants of Wanda or Natasha! Remember to stay hydrated and to rest! I love y'all!

126 notes · View notes

absolutebl · 6 months

Text

This Week in BL - A Lot Ended, Quite Bit Started, I got things to say about it all

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Nov 2023 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thurs iQIYI) 3 of 8 - This is just a great BL. So fun with few frills and paced nicely. Thai talent + Korean story is proving very harmonious for narrative flow. I’m delighted. I love that they don’t shy away from letting Tew be an actual violent criminal who is just gone and mushy for this one geeky cutie. Also I appreciate it when a show hangs a lantern on its own plot failing. In this case, the main character being drunk as a plot devise 2x in subsequent eps.

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 2 of 10 - Love it. Love Spite and his chronic guilt over his younger brother, the golden child. Love that he is driven to repair for a past that no longer exists. Evil mom who cares more for what her son can do than that son, let alone his brother. The volleyball well…. erm. I played varsity (setter) so this is amusing to me but I’m not mad about it.

I agree that this Not Me just sports and pulp.

Last Twilight (Fri YT) 1 of 12 - JimmySea are back and is this... good? Do I like this? I don't have faith, GMMTV has been doing us dirty lately. But I think I like it! Why The Little Prince AGAIN? Ugh.

Middleman’s Love (Fri YT & iQIYI 1 of 8 - Domundi giving us an office comedy hyung romance staring TutorYim (Cutie Pie) with NetJames (Bed Friend) and LeoTai (Friend Forever) providing support. Lets hope they stick to only 8 eps. Buckle up, I got shit talking to type.

I warned ya out the gate that this is a Cheewin comedy, so tonally it could be very OFF, and boy howdy is it EVER off. There's a place this kind of show goes where it's so cringe it's visually rotten and this one went there out that gate. Also, I'm gonna say it because no one else has, Yim is not good in this role. Comedy is HARD to do and Cheewin isn't doing this green actor any favors. He's chewing the scenery like a woodchuck after a diet.

To be fair, Tutor isn't great either, but he's been given less rope to hang himself with. Mai is currently suffering from seme obscurity: the love interest's defining characterization being = tall and handsome. (Which is not characterization... agony... glares at Cdramas.) We will see if he gets a personality, but based on past work form this director and this writer, don't bank on it.

Frankly? I'm not convinced either of them are mature enough as a pair or as actors to carry something this abrasive and to stand up to Cheewin's visual abuse of our eyeballs. I think this is going to be a rocky ride. HOWEVER, because it has tropes I'm good with (as opposed to SCOY) I'm sticking with it for now but this is gonna be ROUGH going for everyone.

Backstory: This used to be a JimmyTommy vehicle before the pair split (also prev title Middle Love). Adapted from a Y-novel. I can actually see Tommy in this role very clearly and I suspect he may have been bettern(and I am more a TutorYim fan as a pair). Also I will likely be referencing SCOY a lot while watching this because SCOY is peak Cheewin nonsense comedy but with an incredibly strong lead pair, so comparisons will be drawn.

Absolute Zero (Weds iQIYI) ep 7 of 12 - Sigh. Linguistic negotiation but for sad reasons? It fascinating but it hurts. Look, the cast is very good I just don’t like the premise.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) The Camp Fire ep 12 of 24 - Well that was extremely odd. I’m not sure how I feel about it. If it hadn’t had the strange framework and horror component and been just a simple BL story I probably would’ve enjoyed it. Why do the pulps always squander their best pairs? 5/10 New installment (Friends Forever) looks terrible and not BL.

Beyond The Star (Weds iQIYI) qp 1 of 8 - House of Stars meets Boyband. I am not impressed. Thailand just needs to leave everything music related to Korea. I’m enacting a ban. The framework on this is truly awful. The talent is not talented in acting let alone dance or song. I thought about sticking with it a few more eps but i putting in on hold. It’s too wooden even for me.

@heretherebedork I depend on you to report back. This is the kind of thing only you can watch. It’s like Cupid 2023.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

A Breeze of Love (Korea iQIYI) 1-2 of 8 - previously know as Weather Forecast Love this one popped up in MDL's currently airing, and I was like, what what? Basically: Tsundere insomniac grump and his sunshine jock ex bestie (human sleeping pill) who now hates him. Basketball is involved and I love it.

It ended, are we sad? REVIEWS

Kiseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Viki & Gaga)

Yes, we sad! Ai Di and his dumb oversized sweaters and flappy flappy sleeves are EVERYTHING.

Final ep? Nice that the elder gays got screen time, more of this please? Sides dominated this finale, matched outfits and all. Also I’m living for the Bless this Mess shirt. Finally Taiwan gave us lots of biting and a counter lift. It’s like they know me!

Quick pitch for KDTM?

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged, but that’s normal for Taiwan. It involves all the tropes under a very casual framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. Absolutely every character is queer. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs, and a KILLER side couple. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan. 9/10 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Triggers for knife play, child abuse, lingering trauma. I found both platforms did not do a great job on subs, but I will give the edge to Viki for pure usability.

You Are Mine (Taiwan Viki & Gaga)

We are more disappointed than sad.

Far be it from me to extend this show, but we should’ve had 2 episodes of quality supportive boyfriends coping with family drama before the mom-confrontation climax and defense of the ESTABLISHED relationship. Baby's little speach had no power or impact coming where it did in this narrative, even though it was sweet. And while the make-out scenes were charming it mostly jsut felt like we'd squandered this pair. This last ep was good and rewatchable, but a series cannot be judged on its last ep alone.

Finally... could have used some side dishes. My vote? Lesbian secretaries!

Conclusion

I am sorry Taiwan, you know I love you, but I have to say it: this show was a mess of terrible pacing. And not a hot mess, sadly. I should have liked everything about this: it’s an office drama, it’s mature characters, it’s grumpy/sunshine, it’s a strong power dynamic, and it’s Taiwan - which means good chemistry. YAM was all those things and yet… something went horribly wrong with the narrative structure. You tried dears, but not hard enough. 7/10

Bump Up Business (Korea Gaga)

Well, poop. Don’t have them speak English. Also no playing drunk. Meanwhile, all the manipulative gay drama. No kiss of course.

How do I summate this?

An idol group did the best they could with a script tailored to idols but which they were not allowed to fully realize because they are active idols in the same group. Ultimately it felt a bit like OnlyOneOf were just doing one of those Kpop skits for a variety show were two of of them dresses in drag/gay/BL and "ha ha isn't it funny?" I don’t know, it was fine? 6/10

stop wasting my time, Korea

Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam YT)

DNF on the advice of several of my BL spies I will not be finishing this. Apparently it pretty much ends sad. Here's an explanation.

It's Airing But...

I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan Tues Netflix-Japan & ????) 8 eps - in classic JBL fashion, I Cannot Reach You could not be reached. I will try it when I have some time and access to my home computer.

One Room Angel (Japan Gaga) 6 eps - adaptation of Harada’s manga (which I did not like) about a clerk who's stabbed, nearly dies, and returns home to find an angel waiting for him. With only 5 eps and a good chance this won’t end happy, I'm gonna wait and let you tell me how it goes.

WAITING FOR VERDICT OR TO BINGE

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - I find this series more fun to binge, so I'm waiting until it completes its run.

SHADOW (Thai Gaga) 14eps - this is a horror BL with ghosts & paranormal elements in a boarding school setting. I'm not wild about Thai horror (or horror at all). It features Singto (who did paranormal BL He's Coming to Me) opposite Fluke N (who's done a couple horror's before). Also Fiat. Dan suffers from sleep paralysis, and in his dreams he sees a shadow that suffocates him. It gets worse when he transfers schools. I'm holding off on this one and if told it's good I'll binge watch.

Next Week Looks Like This

11/15 Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo (Japan Gaga) - this BL movie is coming to Gaga.

11/16 PLAYBOYY (Thurs ????) 10 eps - trailer here, high heat and it's helmed by Cheewin (shudder) with screenplay by Den (Only Friends) under Copy A Bangkok. It's gonna be a shizz show people. It's predicting Thai style "dark" (War of Y) one of my least favorites. Apparently there is a "plot" but when has Cheewin ever bothered with plot? A university kid who was involved with escorts, sex-trade, porn, online hook-ups, drugs, prostitution, blackmail, revenge, and so forth goes missing. His twin (sigh) and two friends look for him.

11/17 Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 1 of 14 - high heat teaser here, based on alittlebixth's omegaverse novel #พิษเบ๊บ’ set in the world of car racing (author says show will not be omegaverse). Charlie (fresh face), a young hot nerd, approaches his driver idol (Pavel "my love" 2 Moons 2) to borrow a racing car and win one for the team. Production house is new to BL but behind the Club Friday stuff. Show stars many known actors: Nut (Oxygen), Pop (Ram in La Cuisine), Pon (Phai in Gen Y, we LOVE him), Benz (twins in En of Love: This Is Love Story).

Thailand bring the November heat, I guess?

Upcoming November BL

11/19 Bake Me Please (Sun Gaga) ep 1 of 6 - trailer here, stars Ohm (of OhmFluke) opposite Guide (bestie from IFYLITA) and possibly also Poom (well known, but not for BL). This looks like an actually gay version of Antique Bakery (play it again, BL). Still, I'm intrigued, it looks HELLA pretty.

11/22 7 Days Before Valentine (Weds ????) ep 1 of 10 - trailer here, horror-esk. Adapted from y-novel of the same name, directed by Tu (180 Degree) stars Jet (Why You… Y Me?). When you want your old love again, but fate sends you a reaper instead. All he can do for you is kill people. I'll likely give this a pass and wait to binge if safe.

11/25 The Sign (Sat ????) ep 1 of 10 - trailer here, horror-esk, but with a suspense and adult characters. Special investigators who loved each other in previous lives reunite in new bodies. Stars Billy Patchanon (BillySeng) & Babe Tanatat (new). Includes other SCOY favorites as a special investigation team. I may give this a try because I'm into the non-horror bits.

11/26 The Whisperer (Sun ????) 1 of 10 - trailer here. Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). He has dimples (My Ride) but I don't think even that gives me the will. Maybe a binge for me.

11/26 Cooking Crush (Sun YT) 1 of 12 - OffGun are back, trailer here. Adapted from the novel “Love Course! เสื้อกาวน์รุกเสื้อกุ๊กรับ” by iJune4S this is about Prem who runs a not-so-popular restaurant with 2 friends. About to go on a cooking competition with a huge reward, Prem gets involved with Ten, a stressed-out med student who wants Prem to teach him to cook.

11/30 For Him (Thurs ????) ep 1 of 10 - high heat trailer, I suspect iQIYI will scoop this one up. From the people who brought us Unforgotten Night (please no) based on a y-novel, man nursing a heartbreak has a one-night stand, but the other boy didn't want it to end. It looks terribly trashy so I'm in! Maybe I'll do a trash watch?

