#You are not less then for having an aid and you are not less then for having a disability

[yyuangss]

MORE GIRL TALK ! ( STAR RAIL MEN )

SUMMARY ! march 7th finds out you like someone. and as your best friend, it’s only right that she has to give her input on whether or not she approves of him.

NOTES ! part one of girl talk (dan heng, caelus, sampo, jing yuan, and argenti). need hoyo to give the biggest girl’s girl they’ve ever created a bff asap. she deserves it after everything she’s been through 🫡 this goes out to that one anon. if you’re reading this, i added a bonus for you <3

TAGS ! reader is not the trailblazer. contains gepard landu, dr. ratio, aventurine, and boothill. possible spoilers for penacony quest in aventurine’s part, tried to keep it very vague and minimal. feelings are mutual on both ends.

march 7th’s thoughts on . . . GEPARD LANDAU !

the biggest mistake you’ve made is telling march you have feelings for the captain of the silvermane guards. because now she’s made herself the conductor of the express, switching course to jarilo-vi, crash landing terribly, and running all the way to serval to ask if gepard has feelings for you. march always assumed there might have been some mutual pinning from gepard’s side. he probably thought he was the best at hiding his feelings, except it didn’t help that he constantly shielded you whenever you were at risk of being at harms way. which in her opinion means he’s willing to protect you no matter what. this trait was very important and she will not let you pass up on that opportunity. according to serval, gepard had already confessed to his sister how he felt towards you and was too shy to admit it. once she confirmed his mutual feelings, serval and march are on matchmaker duty.

march 7th’s thoughts on . . . DR. RATIO !

march does think that ratio is mean and extremely talkative. she also believes him to be selfish. there’s already a negative perception of him in her mind. though, her opinion on him is only based off the first time the express met him. compared to you, she hasn’t gotten the chance to truly know him (not that she really wants to). so, march says her judgement is biased and null in this case. she hears a different side when you’re in her room, telling her all about him and how he’s incorporated you into his very busy schedule. and it’s proven to her whenever ratio boards the express for the sole purposes of visiting you. or he’s arriving at the space station around the same time the express gets there, despite having prior plans made. march is very suspicious how the two of you aren’t dating yet. actions speak louder than words and ratio’s actions make her very impressed.

march 7th’s thoughts on . . . AVENTURINE !

march won’t lie, she has heavy mixed opinions for aventurine and still doubtful of him. it’s possible that the entire astral express would share these mixed opinions if you told one of them. on one hand, she’s grateful for all the help he aided with. had he not been there, you all would’ve never gotten into penacony. she’s surprised to hear you ran into him several times when you were exploring. it’s where you got to know him while he showed you around, taking you to all the best sight seeing locations. aventurine didn’t waste a second to express his interest in you. even after what happened with him before the final battle in penacony, he still showed that same interest. which is why march doesn’t know why you’re wasting time telling her about your feelings towards him when you should be admitting them to aventurine instead. her mixed opinions will still be present. once she gets to know him like you did, they’ll eventually fade and she’ll be less on the weary side.

BONUS !

dan heng’s thoughts on . . . BOOTHILL !

“oh.” is all he says. dan heng is not very vocal, so his expression and body language tell you all you need to know. in this case, a raised eyebrow and a skeptical look forming on his face. he’s not really interested in this type of talk and that’s one of the main reasons. still, as your closest friend, dan heng doesn’t want you to think that you and your feelings aren’t important to him. his quiet demeanor makes him more observant. watching you and boothill interact makes dan heng realize how truly oblivious you are. it’s clear as day that the interstellar cowboy is interested in you. unless he’s the only person who has caught on to the mutual feelings. but there’s no way especially with all the darlin’s and sweetheart’s boothill calls you. either way, in his opinion, you should be with who makes you happy and dan heng won’t stop you from that. will bluntly expose yours and boothill’s attraction if either of you take too long.