VIP Only (Taiwan) - may be delayed/canceled

Wuju Bakery AKA Space Bakery (Korea) - this one may be DOA

A Breeze of Love (Korea) - I know less than nothing about this.

Nov 2023 line up with screen caps here. Not kept updated.

Original 2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

This is in the intro card of My Dear Gangster Oppa, I'm just amusing myself.

Thank you Keseki for givign this to us twice!

Also the tears! So pretty crying.

And, of course, my favorite the biting!

Have I mentioned recently how much I love Taiwanese BL?

(Last week)

164 notes · View notes

coinandcandle · 2 years

Text

Types of Spells

This post will go over some physical spell types and their structure. These are simply vehicles in which to move your intent and energy from inside you to the universe. This post will not teach you how to actually create or cast a spell. There is more to a spell than the physical aspect.

This is by no means a complete or authoritative list of spell types and it's a very generic list! This is just a page from my grimoire, take what you please and leave what you will.

Verbal Spells

Arguably the most basic and simplistic of spells, but powerful nonetheless. You speak or chant your intent into existence. The words you use have power, so it would be wise to do some research on words when doing a verbal spell.

Candle Spells

At their most basic level, these are simply spells involving candles as the main form of sending your intent into the universe (or to a being). You can choose to carve words, symbols, or sigils into the candle; you may also want to anoint it with oils, herbs, or small objects.

Please practice fire safety when doing candle spells!

Sealed Spells

This includes jars, bottles, and other various containers. You could even use an envelope if you’d like. You basically put your spell components into the container and seal it in some way. One popular way of sealing is using wax from candles or even crayons, though you could use stickers, string, or tape if you prefer.

Knot Spells

Tying knots while saying aloud or in your head. You can choose the material, amount of knots and other objects to best support your spell.

The Witches’ ladder can be considered a knot spell. You could consider crochet and knitting types of knot spells as well.

Weaving Spells

This could involve any type of weaving, such as on a loom, sewing, or embroidery. You can use the weaving as a form of meditation or you can use your creation as the object that anchors your spell.

Petition Spells

Either by fire, earth, water, or air. Can also be called written spells.

Write out your desire and burn it, bury it, or toss it into a body of moving water. For air, whisper your desire into the wind you may also use a combination of the elements such as burning the paper and throwing the ashes into the wind.

Be careful to take care of yourself and the environment when doing petition spells. Personally, I think using the paper as compost could be quite useful for certain spells!

Sigil Spells

Draw, carve, or otherwise inscribe your symbol or sigil spell onto an object. This could be used in conjunction with other spell types like petition spells and candle spells.

I understand that there are those who believe that sigils are a tool for a spell and cannot be considered a spell in and of themselves. Personally, I disagree with this as I believe that all that’s really needed with a spell is a person to do the spell and the energy to do it.

The type of spell is not nearly as important as the intent of the spell and the energy put into the spell. The physical aspect of a spell can often help you channel and direct your energy better, so look to this list (or others) to see what kind of spell structure would work best for you!

Feel free to comment or reblog if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions on this list!

Enjoy my posts? Consider leaving me a tip on my ko-fi!~

#spell craft #witchcraft #witchcraft 101 #spell work #beginner witchcraft #witch tips

608 notes · View notes

bitchin-beskar · 1 year

Note

hi 👋

may I request a reader that is a pack rat but with useful things? like they’re always ready with something in their bag to help tf141 with their needs. wether its a snack, an extra shirt, or whatever. they’re just dora with their backpack lol

and the men are always in awe bc ‘how are they always ready for any situation’?? it can be platonic or romantic but would surely love some fluff with it. please and thank you! 🥰

hello love!!! you can indeed request that!!! this is such a cute idea!!!

you suggested dora with the backpack, which is very valid, but my brain also jumps to daphne blake from scooby doo bc that girl carries a tiny ass purse and has everything under the sun and can make shit on the fly like nothing (there was one episode where she made a hydroelectric battery to power the mystery machine like it was nothing lol)

so taking both of those vibes and jumping headfirst in!!! here's a tidbit from how I think a fic with that might go!! (also I kept reader gender neutral in this one, bc you didn't specify any pronouns!)

It's finally happened, Soap is sure of it. The 141 has finally run into a situation that BP isn't gonna have the supplies for.

BP is the callsign of the team medic, which is why you could be forgiven for thinking their name is short for 'blood pressure.'

It's not.

It's short for 'backpack.'

Soap had chuckled when he first heard it, but those little chuckles quickly died when he realised his superiors were serious. All they'd say was that you were uniquely skilled at anticipating the needs of your teammates on any given mission, as well as a well-qualified and well-trained field medic and surgeon.

That first mission, everything had gone FUBAR, including the exfil being shot down, leaving the team stranded in enemy territory with their only possible transport being new black-market Humvees with remote locking systems that were thus far unbreakable. Price and Ghost had been conversing over a plan of attack when you'd simply opened up your ever present backpack and pulled out a small handheld remote. Flipping a switch, you pointed it at the nearest Humvee, and an audible click! indicated it was now unlocked.

They'd all stared for a solid minute before you coughed and said "Uh, about that exfil?" and the team jerked into action and dove for the doors of their new escape vehicle. When asked what the fuck kind of wizard tech you had, you simply shrugged and said it was a universal remote.

Soap had figured it for a one-off. He'd never been more wrong.

Ghost's balaclava gets irreparably damaged and covered in gross bodily fluids? You've got a brand new one in the exact size he needs, made from water resistant fabric.

Price's cigars get lost in (yet another) heli crash? You've got a brand new box of Maduro cigars in that backpack, the only explanation being that you'd "found them while out shopping."

Gaz loses his ball cap, and you whip out a spare without even a second glance, shoving it onto his head without a care in the world, even as he's sputtering because "how the hell do you have the same damn cap? I bought that old one years ago!"

Alejandro's iPod gets destroyed after the team has to flee through a river and all their gear gets waterlogged, and out of a Ziploc, you pull a brand new one with the headphones he likes, and he's shocked to see it's downloaded with all his favorite songs, and the default setting is currently on Spanish.

Rudy's a diabetic, and his insulin pump gets damaged in a knife fight, and not only do you have insulin for him, you have a brand new pump as well, and specific snacks that will help him hold out till he can replace the pump. It's originally brushed off that you have this because of being the team's doctor, until Rudy points out that you don't actually have access to his medical records, with him being Mexican Special Forces and you being SAS.

And Soap? Soap ran out of room in his journal one day, in the middle of trying to sketch and he hadn't realized how close he was to the end, so he hadn't brought a spare. Before he even has the chance to feel disappointed, you're slipping a brand new journal with the exact right type of paper he prefers into his hands.

It's not just personal stuff either. Any tool, gadget, gizmo, whirlygig, or thingamabob they could think of, you just... had it. Wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers, lockpicks, extra mags, oil, cleaning rags, padlocks, bolt cutters, bandaids, needles, suture thread, ice packs, heat packs, gauze, hair ties, bobby pins, the list goes on and on and on.

Never, not once had there been a situation where the team had needed something that you couldn't pull from the dark, yawning pit that you called a backpack.

Except, Soap is confident that this time, you don't have what they need. You couldn't possibly have predicted this outcome.

The mission had been a comedy of errors, the team racing across the globe, bouncing between countries, hopping from continent to continent tracking the HVT Laswell had sent the lot of you after. Through a completely random turn of events, you'd ended up in the United States of all places, in the wooded areas of Washington state. It wasn't a state park, per se, but close enough. Supposedly, there was a cache here that the HVT frequented, and might have valuable intel.

Unfortunately, your way had been blocked by some State Park Rangers, who demanded that you either provide proof of registration that allowed you to be there, or the team had to leave.

Of course, being members of the SAS and Fuerzas Especiales, who operated out of Europe and Mexico respectively, the likelihood of any of them having the right paperwork was infinitesimal.

"Hold on!"

Soap whirled around at the sound of your voice. There you were, rummaging through your backpack.

"No fuckin' way," Gaz whispered, the rest of the team going deathly still.

There was absolutely, positively, no possible way on God's green Earth that you were gonna–

"Found it!"

You let out a whoop of excitement, pulling a small rectangular piece of plastic from your bag, a hole through the top indicating that it might go in a car, hanging from the rearview mirror.

"Here's our permit for the Washington State Parks and Forestry. Just renewed it, too."

The Rangers took it sceptically, but their faces cleared as they looked it over.

"Everything seems to be in order then, ma'am. Sorry for the delay and confusion."

"No problem!" You chirped, ignorant of the dumbfounded stares at your back. "Have a good day, gentlemen!"

Soap felt dizzy. He felt weak. He might actually collapse here on the spot from pure confusion alone. He could faintly hear Gaz muttering behind him, and in his peripheral vision, Alejandro was shaking with silent laughter, and Rudy looked like he'd just been handed the answers to the universe's greatest mysteries.

This had to be a dream. Soap refused to accept reality otherwise.

The Rangers left, and there was a heavy, oppressive silence that settled over the team. BP turned to look at everyone with a smile on their face, only for it to fall when they saw the stunned, blank looks their teammates wore.

"What's wrong?"

Bless 'em, they sounded so confused, but Soap really had no way to express just what he or any of the others were feeling in this moment.

As BP's face fell further, Price surged forward and scooped their medic and resident pack rat into a hug. They let out a small eep! at the sudden constricting pressure around their ribs. It was difficult to hug with tac vests on, but Price was determined.

"C-Captain? Are you alright?"

"Never change, soldier," Price said gruffly, and Soap could hear the disbelieving grin in his CO's voice. "Never fuckin' change."

#asks #asked and answered #anon #anon ask #I hope you liked this anon!!#a fun lil drabble #tf 141 #141 #captain john price #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #kyle gaz garrick #alejandro vargas #rodolfo rudy parra #reader #gn reader #gender neutral reader #fluff #also maybe a bit of crack

207 notes · View notes

onehundredandeleventropicalfish · 9 months

Note

What would happen if Dream abandons his post, like Destruction did?

I know it's not in his character, but hypothetically, what do you think the consequences would be to the world?

interesting question!

i mean, to get the obvious out of the way, the first thing the universe would do would be appoint a new dream of the endless, the reason there hasn't been another destruction is bc he's been keeping his sigil on his person, refusing to abdicate fully, because he doesn't want anyone else to have to get dragged into this

but since you said like destruction did, assuming this was also the case for dream, let's start with this conversation

(and the line here that does always stick out to me is "things still change", because it really does boil down the endless to their most fundamental property - they are all vehicles of change. because life needs change and change needs life, that is the thesis at the core of sandman, that flows through almost every character in different ways, and if you have seven beings that represent the fundamental aspects of life, that means the things they have power over are the things that change people)

(i also still haven't gotten over the time when delirium asks what the word is for the thing that lets you know time is happening and dream just says "change", but now we're getting off topic)

essentially what destruction's saying here is that destruction will happen with or without him, but instead of being in the hands of one of the endless (a being with their own rules and restrictions, their own place in the cogs of the universe), it's in the hands of humanity (or mortals in general, in the comic world where alien species are a common thing)

fate is a really complicated subject in sandman, with both destiny and the fates as separate agents, and within that both can be surprised and influenced by the right person, but all the endless have some kind of connection to time through their father, and if there is a grand plan that's supposed to be fulfilled via the endless' aspects, they would be the ones to push those pieces into place. whether they're aware of it or not, there is some kind of order to how they care for their aspects, they have an instinct for the way things 'should be' (see: literally any prediction any of them have ever made based on their aspect)

and that would be what destruction is deliberately ignoring here, and instead letting every piece fall into place how it will, through the chaos of mortals making their own decisions

and that's a decision that's backed up by the story! because the other thing that sandman does like to push is that ultimately fate is nothing in the face of mortals. the endless exist because of living beings, not the other way around, as dream says to desire. and we see with lyta in kindly ones, she pushed the fates into acting against dream. they didn't go after dream because of the blood debt, the blood debt was the loophole that let them interfere, because lyta was going after dream, and she invoked their power to help her

why should the endless remain caretakers, asks destruction, if it only hurts them, and ultimately they're only needed to complete some arbitrary plan?

(dream who views everything as a story, which must by definition have an author and an ending, fundamentally does not understand this)

so if we extrapolate from there, if dream were to abdicate, there would still be a dreaming, but dreams wouldn't be crafted to serve the stories of the dreamers, people would learn nothing from their dreams, it would be chaos subject to the mind of the individual dreamer. some people still may have helpful dreams, but some people would be hurt by them, and there would be no predicting what would happen. you'd also lose a lot of the knowledge that dream keeps in the library, and there'd be no telling what would happen to all the creatures he's brought into the dreaming to be immortal

(as far as "but we saw the dreaming without dream for a hundred years" goes, i don't think that's a perfect example, because the dreaming is an extension of dream, you can't rip a being in two and expect both halves to just get on with their independent lives. they were hurting being apart, but they were still the channel through which mortals dream, which meant everyone's dreams got thrown into pain and chaos. whereas the dreaming that would be formed through mortals alone would, for better or worse, have nothing to do with the endless)

but there is another clue that throws a spanner in this whole thing so far - death. because destruction isn't the only time one of the endless have abandoned their duties. there's a really short death side comic called a winter's tale, most of which got turned into everything death says to dream in episode six, but there's one page that didn't make it into the tv show

death stopped taking souls. death did not move on without her. mortals were not able to kill each other. and if nothing dies, nothing changes, and the world is thrown into a very different chaos than if death just happened randomly.

i don't have a concrete answer for what this means in regards to all of the above? but here's some possibilities

1) everything i said about destruction holds true for all endless, but this wasn't death leaving her post, this was death deliberately rebelling against the system. she was still pushing pieces into place, but where they shouldn't be, actively holding people back from dying

2) everything i said holds true for all endless but death. because death is different to the others, she's death. the endless cannot experience their own aspect. the ritual that surrounds the lives of the endless don't apply to her, it's specifically stated in regards to the funeral shrouds that there's only six. she must be there for the ending of all things, including her siblings, she has no way out, so she can't just abdicate her post like the others could, even if she wanted to

3) it works differently for all of them. this is the one i personally think is least likely? but since i don't actually know for sure, i think we can consider it might work for dream like it does for death, rather than for destruction (the elder three do have more fundamental abilities, after all). in which case, dream doing what destruction did would have disastrous consequences. it would start with dreams you have while asleep, mortals would only be subject to already created dreams, which may also fade over time into nothingness. but the dreaming isn't the only thing dream has dominion over. stories, creativity, connection, hope, faith, these are all things that fall under his purview. if you could tear those away from humanity, what you'd have left wouldn't be humanity

#honestly im inclined to go with the first explanation bc we know death CAN refuse to take souls #see: hob #but yeah all are interesting #sandman comic spoilers #dream of the endless #destruction of the endless #death of the endless #mine #meta #ask

104 notes · View notes

dandelions-143 · 15 days

Text

Master List

——————————————————————————-

Blood//Water

Chans POV

My father is a piece of shit. He may be filthy rich but he is a complete piece of shit. I sat on his white leather sofa listening to him scream at his current personal chef because the poor bastard put onions in his salad. Now, my father is particular about everything. Almost to the point of being OCD.

His food has to be exactly to his liking. His clothes have to be exactly as he wants them. Even down to the women he dates, to say my father is picky would be the understatement of the fucking century. My father is Bang Doo - Hwan; the Head of the Bang mafia family in Seoul, South Korea.

His organization isn't as big as he would like it to be. He is still growing it with the help of me and my gang we could very well be the top geondal in a few years or less. I hate my father but, I am loyal to a fault when it comes to him.

I could feel a migraine coming on as I listened to him insult and belittle this poor guy. Rubbing a hand over my face I slowly got up off the sofa and walked over to the dining area where they were.

"Father," I placed a a hand on his shoulder, "calm down, this guys not worth your blood pressure rising." I hated acting like I cared that much but it worked as I watched my father's angry expression eased up a little and he unclenched his fists.

"I will take care of him and meet you in your office." My father straightened his posture and said, meaning every venomous word, "You're lucky I don't have your hands cut off your fucking arms" then he just walked away leaving me with his now former chef. The man began to apologize but, I cut him off with a raised hand.

I sighed deeply and reached into the inside pocket of my black suit jacket retrieving my wallet. I pulled out all the cash I had on me and shoved it onto his hands. "Get your shit and get out. I suggest you find another job or the old fucker will have your hands next time." The man paled at my words. He didn't hesitate taking his leave.

———————————————————————————

My father's office was all dark oak. Wooden desk, wooden bookshelves. I wonder how easily this office would burn... I thought to myself as my father droned on and on about his newest business venture, stolen vehicles. I snapped out of it just as he pulled out a Manila file folder and handed it over to me.

"What's this?" I asked curiously, opening the file and began to look over the papers. There were photos taken from a very discreet position of Yi Hyun, the biggest organized crime leader in Korea. There were also photos of his family. His wife Yi Jae and his daughter.. my eyes widened a little at the realization. Yi Hyuns daughter was the girl I saw at my club.

All three had detailed profiles written up about them. I chose to read his daughter's profile first, knowing I would get to the other two later. Yi Nara was her name but, reading a little further I found she went by Nabi as a nickname.

Her profile told me she graduated from Seoul National University with a business degree. She knew several languages and spent her free time painting or protesting. I smiled at that, a bit of a free thinker it seems.

My attention was taken away from the girls profile when my father took the folder from me closing it and stuffing it under his arm. "So, what am I suppose to do with all of this?" I leaned back knowing I am not going to like the answer to my question. My father's grin grew a little more, reminding me of a small child... that smile always made me want to throw up because I knew I would have to carry out whatever shit he had planned now.

"Son, I need you and your men to infiltrate the Yi household. Get close to his daughter and through her get close to him. Find out all of his business ventures, where they operate out of, the names of his men in command over each of these operations." My father moved to sit in his large leather desk chair across from me.

"And I want to know which countries he has expanded his businesses to, along with where he keeps all of his money, which banks and where those banks are exactly. I want access to everything this bastard has."

I knew my face showed how annoyed and shocked I was. "How the fuck am I suppose to get access to his money?" That was impossible, "This man has no clue who I am, he isn't going to just give me this information." My father has lost his god damn mind .

I watched my father lean forward and place that same file folder in front of me and calmly say, "son, don't speak to me so casually and that's why you're going to get close with his daughter. Charm her and her family, maybe even see if her father will hire you and a couple of your guys."

I huffed in exasperation, "and then what? Once I get all of this information for you then what will happen? I just ditch them like I never existed?" I stood up and ran my fingers through my dark hair. "I'm not doing this, you can get this information another way." I jumped at the sudden loud bang as my father slammed his fist down on his desk and stood. "YOU WILL DO THIS!" He yelled.

My father was a bit shorter than me but still he was very menacing. His face always seemed to contort into something evil when he grew angry. The man was the only one that could ever have any kind of control over me.. that's part of why I hated him.

When our eyes met it was like a switch was flipped and he stood up straighter, in a calm voice he continued, "once I have all the information I want...you and your men will dispose of that family and anyone of his men that may stand in my way so I can take over."

I shouldn't have been shocked. That was how he got rid of all of his competition or anyone that annoyed him in the slightest. Dispose... like they were trash. "And if I don't do this for you?" I don't know why I was even asking. I knew and my father knew I would end up doing this job for him.. I always did.

"If you don't do this for me...then I will no longer have a son. You won't inherit any of this empire I'm building.. actually maybe you won't even exist at all." My eyes met his cold hard glare and even though he didn't say it my gut told me exactly what he meant.

I snatched up the folder and walked out of that office without saying a word. One day I would have my father's head.. one day.

As I stood outside of my fathers massive mansion waiting for my car to be pulled around I took out my cell and dialed Lee Knows number. He picked up within two rings, "Hyung, how did the meeting with your father go?"

I nodded in thanks to the valet as he handed over my keys and I got in the car. "Listen, we have a job to do. Gather up the guys and make sure I.N brings his laptop. This is going to take all of us and our resources."

Tag list open - Just message to be added

——————————————————————————

13 notes · View notes

gothicprep · 9 months

Text

so, you might have seen this tweet or some parody version of it. it went insanely viral last week.

i'm not all that interested in litigating the substance of it. i just want to talk about the poster, because he has an interesting backstory.

so, his name is johnathan perkins. he went to uva law. in his third year, which would have been in 2011, he wrote a letter to the virginia law weekly claiming that he had been harassed by campus police while walking home from a party. he's black and he claims he was racially profiled. from it:

The race problem in America persists. In most aspects of society (education, housing, employment, etc.), black people and white people live in two different worlds. As a result, most Americans are raised in racially sterilized environments. Oftentimes when race is brought up, white people are accused of being prejudiced, insensitive, and out of touch, while black people are accused of having chips on their shoulders, playing the victim, and race-baiting [...] I am writing this column not to complain, but to share a story. It is a story that is all too familiar to black Americans but it remains foreign to many of my white classmates.

he then goes into immense detail about this encounter, including dialogue. he writes:

It was clear at that point that the officers were toying with me for their own entertainment. When the officers discovered my UVA I.D., and informed them that I was a law student, they looked at one another and sarcastically said, “Oh, he’s a law student.” The fact that I informed them that I was in law school made the situation even more tense. [...] At that point, one of the officers spun me around, pushed me toward their car, and placed my hands on the rear of the vehicle. Imprinted on my mind was the police treatment of Oscar Grant Jr., Amadou Diallo, and Abner Louima, so naturally I did not resist. Standing there, I saw dozens of people staring at me as they returned home from last call.

then there's more detail, and he ends with, "I am writing this column because it is important for my classmates to hear a real-life anecdote illustrating the myth of equal protection under the law."

so as you can imagine, this letter caused a big ole stir at uva. the university conducted an investigation. here's the press release, which is available through the atlantic's reporting on this:

On May 5, after a thorough investigation into allegations that University of Virginia police officers had mistreated an African-American law student, the individual acknowledged that his story had been a fabrication. “I wrote the article to bring attention to the topic of police misconduct,” he said in a written statement. “The events in the article did not occur.”

wait, though. it gets even weirder.

uva decided not to press charges on him for false reporting. here's the police chief's response, also reported in the same atlantic piece:

I recognize that police misconduct does occur. Pressing charges in this case might inhibit another individual who experiences real police misconduct from coming forward with a complaint. I want to send the message just how seriously we take such charges and that we will always investigate them with care and diligence.

he had an honor trial, and was acquitted. he went on to practice law, then he got a job at harvard, now he does full time DEI.