#@ 𝐘𝐘𝐔𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐒 ★ ⸻ 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐊𝐀𝐈: 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐋 #honkai star rail fluff #honkai star rail x reader #gepard landau x reader #hsr gepard x reader #dr ratio x reader #dr. ratio x reader #hsr dr ratio x reader #veritas ratio x reader #aventurine x reader #hsr aventurine x reader #star rail x reader #star rail fluff #aventurine fluff #gepard landu fluff #dr ratio fluff #gepard fluff #boothill x reader #boothill x you #hsr boothill x reader #boothill fluff

[cherubify]

thinking abt the differences between puppy and older hybrid leon. (nsfw/minors dni)

for starters, puppy leon's soft and round ears tend to be pinned to his head because you often reprimand him for chasing the neighbour's dog. you have to remind him that while he's a dog hybrid, he's not the same as a non-hybrid like your neighbour's dog so ofc it'd freak out on sight!! also, you have to nag and teach him to put things back where they belong, lecturing him like a mother to keep his closet and room clean and tidy. you took him in mainly because the rpd suggested hiring one– an officer and a hybrid buddy sounded like a good idea for sniffing out narcotics. until recent hybrid laws were established and rendered those plans useless.

sometimes you come home to a mess. he's usually a good boy so you know it's either he's in rut or a cockroach terrorised the pup in your absence. most of the time it's the former and you find him in your bedroom rutting against your sheets, his voice octaves higher in desperate, animalistic whines. you've taught him before to just use his toys, but he always begs you to help him instead cause it feels much better that way. so you find yourself kissing and nuzzling his swollen cock, his knot and engorged tip and all, trying to help him feel better with a release only your hands and lips can assure him.

but sometimes it isn't enough and you find yourself riding the poor pup, just to help him out, y'know? it's not like you enjoy it when he gets a surge of strength and pins your chest down and props your butt up for him. not like you enjoy it when he ruts into you at this angle, where you can feel his tip prod you so deeply, the perfect angle for him to stuff his knot into you until you're a whining mess like him too. it's for your poor pup– you repeat that like a mantra as he slobbers over your neck and shoulder blades when he marks you with enthusiastic bites and kisses.

meanwhile, an older hybrid leon is jaded and a lot less enthusiastic. he was a veteran of sorts, having served higher ups in the government and discarded (well, the adoption papers stated 'retired') once he had served his purpose to the fullest. jagged ears with a tail that barely grew back straight and scars that littered his big frame, you wanted to give him a comfortable, warm home for him. it was a bonus that he grew to be obsessed with you and your protection. always growling, canines flashing at men who smelled the slightest tad off once their eyes laid upon you. arousal was always a foul scent. always adjusted your clothes for you when they showed more skin than he liked.

you could never find a partner, nor hold one for the matter, because leon was always disapproving with teeth glinting and ears flattened against his head. so naturally you'd have his help; let his saliva pool over your throbbing cunt as he aids his poor owner in relieving her sexual frustrations. he's unexperienced, clearly doesn't know what he's doing– but it feels good with his warm tongue flattened against your clit, licking and licking until you scream his name the way your voice pitches at the last syllable.

older hybrid leon doesn't like rushing, he's not an eager puppy anymore, but your scent has him rutting against your sloppy folds like he's a young hybrid again. and when he finally slips his fat cock into you, you can't help but wrap your shaky legs around his scarred waist, clawing and begging like the animal you truly are. you're blissed out even before he stuffs his knot into you, brain mushy when his warmth floods your depths with his spent that you'll struggle to sweat out for weeks. at least he tries to clean you up by licking his mess off you. oh, and it's no surprise that he loves the scent of your arousal. because it's sweet, just like you are, even to a scary hybrid like him.

#resident evil #resident evil smut #leon s kennedy #leon kennedy #re leon kennedy #leon s kennedy smut #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy hybrid #re2r leon #re4r leon #older leon kennedy #re6 leon #cw: smut #cw: hybrid #cw: knotting #minors dni #leon kennedy hcs #resident evil hcs

[tsukimara]

𝙷𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛?𔓘

➸ "Forever together" Masterlist (Important)

➸ A silent voice / Koe no katachi AU

➸ Warning: Bullying, death wish, overthinking (?), anxiety.

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➸ Chapter 3

Scaramouche immediately pulled his hand away from her, a small blush on his face. She didn't know why he reacted like that, she just wanted to be friends with him.

"What's your problem?!" — Heizou noticed the small blush on Scaramouche's cheeks and started to laugh quietly at him but got a sharp look from Scaramouche to shut up. He looked at her again and then she saw him take her notebook and throw it into the water nearby.

"Scara, was it really necessary-" — Scaramouche interrupted Kazuha — "Let's just go." — But as they were about to go, they heard the splash of water, and as they turned around, they saw her trying to find her notebook. Scaramouche started laughing at her but she still tried to find her notebook without giving up.

Scaramouche saw nothing wrong with bullying her. After all, it was her fault for ruining the entire atmosphere in the classroom, if it weren't for her, everything would be the same as before. This gave him satisfaction.

Until.