HOWEVER, the story doesn't end there. six years later, in 2017, he wrote an article for the marshall project called "A ‘Routine’ Stop Almost Ended My Career Before It Started" where he claims that after he wrote that letter and the university announced their investigation, he was contacted by the FBI.

I expressed surprise that the FBI had become involved. The agent responded that he had been sent by the head of the FBI’s Richmond Division and that the bureau planned to open a civil rights investigation. But instead of asking me to recount my story as one might expect, the agent laid out a set of consequences if I continued to press my complaint. He said that a swarm of FBI agents would descend upon Charlottesville to question my friends, family, and classmates. He said that agents would visit the office of the Philadelphia law firm where I had a post-graduation job lined up. He explained in no uncertain terms that these consequences and others were inevitable so long as I maintained my allegations.

he goes on to say that he signed the letter recanting his statement under pressure from the FBI. he writes, "I yielded and agreed to sign a statement, dictated by the agent, that recanted the facts set forth in my letter to the editor. Doing so has been my life’s chief regret."

basically, over this complaint about campus police harassment, the federal gov't got involved and threatened to destroy his life unless he dropped it and that they were working with the local police to do this.

so, it sounds shady as shit to me. i'm assuming it does to you as well. but the cavalier daily, which is the uva student paper, did a pretty thorough investigation into this, and it's not conclusive. there's no public records that turned up any corroborating evidence. they don't have any FOIA request that proved his story beyond a shadow of a doubt. the local police and the FBI didn't respond to requests for comments. but perkins named the FBI agent and he provided the paper with what he claimed to be a voicemail that the FBI agent left for him.

Perkins said he returned Hilland’s call, during which Hilland notified Perkins he was waiting for him at his car in the Law School parking lot and wanted to speak with him. Perkins said Hilland was accompanied by two UPD officers tasked with investigating Perkins’ claim of harassment against the UPD — Capt. Melissa Fielding and Lt. Michael Blakey. According to Perkins, the three of them went into a meeting room in the office suite of Martha Ballenger, then Law School Assistant Dean for Students Affairs, for an interrogation.

so, it's not dispositive, but the story he's telling is so spectacular that i'd need way more evidence than that. he does name the names of the people involved, which does lend a lot more credence to this. and if this hadn't happened, i feel like the FBI would deny it.

like, i just feel like there's something missing here, man. crazy law enforcement shit has happened in the past, but the initial event is such small potatoes. think of the risk the FBI would be putting themselves at by bringing the hammer down on something like that. it's such a weird story, but now i want to get to the bottom of it. there's something going on here, i'm just not totally sure what it is.

38 notes · View notes

ladyfogg · 2 years

Text

We Live for Love - Part 1

We Live for Love – Part 1

Fic Summary: Eddie is recovering in the hospital where you’re volunteering. The whole town may have shunned him but you refuse to do the same. Masterpost.

Fic Rating: 18+

Pairing: Eddie Munson/Female Reader

Warnings: Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Language, Season Finale Spoilers

Fic Song: We Live for Love by Pat Benatar. Full fic playlist on Spotify.

A/N: Alright, so I had the idea, and because I can’t seem to help myself I started writing. This is definitely a fix-it fic because our boy deserved so much better! I’m not sure how many parts this is going to be. Probably somewhere around three or so. This fic is eventually going to have smut which is why it’s 18+. Minors DNI!

You never thought you would actually see an apocalypse up close.

At least, that’s what you feel happened. One minute you’re closing up the shop for the night and the next large flaming red cracks are splitting the road apart and everything is shaking like crazy. By the time it’s done, everything around you is in ruins.

You escape relatively unscathed. The same cannot be said for the rest of Hawkins. You aren’t even supposed to be there. Your plan was to go to the local community college for a year before moving on to a bigger university.

Yeah, that never happened.

School isn’t your thing. Maybe it had been when you were younger but it definitely isn’t now and you have no idea what you want to do with your life. You gave up after a year and found your way back home. You got a job at the town bookstore and spent the year working, reading, and generally having more fun than you’ve ever had in your entire life. It’s like, as soon as the weight of expectations was lifted, you were finally able to breathe.

And then the world ended.

You don’t have too many skills that can be useful. You choose to volunteer at the hospital since it was the busiest and full to the brim with victims. With so many people missing or presumed dead, they need all the help they can get. Occasionally, you help orderlies stock rooms or change linens, but mostly you try to help the patients pass the time.

Today is no exception. You get there a little later than you anticipate. The roads that aren’t torn up are filled with people leaving or emergency vehicles responding. You’ve taken to walking because it’s the quickest way to get around. When you arrive, you put your bag down behind the nurse’s station.

“Any new rooms added to the list?” you ask, pulling your book cart out where it was jammed into the corner, kept out of the way.

The nurse puts a slip of paper in your hand with a list of rooms. Most of the hospital is being run by generators so anything non-essential, like TV, isn’t available in patient rooms. You volunteered to pass books out to those reading to loved ones or people who are stuck recovering. It’s not much but it’s what you can offer. The bookstore and your little apartment above it barely survived the catastrophe. Your landlord and manager didn’t which left the store to you. At least, you assume as much. No one cares enough right now to argue.

Every morning you gather a bundle of books and deliver them throughout the hospital to lend out. You’ve also donated several boxes to the school which is now a shelter.

You scan the list in your hand and notice it skips over a room number. “Hey, what about room twenty?”

“You don’t need to go in there.”

“Why not?”

“That’s where Eddie Munson is.”

Shit. Eddie is here?

You knew Eddie from school and were in the same year until you graduated and he was held back. You even spoke to him on occasion but that was as far as it went. He had his Hellfire club and, though you’d been interested in Dungeons and Dragons, the fact that it was all guys didn’t exactly make you feel comfortable enough to give it a try. At least not while in high school. You played a bit in college and even stocked a section of the bookstore with D&D stuff. Before the stupid Satanic Panic set in and you had to take it all down.

“Why shouldn’t I go in? Is he in bad shape?”

The nurse makes a face. “You know what they say about him right?”

“That he’s innocent,” you remind her. “Remember, the Sinclair kids said that Jason Carver was behind everything. He was even seen buying weapons and ammo. They found a stash in his car. He knew the victims. It all fits.”

“Well, yes, that’s what they say,” the nurse says. “But, that Munson kid…”

“Didn’t do anything wrong.”

The nurse doesn’t look convinced. “If you want to go in there, be my guest.”

You add Eddie’s room to your list, more than a little annoyed at the nurse. People like her remind you why you wanted to get out of Hawkins in the first place. You make your rounds, checking in with patients you’ve come to know and introducing yourself to new ones.

Lucas Sinclair is still by Max Mayfield’s bedside. He’s reading from the book you brought him yesterday, so rather than interrupt, you leave two more on the table next to him. He gives you a grateful smile and you move on.

You don’t know why you save Eddie’s room for last.

Maybe because you’re not sure how your presence will be received. Maybe you’re a little intimidated. Or maybe because you still harbor a very slight crush on him. That last part surprises you. You aren’t expecting the feelings to come rushing back and they had the second that nurse said his name. It’s been two years. You thought you were over your feelings but apparently not.

You give yourself a pep talk, tell yourself to get it together because you doubt he remembers you. You shared a couple of classes once upon a time. It’s then that you realize it’s been about five minutes and you’re starting to get funny looks standing there in the hallway.

Taking a deep breath, you push your cart to the half-closed door and knock.

“Come in.”

You push the door open with your cart.

“Henderson, seriously, I appreciate it but you don’t have to come to see me every…” Eddie turns to look at you and his smile fades a little. “…day.”

“Hey, Eddie.”

He says your name and it’s so soft, so tender, it takes your breath away. He clearly remembers you. And if the way his eyes are taking you in, your presence is greatly appreciated. You stare into his eyes, seeing a flood of emotion. You’re not exactly sure which emotions because you’re too busy taking him in as well.

He looks good. Well, as good as someone in the hospital who’s covered in bandages can look. He’s wearing a hospital gown but you can see his arms are wrapped in gauze and so is his forehead. Other than that, and some bruising on his face, he’s relatively intact.

“Hey! Um…wh-what are you, um, doing here?” He adjusts himself against the head of the bed and folds his arms, trying to appear nonchalant and chill.

“Volunteering,” you say, motioning to the books. “Thought you could use some company. Mind if I stay?”

“Yeah, I mean, no, no I don’t mind. Yes, please stay.” It’s cute to see him flustered and babbling. You’ve never seen him that way before. “I didn’t think you were still around.”

“I wasn’t. Not for a year or so but I’ve been back for a while now.”

“Cool, cool,” Eddie nods as if you’ve said the most interesting thing in the world. “What have you been up to?”

“You mean before the apocalypse?”

He grins. That wide goofy grin that is somehow more adorable than you remember. “Yeah, before that.”

“Not much. I work at that little bookstore on East Street. Well, I guess I own it now.” Your hands fidget on the handle of the cart. Your heart is racing and you have no idea how to get it to stop. You think for a second before taking the empty chair in the corner of the room and dragging it over next to his bed. You sit down. “What about you? You seem like you’re doing well for a murdering Satanic cult leader.”

He rolls his eyes. “So you heard about all that?”

“Oh yeah.”

He gives you a look out of the corner of his eye. “And yet you’re still talking to me.”

“Even before Jason Carver was found out I knew you didn’t do it,” you say, waving your hand dismissively. “Never believed the police for a second.”

“Why not?”

You study him as he stares at you with those big eyes and your heart melts even more. “It just…didn’t seem like you,” you tell him. “Besides, the whole thing with D&D being satanic is just bullshit. I’ve played and I never once worshiped Satan.”

“Then you must not have played it right.”

You know he’s joking. He can’t keep himself from grinning when he says it and it makes you laugh. “Maybe not. I was actually thinking of doing D&D nights at the bookstore once things calm down a little. You know, give some people an outlet to deal with all this.”

“Count me in.”

He says it without hesitation, without even a second thought. The conversations between you had been simple in school but you don’t remember them being this easy. It’s like no time has passed at all. Like you’re talking to an old close friend.

“I actually have a confession to make,” you say. “I really wanted to join Hellfire when I was in school.”

Just when you think his eyes can’t get wider, he gives you a wide-eyed stare. “Come on, you’re messing with me!” he says.

“Nope, I swear, it’s true.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“You and your buddies didn’t exactly seem open to a chick joining.”

“I would have totally let you join!”

You laugh again. “Oh, really? You would have let a newbie just roll a new character and stumble her way through a game.”

“Of course!” He gives you a lopsided grin. “I would have even offered private tutoring after.”

Your face grows warm. As does the rest of you. This is not how you anticipated this talk to go. In fact, he’s a hell of a lot more upbeat than you would guess he would be. Never in a million years did you think he would be so happy to see you. Or would be so flirty. Was he always this flirty? Well, yeah now that you think about it, he was. But you always assumed that’s just the way he was. Maybe you were wrong.

“So, what happened?” you ask, clearing your throat and trying to think of anything other than how much you want to lay a kiss on that adorable smile of his. You motion to his injuries, which he glances down at.

“Oh, you know, earthquake stuff.”

He doesn’t elaborate and you get the sense that he doesn’t want to. Doesn’t matter. He’s here and seems in relatively good spirits. Definitely more upbeat than he probably has any right to be feeling. You wouldn’t be smiling if you had to deal with the whole town thinking you did something you didn’t, especially while trying to recover from what looks like serious injuries.

“Well, not sure how long you’re stuck in here, but I have books!” You pull your cart over, remembering the whole reason you’re supposed to be there.

“Sweet! What do you have?”

You reach onto the shelf and pull out The Fellowship of the Ring. “Something tells me this is right up your alley.”

He pumps his fist excitedly before winces in pain. “Aw, shit!” he exclaims, clutching his side.

Instinctively you reach for him, your hand touching his as you lean in. “Are you okay?”

It’s like a jolt of electricity shoots from his touch. Your entire body comes alive and you’re suddenly super aware of everything about him. Those eyes, those lips, that smile, the proximity of his body. His eyes find yours and you two stare at each other in silence. You’ve never been this close to Eddie, never touched him in any way. It’s like you two are magnets, being drawn together by an invisible force.

“I’m good. Especially now that you’re here,” he says. It’s soft, barely above a whisper. His fingers link with yours and you swear your heart actually stops.

Everything around you fades and goes silent, the only sounds are your labored breathing and Eddie’s shallow breaths. Fuck. Fuck. All you need to do is lean in. His lips are RIGHT THERE. You feel yourself leaning forward before your brain can second guess. Eddie moves too, gently caressing your chin with his thumb…

“Hey, Eddie! I brought you some comics!”

The door suddenly bangs open and you jump back with a start. Eddie does too, wincing again and swearing under his breath as he grips his bandaged torso. You turn your head to see a young kid standing there, arms full of comics. Well, kid isn’t exactly the right word. He’s definitely younger than you and Eddie by a couple of years but probably is around the age of a freshman. He doesn’t notice you until he looks up from the pile of comics in his arms. Only then does his mouth falls open.

“Oh…sorry,” he says, looking between the two of you.

“No worries, I should probably get going anyway.”

You’re chickening out. Yup, that’s exactly what you’re going to do. The air has been sucked out of the room, your heart is racing, and your head is spinning. Eddie stares as you get to your feet and grab your cart. You motion to the book which lays forgotten next to him on the bed where he dropped it.

“Enjoy.”

Before you can move, he reaches out to gently grab your wrist. “Are you coming back tomorrow?” he asks.

Fuck, those big puppy dog eyes. That hopeful look. How can you say no? It’s not like you were going to anyway. “First thing in the morning,” you say. “See ya, Munson.”

You push your cart past the kid who is mostly still standing in the door and has to jump out of the way to let you go. Once outside the room, you can breathe a little better but your heart is still racing. It’s like your entire body is doused in flames and nothing is going to put them out. You suck in a lung full of air, leaning against the wall for support.

Where the fuck did that come from?! Okay, you know where it came from on your end but, fuck, dude. Almost kissing Eddie Munson was not on the list of things you assumed would happen today. Part of you is supremely pissed you were interrupted. That kiss is years in the making, alright. You’ve been fantasizing about it longer than you can remember.

Apparently, you’re not the only one pissed. From inside the room, you hear Eddie’s voice raise several octaves.

“God damn it, Henderson! You have the worst timing!”

#eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie munson x reader #stranger things #strangerthings #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x you #joseph quinn

325 notes · View notes

random-iz-stuff · 11 months

Text

Invader Zim Deathmatch:

ROUND 2, FIGHT 12:

GAZ VS TALLEST SPORK!

The rules are as follows:

1. We’re assuming that both participants actively want and are willing to kill each other unless actively specified otherwise (for example: Chammy Wamboo).

2. The fight must be one on one so no outside help is allowed, but prep time is allowed.

3. The rule for prep time is that if one contestant gets prep time, the other contestant gets an equal amount of prep time as well.

[Masterpost]

Information about both contestants (who they are, powers and abilities, etc) can be found under the cut.

Contestant Stats:

Gaz:

“Supreme Gamer”

Appearances:

Gaz appears in many, many episodes and comic issues, so I’m not going to list them

Powers and abilities:

Enhanced strength (like her brother, Gaz shows feats of incredible strength (most likely because she’s a genetically modified clone), including but not limited to being able to throw Dib clean through a wall)

Enhanced agility and stamina (also like her brother, Gaz has enhanced agility and stamina, with the most notable example of this being her climbing up the side of an over 50 story building in the rain without equipment)

Fear (similar to Ms Bitters’ fear ability, Gaz is able to scare most people with threats of extreme violence. Unlike Ms Bitters however, it’s been shown that this ability has limits, with people like Zim showing no fear towards any of her threats. Gaz’s ability to cause fear doesn’t appear to work on anyone that already believes themselves to be on par with or stronger than her and people that are simply too egotistical or arrogant to care, making it a weaker version of Ms Bitters’ fear causing, which works on seemingly everyone)

Intelligence (Gaz is one of the smartest humans in the show, being one of the only people able to see through Zim’s disguise. She also shows skill with engineering and invention, being able to make her own machines (like the robot toys that guard her room) and fix alien technology, not unlike her brother’s skills with tech)

[Mostly Unusable] Gaming (although this seems like it shouldn’t affect anything, Gaz’s gaming skills are an advantage. The reason for this is that a lot of alien technology (mostly vehicles) use controls that are very similar to video game controls, meaning that Gaz can use alien vehicles extremely effectively. Sadly, Gaz doesn’t have any alien technology to use)

Fun Fact:

Despite evidence in the show pointing towards the contrary, Jhonen Vasquez has confirmed that Gaz has no magic or supernatural abilities and that she is simply "someone you don't want to anger". This is why I don’t list any supernatural abilities in her Powers and Abilities section.

Tallest Spork:

“A mix between Tallest Fork and Tallest Spoon”

Appearances:

Spork only appears in the unfinished episode “The Trial”

Powers and abilities:

Irken physiology (can lift over 3 times their body weight and is extremely durable)

Massive Height (as the Tallest, Spork is the tallest Irken alive. This is mentioned as a power because Irkens can lift over three times their body weight and since Spork is way bigger and therefore heavier than most other Irkens, he can lift WAY more as well)

PAK (PAK legs, PAK lasers, shield generator, all the things an Irken PAK can do)

Hovering: (as a Tallest, Spork has access to special equipment that lets him hover above the ground. This improves his movement speed and general maneuverability, but doesn’t grant him the ability to truly fly)

[For This Fight Only] Arrogance (Spork is shown to be extremely arrogant in his only appearance. This MAY provide Spork with some immunity to Gaz’s Fear ability, as we’re shown that sufficiently egotistical and arrogant people seem to be immune to it (for example, Zim).

Fun Fact:

For reasons I cannot explain, Tallest Spork has a lot of in-universe merch, including a life sized balloon Spork that Zim owns for again, unknown reasons.

#invader zim #invader zim deathmatch #polls #gaz membrane #Tallest Spork

17 notes · View notes

justatypicalwizard · 8 months

Text

Wants Within | S. Shinazugawa | Chapter 29

✦ Sanemi Shinazugawa x femReader!, college au, reader is adult

✦ Synopsis: You're a college student taking classes with a very strict lecturer- professor Shinazugawa. Because of an unfortunate event you got on his bad side so now you're trying everything to regain in his eyes. Well, you most certainely didn't expect that kind of attention.

✦ Word count: 1,4k

18+, minors do not interact

You had to hold yourself together even though panic was wielding up in your chest, crashing your lungs and clenching the throat. Your whole life was hanging by a thread.

‘’The council and I have come to the decision not to hold you and Mister Shinazugawa responsible for any severe consequences of your actions.’’

The word around started to spin slightly. You didn’t know if it was due to the stress flowing out of your body or was it because you just heard some of the best news in your life.

‘’This doesn’t mean there will be no consequences. Unfortunately we must suspect all of your grades for the past semester and we agreed on the fact that you need to retake the winter semester under a different lecturer.’’ You nodded your head mindlessly. Who cared about one semester of one subject?

A small laugh escaped the head’s lips.

‘’I think it’s best to reschedule this conversation for later. I believe you have been through enough today.’’ The nod of your head was more than eager. ‘’We will come back to it after the weekend then. Don’t worry about retaking the semester, I will try to make it the most accommodating I can. The whole situation will take a few more council meetings and some paperwork but it’s all out of your concern.’’

After a few more words of care he let you go, asking you to invite Sanemi to the room. Soon both of you knew what you were standing on. All of you, Aoi, Kanao and Zenitsu tracing a bit of distance behind, exited the university. Standing in front of the main gate you didn’t know what to do now, your head still slightly spinning from all the emotions. Aoi nugged you a bit, trying to pry you out of your dreamy state.

‘’You coming with me?’�� Sanemi asked, clenching the keys to his car.

You looked him in the eye.

‘’Can you guys wait for me a bit in the car?’’ Turning to your friends you asked and they agreed without further discussion, packing hurriedly into the vehicle. They even tried to pretend they’re not watching intensely through the windows.

‘’Can I be honest with you?’’ You started, looking up at Sanemi, he only nodded in response. ‘’I think I’ll pass tonight. I had enough, really. Maybe it’s for the best to have a break, at least this evening. I could really use some distraction or else I’ll start to overthink and doubt everything.’’ You tried to crack him a small smile but it failed. You felt kinda shitty for leaving him right now but that’s how you really felt. His and your own actions from earlier still lingered in the depth of your mind, ready to attack you with anger and anxiety any moment now.

‘’No problem.’’ It was him who managed to smile first. ‘’Kinda fair in fact. Your brain is so small I believe you need a lot of time to process it.’’

You laughed snarkily.

‘’And you were not stressed at all.’’

‘’Never said that.’’