"Class, we would like to discuss something with you that is very important, that's why the principal is here." — Said Mr. Ragnvindr who had his arms crossed which showed he was not in a mood. The principal cleared his throat and began to speak — "This is about [ Name ] [ Last Name ] who, as you can see, is not with us here today. Yesterday we received a call from [ Name ]'s father. [ Name ]'s hearing aids have been broken or gone missing. Hearing aids are very expensive. Her father believes [ Name ] is being bullied." — There was silence in the class — "If any of you have seen [ Name ] being harassed or abused at school, I need you to tell me who is doing it. If no one says anything, unfortunately I will have to call your parents."

Scaramouche moved his leg nervously, he didn't even know why he was reacting like that. He noticed his hand shaking on the desk, he knew he had to tell the truth but was he sure? If he counted all the hearing aids he had destroyed, he knew his mother might even be short of money.

"This is a really serious matter and the school does not accept bullying-" "Raiden!" — The shout of his name brought him back to earth as he quickly stood up. Mr. Ragnvindr frowned at him, he tried to look less nervous but failed miserably.

"Now Megistus, you're sitting right next to him, what have you seen?" — Mona was a bit surprised when the teacher involved her in this, she didn't want to get in trouble, so she cleared her throat nervously — "Well, it's kind of true, he does tease her a little uhh like he makes fun of her." — Scara looked at her in disbelief. It's true what she said, but he didn't think she would say it and she didn't say it either, that she was talking behind her back.

"And Kaedehara?"

Kazuha was Scaramouche's best friend, he didn't want him to get in trouble but he also couldn't lie, what he did to [ Name ] was truly cruel. He felt guilty for not doing anything, so he looked away so as not to meet Scaramouche's gaze, who probably thought he would support him in this matter.

"It's... True."

Scaramouche couldn't believe what he heard — "What? It's not fair! You all made fun of her too! Everyone did it! I swear it's true! Especially Mona and Sucrose!" — When he finished, Sucrose suddenly started crying. She took off her glasses to wipe away the tears that were falling.

"That's mean... I would never do anything like that. How... How could you say something like that...?" — The entire class started whispering and some even looked at Scaramouche with furious expressions for making Sucrose cry. Why was everyone looking at him like that? It wasn't just his fault! Why did everyone blame only him and not the rest?! Why?!

From that day on, his 'friends' turned away from him. Most of them looked at him in disgust for what he had done. That's why he's sitting in dirty water now, because he was pushed in, a soaked school bag with books is lying next to him, some of them even fell completely into the water, and one was on his head. He saw his 'friends' walk away, not wanting to have anything to do with him today. Reluctantly, he started to take his books out of the water when suddenly he saw a notebook, but it wasn't his, and when he opened it, he saw a signature.

6-2 [ Name ] [ Last Name ]

So this was her notebook, huh? He thought she took it out. He started looking through her notebook, the first few pages had many nice words written on them, such as 'good luck' , 'you look nice' and others. Turning to the next pages, he saw that people were no longer writing nice things, on the contrary. They were also annoyed that they had to keep helping her and she only replied 'I'm sorry'. He shook his head, not believing that he had read it, like it or not, he took the notebook and headed towards his house. He was soaked and especially today he wanted to avoid his mother, so he discreetly entered the house, when he thought he had succeeded, he suddenly heard her.

"Kunikuzushi!" — But he completely ignored her as he climbed the stairs — "Come back here! I'm talking to you!" — She followed him, not wanting to leave him alone when the school called her and informed her about everything

"Kunikuzushi. They called from school...wait a minute, why are you so wet?" — Scaramouche had his back to her, but she could see water dripping from him and his school bag.

"Leave me alone. I jumped in the river like always." — He wanted to go to his room and never come out again, but his mother wouldn't leave him alone, continuing the conversation — "Have you been causing trouble at school?"

"No..."

"Then why did I get a call from your teacher this afternoon?"

"Okay fine! It's true!" — Scaramouche couldn't stand it anymore and yelled, looking into her eyes. He saw in her eyes that she was disappointed. He no longer had the strength to explain himself to her.

"Get cleaned up, We're going to [ Last Name ]." — With that, she left and he just tightened his grip on [ Name ] notebook.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Scaramouche sat in the back of the car watching out the window as his mother took the bank's money, he frowned when he noticed how much his mother had taken. Then they arrived at the place where [ Name ]'s father was waiting for them, he didn't look angry but he didn't look calm either. He had long white hair that reached down to his waist, pale skin and dark blue eyes that could kill with just one look, or at least that's what he felt. Leaning against the car, he saw his mother handing money to [ Name ]'s father. Scaramouche couldn't read his expression as to what he was thinking now, it was still the same. His mother waved at him and left with [ Name ]'s father, who frowned as he looked at Scara, making him shiver a little.