‘’At least it all ended well though it was still embarrassing as fuck.’’ You sweatdropped to which he hummed.

‘’What are you going to do tonight?’’ He asked making your head perk up. ‘’Cuz if you’re gonna sit alone in your room and cry under the bed sheets then I don’t care you may do it under mine. I don’t want you alone.’’

‘’Hmm.’’ You wondered and figured he had a good point.

‘’What about the spying idiots in the car?’’

‘’Oh, I guess I can ask them. I think they won't have a problem with helping me tonight. I mean, they were here like less than ten minutes after I called sounding like a freaking mess.’’

‘’Good to hear you have friends.’’

‘’Yeah, I do.’’ You smiled to yourself. You didn’t even know when you befriended them so closely. Guess that’s how real friendships start.

‘’Okay then… I’ll see you tomorrow I guess.’’ You swung back and forth on your feet, uneasy with the thought of ending this conversation. You wanted to leave but also stay.

‘’Get your ass to them and we’ll talk tomorrow cuz I’m kicking Genya out and you’re coming over. I think I have some things to say.’’ He flashed you a cocky smile and you knew it was out of discussion.

‘’Okay okay. They really look like they’re going to fall out through the window any minute. Gosh, how can your face be so close to a flat surface?’’ You laughed, eyeing the car and the three cheeks glued to the glass.

‘’Let them see the show.’’

‘’Wha…’’

Your question was cut short by his lips crashing into your. The kiss was passionate but short. After that he flicked your forehead, gave a toothy grin and turned on his foot swinging his car keys on his finger.

Rubbing your forehead you made your way to their car. All of them, especially Aoi, acted as if they didn’t just drool over what they saw.

‘’You’re fucking nasty.’’ You spat sitting next to Zenitsu at the front.

‘’I’m not the one sleeping with my professor.’’ Aoi poked back at you and you scoffed lightly.

‘’I need a break, what are you guys doing tonight?’’ You turned to face them all.

‘’Actually when you called we were at a party at one of Tanjiro’s friends. We texted you about it but you didn’t respond… well I kinda know why.’’

‘’Can I come with you now?’’

‘’Hell yeah.’’ Aoi grabbed the back of your seat once more.

‘’But one thing!’’ You exclaimed. ‘’No talking about all this. I don’t want anyone to know. We are not… in a relationship at all, I mean I don’t know how it works. He said we’re gonna talk tomorrow and I think it’ll be about it but for the time being please don’t spill it to anyone. Even to Tanjiro.’’ You pointed your finger at every one of them.

‘’Fair.’’ They agreed and off you took.

You knew some people at the party. Mostly though, there were new faces which brought a sense of freshness. You quickly downed a shot with Aoi and one more with Zenitsu which was enough to make you tipsy. Suddenly someone grabbed your shoulder. Turning around you recognised the familiar black hair and a concerned face.

‘’What happened Y/N?’’ Tanjiro was holding both of your shoulders tightly. ‘’Zenitsu just rushed saying it was about you and the girls followed.’’

The four of you looked at each other.

‘’I don’t want to talk about it now. Yeah some shit happened but it’s over now.’’ You smiled at him apologetically, crushing in your soul. He was just too adorable, looking at you as if the world just ended. You honestly thought this would be enough to satisfy him, the tipsiness making you care a little less.

‘’Are you keeping secrets from me? All of you I mean.’’ His eyes screamed sadeness and even through the blasting music you heard the longing in his voice. Maybe he was also a bit drunk and too emotional? Nonetheless he must have been hurt.

‘’I…’’ You didn’t know what to say so you chose honesty. ‘’There is something but I really can’t say. It was a accident that they know…’’ You pointed at the rest. ‘’...but you have to believe me that it’s nothing concerning you, nothing that caused me any harm and most importantly it’s over now.’’ This time you held his shoulders, rubbed them a few times and pushed him away slightly to regain your space. His look didn’t change. ‘’If it’ll make you feel better then I promise I will tell you personally when the time will be right.’’ Looking him in the eye you tried your best to convince him, fed up with people not believing in you. ‘’Please Tanjiro, I had enough of disregard today, you have to trust me, I can take care of myself and I can’t rely on everyone all the time.’’

Finally his face changed, merging into a more friendly one.

‘’That’s right…’’ He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. ‘’I’m sorry, I’m a bit tipsy but I was just so scared and a bit angry that they didn’t let me come with them.’’ Oh bless the guys, Tanjiro was the last person that you needed there, he would try to sugarcoat the whole situation and what you needed was facing those demons. ‘’I trust you.’’ He grinned, changing the mood entirely.

‘’At least one person.’’ You laughed at him wholeheartedly, at ease and eager to have fun tonight.

SERIES MASTERLIST

Taglist:

@secretxchive @vesperazhier

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #demon slayer sanemi #kimetsu no yaiba sanemi #sanemi shinazugawa #sanemi x reader #sanemi x you #college #university #college student #shinazugawa x reader #demon slayer shinazugawa #shinazugawasanemi #sanemi x y/n #sanemi smut

10 notes · View notes

walker-extended-universe · 9 months

Text

Devil on Your Shoulder

Relationships: Hoyt Rawlins & Cordell Walker

Tags/Warnings: Alternate Universe- Canon Divergence, Hoyt lived AU, Episode: s01e18 Drive, Revenge, Discussion of Revenge, Implied/Referenced Character Death

Summary: AU in which Hoyt was around during 1x18 and plays the devil on Cordell's shoulder

A/N: Fic purged from the draft by people voting for it in the polls :)

Taglist (if you would like to be added please let me know): @theladywyn, @ihavepointysticks, @klaatu51, @neptunium134, @itsjessiegirl1

----

Cordell held the gun steady while he reached for his ringing phone. He glanced away from Stan for a split second to check the caller ID, answering when he saw it was Hoyt. “What’s going on, Hoyt? Everything okay at the Side Step?”

“Yeah, Mendoza’s in protective custody over here,” Hoyt said. “Geri and Micki are in the back looking for evidence of the Nation filtering money through the Side Step. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine.”

“Stan confess yet?”

Cordell scoffed. “He’s still playing innocent.”

“Because I am.”

“Shut up and drive, Stan,” Cordell hissed.

“You got a plan B in mind?” Hoyt asked.

“What do you mean?”

“If he doesn’t confess, is what I mean,” Hoyt said. “I mean, we can get him for corrupt politics maybe but he still needs to pay for what he did to Emily. What’s the plan if you can’t get him to confess?”

“I will.”

“But what if you can’t?”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” Cordell still wasn’t sure how he was going to get that confession but he wasn’t giving up.

“That’s a bridge you need to plan ahead for, my friend.”

“Well what’s your bright idea then?”

Hoyt hummed. “I’m thinking you’ve got a gun on the man responsible for killing your wife. If the legal system won’t give him what he’s due…. May be time for a little vigilante justice.”

“Hoyt…. I can’t do that. I-I need to-”

“You don’t have to.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m saying if you can’t bring yourself to do it, you can hand me the gun and I’ll do it myself.”

“Hoyt, I can’t ask you to do that,” Cordell said firmly. “That’s a life sentence you’re looking at. I thought you were going straight?”

“This is Emily we’re talking about,” Hoyt snapped. “I was ready to shiv Mendoza when your brother made us bunk buddies during his little investigation. He may be in the clear now but that sentiment hasn’t changed. You say Stan killed Emily, he deserves what’s coming to him. If you can’t do it, I will.”

“This isn’t just about Emily. This is about the Northside Nation. Stan needs to be alive to confess to all that and name all the big players. We can wipe out their whole operation if we do it right.” Cordell had to stay focused on that. The bigger picture. Even if he couldn’t get a confession out of Stan for Emily, he had enough to get him on corruption and collusion. If that was all he could get, that would have to be enough.

“If you say so….”

“Hoyt,” Cordell warned. “Do not do something stupid. Let me worry about Stan. You make sure Mendoza lives to testify against this bastard. Is that clear?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t ‘Yeah’ me. I want to hear you say it.”

The other end was silent.

“Hoyt?”

“I won’t do anything stupid. I’ll just worry about Mendoza for now.”

Cordell didn’t buy that but he had bigger concerns at the moment. Like the sheriff’s vehicles blocking the road ahead. “I’ll get back in touch later. Stay safe, alright?” He hung up before Hoyt could reply and set it on the dash.

“Your friend gonna come kill me or are you gonna take care of that?”

“Shut up, Stan.”

#walker #walker fic #walker fanfic #my writing #my fic #hoyt lived au #cordell walker #hoyt rawlins

7 notes · View notes

dyrewrites · 7 months

Text

Writing Whispers

@deanwax tagged me!

I am leaving this OPEN, but also tagging @rmgrey-author

Rules: Find a few paragraphs of writing from as long ago as you can. Re-write them how you would now.

Making me wish I hadn't thrown out my ancient folder of printed out stories from when I was in my teens there, pal. Would have been funny.

But, since I do not own a time machine...and the hard drive with anything older than a couple years is not currently functional.

Here is something from somewhere around 2020, which was more of a "I had a neat dream, lemme jot it down" than anything...but it's the oldest thing I have. Also, I just tied it into the same universe as Pale Blood and need to rewrite it anyway, so win/win. Though it'll need to be third person before it's done and I rewrote it as first still...

(2020) Light Thieves

I was a tiny woman, barely five feet, "90lbs when wet" they'd say. My partner was a giantess, seven feet tall depending on how you looked at her and roughly the measurements of a bulldozer. We drove a nondescript white van down streets lit with the harsh glow of leds. There were no stars in the sky, no moon casting it's soft glow on the black monoliths around us. There was another vehicle, much smaller and faster, coming at us from behind. It was my fault. I couldn't help it. We had jars upon jars of the stuff in the back and there was no time when we grabbed it all to really look at it. The light coming from the small jar in my hands was warm and golden, much like the sun at midday, exactly like the sun at midday. We had done the impossible. The back of our lumbering van, their light and warmth hidden by a thick lead blanket, were roughly a hundred jars of natural light. The soft glow of the moon on a clear night, the gentle golden light of the morning sun, the glimmer of sunset, the searing heat of summer in midday, the twinkling light of faraway suns, we had it all. Well, a little bit of it all, but we knew how to get it now and could have so much more. I was a fool. My partner screamed and cursed as I effectively turned the front seat into a lighthouse beacon, but I didn't care. It was warm and bright and beautiful. Until our van fishtailed into a wall and scraped it's way into an empty parking lot. Whoever was in the little car was screaming incoherently and coming at us fast, but I was faster. The jar rehid, I was out of the van and to our assailant's vehicle just in time to hear our windows shatter. We'd just replaced those. I trusted my partner had it covered, I was in charge of making sure the lumbering oaf I ran past didn't follow us. I rewired his pretty little auto and was back in the passenger's seat of our van before he noticed it driving away without him. "What you have is worth a hundred" he growled when he noticed. What we have? He must think we only have one.

(2023 - just now) Light Thieves

That fancy little auto may have been much smaller and faster than ours, but it was getting awfully close…with no signs of losing interest. “And whose fault is this?” Delilah asked–more sneered, but who could blame her. I didn’t need to answer, and she would’ve clocked me if I tried…but it was my fault. I couldn't help it! We had jars upon jars of the shine and there was no time when we grabbed it to really look. So, as soon as we were free of the transport, and free of the drones, I looked. A peek, really! Worth it, if you asked me–and someone would, later, probably with knuckles involved. But I didn’t care. The light I held was as warm and golden as my mothers told me the suns used to be. It was like a vidstream of those old middays made whole and real and it was in my hands. We had done the impossible. No more harsh LEDs and falselight lamps for us, we could pop a jar and bask in true sunlight whenever we wished. And, in the back of our lumbering van–their light and warmth hidden by a thick lead blanket–were roughly a hundred more just like it. We had the soft glow of the moons on a clear night, the gentle golden light of somrise, the glimmer of somset; we had it all. Well, a little bit of it all, but we knew how to get more. Set for life, as they say. So long as we lost the leech on our heels, which looked less and less likely as the starless night stretched on. Narrow streets weren’t built for big vans, and with so many autos going hover there wasn’t much street left for our wheels as it stood. Nevermind the trash that littered our part of the dome, which was piled some three of mes up in spots. And, of course, that fancy auto chased us nose-first into one. Delilah screamed and cursed when our van fishtailed. I didn’t much mind though, what with paradise in my fingertips. Besides, he hit the face of a burnt out skyskraper while my Delilah managed to scrape us along all its rusted metal and into an empty parking lot. We were safe, no need to get bent out of shape over it. Until our hanger-on got out of his auto, that is. He screamed when he leapt from that tin can, it was almost feral how he howled, and then he booked it for our trunk. I got the go-ahead I wanted; a short nod and a deep grunt, and slipped out the top of our van–the dealer that sold it to us called it a ‘skylight’, said it was made to soak in the suns…and the name felt just about perfect. Unfortunately, while I was slipping under the leech’s vehicle, he was shattering our windows. But with my Delilah at the wheel, that wouldn’t be all that shattered. She had him covered. I, however, was in charge of making sure the lumbering oaf didn't get any further. His pretty little auto slapped hard enough to dent its slick front-end, but it still purred plenty when I dug into it. And plenty more when I high-tailed it back to the passenger's seat before he noticed it driving away without him. "What you have is worth a hundred," he growled at my cackling laughter and stiff finger as we drove off. “’What you have’,” I said, laughing still and turned to Delilah, “if he only knew.” She said nothing, but her bloodied knuckles cracked tighter on the steering wheel. And, well...I kept my mouth shut and my hands off the merchandise after that.

#writeblr #writing whispers #tales of morne #light thieves #open tag

5 notes · View notes

religion-is-a-mental-illness · 1 year

Text

By: Sara Higdon

Published: Apr 8, 2023

We have seen an uptick in violent incidents from the “Trans” activist community. Kellie-Jay Keen was attacked by a mob in New Zealand, Billboard Chris was assaulted at a protest in Vancouver, Alex Stein had hot coffee poured on him in San Francisco, and most recently also in San Francisco, at San Francisco State University Riley Gaines was assaulted and essentially kidnaped by protestors.

This is on top of the number of state capitals that have been stormed in protest of trans related legislation. However, when I see these protests I am noticing that most of the activists don't appear to be trans themselves. They are using the Trans community as a vehicle to push their ideology with zero regard for the backlash that it brings upon actual trans people.

In the video of Riley Gaines' attack, it only appears that one in ten may have identified as such. We can tell this because progressive transgender people don’t try to fit in or blend in, they want you to know they are “trans.” Historically the “T” in LGBT stood for Transsexual. Which was used for those whose goal it is to “pass” and assimilate into society and not bring attention to the fact that we are the opposite sex as we present.

Progressives have been able to change the meaning of the “T”, to commandeer a community that just wants to live their lives in peace, to force their ideology on the world.

Around 2013, the “T” was changed to mean “Transgender.” With the change came a shift from the binary into the world of queer theory. Transexuals live in a binary world, they have gender dysphoria and take the steps to blend into the world as the opposite sex. Transgender is an “umbrella” term that ushered in the notion of non-binary and postmodern theory into an otherwise binary world. The postmodern aspect allowed progressives to then co-opt the “trans” moniker. They can now self-identify into an “oppressed” community, so that officials are afraid to do anything against it, for fear of being called bigots.

Progressives tried to do the same thing with Black Lives Matter (BLM) in the summer of 2020. The issue was that this required convincing the black population to buy into their ideology and do their bidding. When you see the riot videos, a large portion of the assailants were white Antifa members. At the time, they were able to use the fight against Critical Race Theory (CRT) as their recruitment tool. They claimed it was “just teaching history.” The world woke up to their lies, and they had to go a different route; ushering in the push for Queer Theory.

Queer theory and CRT are two sides of the same coin. Both are based in postmodern neomarxist ideology and follow the same tenets. When the “Q” community was able to make “trans/non-binary” something that you can self-ID into, they were able to do the work themselves that they couldn’t convince the black community to do.

Progressives are able to push their ideology through violence, which then gets justified by politicians and mainstream media on the left. With headlines like "Anti-Lia Thomas activist escorted by police amid protest at SFSU," They have somehow convinced these people that it's ok for a male to hit a female as long as that male identifies as a woman, and blame the victim of the assault. They will continue with this strategy until it is no longer working, then they will move on to the next “oppressed minority” to destroy their standing in society.

Further proof that progressives don’t care about the “trans'' community is that they try to silence anyone that doesn't follow their ideology. I have had Antifa try to shut down three events I have taken part in. The last one was a few weeks ago in Pennsylvania. The venue that Chloe Cole (a detransitioner) and I (a transexual woman) were supposed to speak at got accidentally leaked the day prior, and immediately the hotel got phone calls and the local police said they didn’t have the manpower to be able to protect us if they showed up. The venue canceled, but thankfully a church 30 mins away stepped up and hosted with no issues.

Finally, everyone has the right to free speech, whether you disagree with that speech or not. Violence is never justified because you dislike what a person is saying. The only reason a person resorts to violence is because they have no meaningful counter argument.

I happen to agree with Riley Gaines on a lot of issues, and the areas we disagree, are areas where we can work together to come up with reasonable solutions. Violence shuts down the ability to create meaningful change, and only creates division. Prior to the progressive infiltration of the trans community, there were 1.4 million trans people in the United States. Demonizing this entire group because of the actions of the Marxist colonizers is playing into their hands. Those who physically assault others need to be charged. All of those who kidnapped Riley Gaines should be expelled and charged as well. Violence in the name of trans rights should never be tolerated—yet it is advocated for by the progressive left.

This is precisely the reason the canard "words are violence" was created. What it means is, I don't like what you have to say, so I'm entitled to physically assault you, and then we're even. Because your words and my violence are the same.

Personally, I'm not a fan of Sara's use of the word "progressive." I prefer the term "illiberal left."

It's not "progressive" to rehabilitate 1950s stereotypes as "gender identity," or invert MLK Jr's dream of a colorblind society into one that's color-conscious color-obsessed, or medicalize gay kids "straight," or deny both biology and evolution, or lie about the health impacts of obesity, or teaching people they're oppressed and everything is out to get you, or they're oppressors and the world is set up to benefit them at everyone else's expense, or reinstituting segregation, or manipulating words to try and engineer thought, or destroying people's lives for failing to conform to the sensibilities of the ruling class. It's mind-bogglingly regressive.

And it sure isn't "progressive" to abandon the most reliably disadvantaged people - those in abject poverty - in order to conduct identity politics which mostly benefit privileged elites, while looking down on their former base: the working class.

#Sara Higdon #transsexual #gender ideology #queer theory #trans violence #biology denial #religion is a mental illness

14 notes · View notes

pico-digital-studios · 5 months

Text

Into, Across and Beyond! Cast: Wacky the Hedgehog

Created by: danicorelove

(art by SEKittenTail2008 on Deviantart)

"I may not be A Sonic, but I do know I was made with the same passion and care as one, and that, alongside my adventures and friends, are what keep me speeding ahead!"

Wacky is, as her name suggests, a very wacky bootleg hedgehog made back in 1997, by the now-missing Junio Collymore. She was created purely out of Ms. Collymore's love for the Sonic franchise, but her game came out unfinished, due to Junio going missing and the game being cancelled.

Of course, Wacky's AI still remained active, which built its own world out of what was there. Most of these were yet to develop their own personalities, but they could still live in this new land built from the ground up.

Naturally, there's two sides to a Sonic world. One with the good guys, including Wacky, Zane the Fox and Starburst the Hedgehog, and one with their arch-nemesis, Dr. Sunnyside. As the days went on, Wacky and her friends spent their time going on adventures and foiling Sunnyside's plans, which changed when one of Sunnyside's tricks sucked most of the world into a newly-formed portal.

The portal led them to an unofficial copy of Sonic Mania, where their designs changed and Wacky and her friends became taller than they were. In this new world, Wacky was set to go on new adventures to learn more about the world used to build her own, to find her friends, and to stop Dr. Sunnyside from destroying this world.

However, an entity that lurked in the code wound up going through the portal too, desperately searching for a vessel. This entity was known as Bizarro, which secretly hunted Wacky while she continued her adventures and meeting new friends.

Then one day, the entity, which was a sludgy being with a melted body, lunged out at her and plunged into her head, seeping through her skin. She woke up a couple of hours later, though when she tried to open her eyes, she felt something trying to get out, so she kept them shut.

The possession hadn't gone as Bizarro had hoped, with Wacky still in full control of her body. The entity wanted revenge on Ms. Collymore for leaving her unfinished, unaware that she's long gone now. Though Wacky no longer has to keep her eyes shut to keep Bizarro in as of this AU's events, she stayed in the heroine's body due to her being an unrotting vessel. And though the two clearly hate one another, they can work together if necessary.

Before she got involved in things, Wacky even started dating Starburst as her girlfriend, and the incident in the OMT universe forced Bizarro to split from Wacky's body, fully decaying away once she realised she could never have gotten her revenge to begin with. Wacky was also curious about the giant screen in her world's sky, and her sentience seemed to scare anyone who played her game away, which concerned her and made her yearn for companionship from another world.

During More than One Universe, Wacky helps out from the sidelines to get the multiversal threats under control, and becomes a member of the Blur Gang in the aftermath, willing to help her new companions protect their worlds alongside her own. During the story, however, Sonath was heartless enough to taunt her about his plans to use HER world as a proxy to get his plans back into high-gear.