He knew it would take some time so he decided to walk around the area. While walking, he noticed a staircase going down so he went down but suddenly stopped when he saw [ Name ]. She was sitting on a bench feeding pigeons with bread, she didn't even realize he was standing there. What was she doing here?! Not wanting to be noticed, he quickly hid behind a column. He wanted to walk behind her, but he accidentally tripped over the uneven sidewalk, causing the pigeons to get scared and fly away.

"What are you looking at?!" — Scaramouche quickly ran towards the steps to the bridge. He didn't expect her here, he thought her father came here without her. Panting, he placed his hands on his knees as he reached the bridge. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her again, but she wasn't alone, but with her father this time. He wanted to say he was sorry but his ego wouldn't let him and why should he be the only one apologizing? Her father looked him up and down.

"What a vulgar face... Just like your mother's." — Her father started to lead her to the car when he said this. She didn't know what he said so she just smiled and Scaramouche clenched his fist when he heard it. They are comparing him to his mother again.

"Let's go home, Kuni." — He scoffed when he heard how she called him but didn't add anything else. This day was hard and exhausting for him, he preferred not to have another argument with his mother. He thought everything would be back to normal tomorrow, but he was wrong.

The next day at school, when he was about to change his shoes, he saw that they had pins in them, just like he did to [ Name ]...

After she came.

His friends changed.

He changed.

They used to get along so well.

He got hit in the head with the ball from his 'friends', just like he did to [ Name ] ...

It's all her fault.

His shoes were thrown into the garbage, just like he did to [ Name ]...

[ Name ] [ Last Name ].

They took his school bag and threw all his stuff on the ground, just like he did to [ Name ]...

He hates her.

He was doused with a garden hose, just like he did to [ Name ]...

HE HATES HER.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by [ Name ] who crouched down next to him and started picking up his things that were scattered around. When she noticed that he was looking at her, she smiled, which irritated him and he sharply grabbed his things from her.

"Get your hands off my stuff! Go away!" — He didn't want HER to help him. He didn't want any of HER help. He didn't want HER to feel sorry for him. He wasn't like HER. She didn't know what to do, so she decided to leave when she saw him herding her with his hand. She just wanted to help him.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

"Gone?!" — Scaramouche whispered to himself when he noticed his shoes were missing. He was furious but chose to ignore it. After all, he wanted this life, right? It's not boring anymore...

Every day something had to happen. He couldn't sit in the classroom because his chair disappeared several times, and while cleaning, others dropped dirt on him, saying it was an accident and his shoes often disappeared.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

"You lost your shoes again?" — Ei asked him as they were eating dinner and his sister was sitting across from him — "Yeah, I lost them in the river."

He noticed his mother frowning, not really believing him, but he didn't want to show that he was weak — "Do you want me to talk to your teacher?" — What did she care anyway? — "About what?"

"About your shoes..." — Scaramouche rolled his eyes and scoffs — " I told you I lost them in the river!" — Ei just sighed and went back to eating. She hoped he really lost his shoes in the river and not because of something else.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

While going to school, he started thinking about the words his teacher once told him. 'Your responsibility...' It kept going through his mind over and over again, and he started to notice that he was walking with his head in the clouds. which hadn't happened to him before. What's happening to him?

After putting on a new pair of shoes, he walked towards his classroom with his hands in his pockets. As he was about to enter the room, he noticed [ Name ] soaking a cloth and wiping the words off her desk? She's still being bullied? Sucks to be her... Wait, no. That was his desk...

Unexpectedly, he moved her away from his desk, which had many things written on it, but what stood out the most was the large "DIE" written in the middle... So they wanted his dead...? He stared blankly at the sign and then his attention was caught by the fresh flowers on the windowsill, which [ Name ] probably brought. Did that mean she came here every morning and erased the writing on his desk?

Stupid girl.

He felt her put a hand on his shoulder but he moved away from her. She's stupid. Why did she do it? Why did she remove them? He treated her badly!

"Get out!" — He exclaimed in her face as she held the cloth she was wiping his desk close to her, he knew she couldn't hear me so he showed her the door with his finger, she just nodded slowly and left the classroom. He was alone now, the silence squeaking uncomfortably in his ears as he rested his hands on his desk. She really pisses him off! He felt his tears wanting to fall so he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve, his stomach turning around from the stress.