Sonath: You seriously think you'd stand any chance? When I'm through with you, your world will be next! Wacky (immediately losing her goofy demeanour): W-What...? Sonath: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's right, child. Your little bootleg world is just the vehicle I'll be needing to kick myself back into high gear and begin my conquest ALL OVER AGAIN. Wacky was panting in horror, knowing JUST what Sonath was planning. Sonath: I'll make it into a NEW world, where who you were before doesn't matter! Soon, that'll be nothing but a burning me-! He suddenly got strangled by Wacky's hands. Wacky (genuinely furious with her teeth clenched): Shut... She tied his body up in her expandable arms, her hands grabbing either side of his head. Wacky: ...the... She began moving them, causing Sonath to gag as his neck joints were getting damaged. Wacky: ...fucking hell... UP!!!!

The resulting neck snap didn't outright kill Sonath, but it did render him horribly immobile, though it thankfully gave the others time to inject a cure into him, curbing his evil acts permanently. For one of the more goofy characters in the Blur Gang, Wacky still inherits sad clown traits, and genuinely sympathises with OMT!Tails when he mentions the loss of his Sonic and Sally.

"Tails, I... The... The hardest thing about being a hero is... you can't always save everybody."

If you're wondering about the ponytail she sports in her sprite in the character chart post, it's because I had a bit of trouble integrating her long hair and tall height in. In-universe, I'd say it's for keeping her hair from getting too dirty when out in messier combat.

She became a close friend to Hog as well, in part due to both of them being fellow bootleg characters, and they both got a laugh out of their villains' silly names, so that's something. While she doesn't mind Mr. Needlemouse all that much, she does take offence to some of his jokes and tries to defend whoever was the target of said joke, as long as they were nice.

#sonic exe #sonic the hedgehog #spider verse #sth #sonic #sonic fandom #sth au #sonic au #spider man

2 notes · View notes

perfectpaperbluebirds · 8 months

Text

Sicktember #10

Prompt: “The only place we’re going is to the pharmacy.”

Fandom/OCs: CottageVersity OCs (JB and Thalia)

Words: 1910

Sicknario inspo: People who don’t do physical contact from this post and being sick in a vehicle from this post.

Author’s comments/background: Ah my darling Tenbushes. This was the fic I was most looking forward to writing this year. Some of you may have noticed that within the 6, there are three pairs (other than the obvious couples) that are closer friends than with the others. Theo and Padma, Audra and Thad, and JB and Thalia are the “bestie” pairings and I hope to explore these more in the future. This fic is the explanation of how the JB/Thalia pairing came to be, since their temperaments are basically opposite in many ways. But that fact in itself is part of the explanation I suppose. Anyway, these two are super cute and very fond of each other so have a little fic about that, which was an absolute treat to write.

~~~***~~~

Thalia was sick, and JB was pretty sure he was the only one who knew. He felt sorry for her… the timing was terrible, so it was only natural that she was hiding it–blaming her coughing and sniffling on allergies, covering her pale face and hollow eyes with makeup and carrying or wearing a sweater everywhere to keep away the chills.

Thalia had just graduated university, along with two of her first cousins, Miriam and Jeremiah. The three of them had been born in three consecutive months in the same year, attended the same elementary and middle school, and were inseparable as kids. They remained very close through the years, though they had gone to different high schools and universities.

Ever since middle school, the three cousins had been planning and saving for a celebratory trip after their college graduations. They wanted a grand tour of the Midwest to visit their favorite tourist and vacation spots, with Kalahari and Cedar Point in Ohio and a weekend in Chicago as the high points. The kids had done well in University, all graduating with honors, so their families had been happy to help make their dreams come true, though in fact the graduates had saved up the majority of the money on their own. The last week of June was booked for their travels, and they had begged Thad and JB to be their chaperones. The elder cousins had agreed, and in fact were honored to have been asked. The pair in turn goaded Audra into joining them to even out the numbers, and with much eye-rolling, she agreed.

Everything went off without a hitch, and in short it was a wonderful week. In fact, it was everything the cousins had hoped for, as they said more than once. Except now, JB thought to himself, Thalia would have this negative memory of an unfortunate illness on top of the positive ones.

He was thankful for her sake that it was the last night of the trip. She was flagging more and more each day, and really needed at least a day in bed, out of the sun and away from the booze. But the schedule the threesome had been devising for years did not allow for such indulgence, and of course stubborn Thalia would never admit to such weakness, so she had been plugging along as if nothing was wrong. Whatever bug she'd caught would have likely been a simple summer cold if she hadn't been pushing her body to the limit with the rest of them for days. JB was certain from her eyes that she had a fever now, and the careful way she'd been moving recently indicated that it was an achy one. He hadn't said anything, though, knowing that would be the last thing she would want.

It was no wonder she'd willingly taken the back seat of the minivan (a loan from Jeremiah's family) for this last long leg of driving to their final hotel. In the back, she could huddle up in misery without attracting attention. JB knew he would want the same, were he in her shoes. Tonight Audra was at the wheel with Thad in the passenger seat, since he got carsick if he was too far back. Jeremiah and Miriam had claimed the middle chairs to finish a movie they'd been watching together on Miriam's laptop. That left JB and Thalia all the way in the back for the five hour stint.

Thalia had attempted to sleep at first, and he'd left her alone, trying to find a way to position his long legs that wasn't uncomfortable in the cramped quarters as he read his Kindle. Thalia was restless, though, and didn't sleep long. At first she had bunched herself against the window with her legs tucked up, but after less than an hour she woke and shifted to more of a reclining position with her head tilted back and legs stretched out. After that, she turned fully sideways with her legs up on the seat. Then, she turned again to lean forward all the way and rest her head on her hands, which were supported by her knees. The whole time she was hunched tightly into herself, her arms wrapped in a constant hug, and he could feel her shivering even in her sweater. Without a word, he slipped off his own jacket and held it out to her. She hesitated, but took it with a grateful look after a moment, covering herself as she tried to get comfortable yet again.

His heart broke for her as he watched her rotate through variations of these positions again, now with his jacket over her arms and torso, though it didn't seem to be doing her much good. Finally he could bear it no more. He nudged her foot with his to get her attention.

“Hey, you should lean on me for a bit. You might be more comfortable.”

He expected her to refuse, or at least pause and consider it, but she immediately slumped over so her head was in his lap without a word of protest, as if she’d been waiting for such permission to be given. He froze briefly, taken aback. He and Thalia didn’t DO physical contact– with others and especially with each other, not really. Her willingness could only speak to how miserable she must have been. Recovering, he quickly covered her with his jacket again as she tucked her legs up onto the seat. His hand found its way to her back rubbing up and down as he tried to to warm her and help her relax.

“Are you doing okay?” JB asked softly. “I can tell you haven’t been feeling well for a while now.”

“I’m okay,” she mumbled. “Mostly just tired. Ready to be home.”

“I’m sorry your trip has to end this way.”

She made a strange motion, which he belatedly realized was a shrug. “It was fun while it lasted.”

He was sure her throat hurt, at least it sounded like it did, so he was going to leave her be, but she seemed to be in the mood to talk. She continued in a low voice, too low for anyone else in the van to hear:

“I can’t believe I’m done with school. It’s a weird feeling. And I’m already doing my "grownup" job, I have been for a few months. So it’s all kinda anti-climactic.”

“You should be proud of yourself. You did well in school and you're off to a great start in your career.”

“All at the ripe young age of twenty-two.” He wasn’t sure why her tone was sarcastic, almost derogatory. She paused, then continued: “You and Thad were twenty-two when I met you for the first time.”

JB nodded. He remembered. He’d been thinking about that time in his life quite a bit this week, being around these kids. Graduation from university was a weird, memorable time. Figuring out careers, housing, life partners. He had gone on to graduate school and was already with a long-term partner, so he had it easier than most. Still, he’d never forget meeting Thad’s family for the first time the summer after they both graduated with their BBA. The anxiety, the formality. Thalia was only a pre-teen then, still all elbows and knees as a scrawny twelve year old. A tomboy, always running around with the boys in the neighborhood, always wanting to be away from her parents even then. He would never forget the flash of fear in her eyes when she was introduced to him for the first time. He was used to that, of course. As large as he was, he intimidated most people when they first met him. This was his boyfriend’s little sister, though, and he hated the idea that he scared her.

The fear didn’t last long, thankfully. Thalia warmed to him quickly, at least for a middle-schooler. JB was her opposite even back then, reserved where she was exuberant, serious where she was silly. Yet he sensed that she felt relaxed around him. Perhaps around him, she didn’t feel the need to be “on” all the time. That’s what he hoped was the case, anyway.

“I wonder if I’ll ever meet my person. Like you and Thad have,” Thalia said, barely audible.

So that’s what was bothering her. It was understandable, really. Miriam and Jeremiah had their “people”. Miriam was engaged, Jeremiah soon to be so. It was only natural that Thalia was feeling left out and probably lonely.

“Of course you’ll find your person. You are so driven that I have no doubt you’ll achieve whatever you set your mind to, including love.”

“I didn't think love worked that way.”

“Who says it doesn’t? I fully believe if you want something badly enough and are prepared to receive it, the universe or karma or whatever will provide.”

“I thought you were an atheist.”

“I don’t have to believe in any holy being to believe in the power of magnetism. And you have that in spades, hon. If you want love, you’ll find love. Of that I have no doubt.”

“Thanks, JB. I needed to hear that." A pause, then: "I’m glad you’re my brother. I like you better than my actual brothers most of the time.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. She was sleepy and feverish (he was starting to sweat just from her touching him), and he knew he’d probably never hear her speak this way again, but it was sweet to hear regardless, because he knew she was speaking from her heart, without the usual screen of sarcasm.

“Well I’m honored to be your brother. You’re the best sister I could have ever hoped to have.”

A thought occurred to him, and before she could fall asleep, he nudged her to sit up and handed her an unopened bottle of water from beside him. She rolled her eyes but drank a good amount before leaning against him again with a huge yawn, this time with her side pressed against his and her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her against himself since he still felt her shivering.

He really thought she fell asleep after that, but once again she startled him by speaking up a few minutes later:

“The hotel we’re going to has a really great bookstore across the street. That’s why I picked it. Do you think we’ll have time to go browse before we check in?”

“The only place we’re going is to the pharmacy. You need something for that fever. If you’re feeling better tomorrow, then maybe we can talk. Besides, it’ll probably be closed by the time we get there.”

“Not if we go BEFORE we check in, like I said.”

“We’ll see. But pharmacy first.”

Thalia sighed, then nodded. “It’s a deal. As long as you don’t tell them what we’re stopping for.”

“If anyone asks, I’ll tell them I need a laxative. That’ll head off any awkward questions.”

“...do you need a laxative?”

“None of your business. No awkward questions, remember?”

She laughed. “Thanks, JB. You really are the best.”

“You too, kid.”

Minutes later she was dead weight against him, fast asleep, trusting him. He kept his arm around her until they stopped again, knowing that that was what both of them needed.

#sicktember 2023 #skt 2023 #cottageversity au #prompt 10

4 notes · View notes