[ Name ] [ Last Name ]

He hated her...

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➸ Sorry it's short, but I'm often busy right now. I think that after June 18, I'll be able to write more often :D

➸ And in the next chapter they will be older.

➸ Umm I don't know why I can't tag two people- (I will try later again)

➸ Have a good night or day! 🫶

(⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ TAGLIST — @leafyaa , @luvkvni , @sayakaskokofish , @sketcheeee , @featuredtofu , @fallenisded , @skyvella , @mimiemie , @enjisthings , @xxrexx , @ylapsha45 , @shonoko-en , @blacky-rose , @0kauy , @vernith , @riinstar , @sl-vega ,

Red = I can't tag you

#⁀➴tsukimara #scaramouche x reader #wanderer x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #scaramouche x you #wanderer x you #genshin impact x you #scara x reader #scaramouche x deaf!reader #wanderer x deaf!reader #x reader #wanderer #scaramouche #genshin impact #⁀➴Genshin Impact #⁀➴A silent voice

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

feel like…. some, even doctors, not realize.. when you multiply & severely disabled, your existing symptoms (from another disorder n disability) may mask new symptoms.. either mask severity or mask symptom altogether

or, accommodation & aid used for existing symptoms/disability, also help for new symptoms, so new symptoms less obvious less outward debilitating compare to others with similar symptoms

for example.

am full time wheelchair user with powered mobility device in some way (powerchair and power assist manual)… when breathing difficulties started, mild in comparison to what could be, but disruptive to everyday… but because not exert much, not need do much to move because wheelchair with power. not as outward disruptive looking as someone same breathing difficulties but walking everyday (so exerting). so doctors didn’t really have sense urgency, even though new symptom not match existing disability

am nonverbal. all the time. but able make noises n grunts, quite expressive, is very important way communicate of mine. but recently notice, those quieter, not on purpose. n harder than usual. paired with other new symptoms, think something new unrelated going on. but, where even start assess for this? all usual signs & symptoms checklist n assessment of stuff like dysarthria, is on people with at least some level verbal speaking abilities. not someone who already nonverbal.

#truly collecting all speech communication diagnoses huh #disability #severe disability #loaf screm #severely disabled #multiply disabled

[hiraeth-sonder]

Want Nothing More

Jiyan x Reader

A quiet moment away, a reunion and a revelation long foreseen

//He finally came home it only took my sanity. Very short little decently written fic, maybe OOC also some maybe spoilers for his story quest??? Also maybe I got stuff wrong idk, this isn't beta read so like eh

The greater world is often far wider than the humble confines of a small village, much less one so tucked away. Since facing an injury that rendered you almost entirely incapable of returning to the frontlines, you quietly returned to Taoyuan Vile with hefty compensation and an arm that could not even be lifted. 

Life becomes oddly quiet, with barely any danger to hold arms against nor a proper purpose back home, you take to helping in the village’s pharmacy as some way to bring order back into your daily routine. You are given more delicate work, pressing and drying herbs, sorting them for use, dealing with customers and aiding with deliveries. With the opportunity to provide, to give back, it became a sort of pride for how quick you could pick up the routine. 

It works for a while, yet with this new direction, you are gradually reminded of a certain someone from all those years ago. 

That boy who smelled like medicinal herbs and eyes like stars, whose face scrunched from displease whenever he caught a taste of bittberries in his food, the boy who certainly has found his path beyond medicine. There are times you blink and before you is not the current reality of him, but rather the little boy who somehow managed to find time to spend with you no matter his duties. 

Memories of stolen moments, of forcing him to rest after his sending condolences to grieving family, of exercising his natural medical ability. You were younger then, with limbs like sticks and hair that stuck to your face, yet that did not discourage you from doing what you could for your friend. 

You wonder how he is doing nowadays, you haven’t seen him since the day you got discharged after all. 

One can only imagine your surprise when through falling pink petals and the light breeze of the wind, he appears as he did all those years ago. Still the pillar of calm and decisiveness, he looked a tad out of place compared to the lively and enthusiastic crowd of teams. By his side was a dark haired individual, looking just a little less out of place, and when two other rangers approached them, a small huff escaped you. 

A repeat of that last game, who would have known that the general’s second game would have him recreating the circumstances of his first. If only with a few minor differences. 

By the time the revelry and chaos dies down, the sun has long since fallen beyond the horizon. Many of the villagers are still out celebrating as the tapestry of stars stretches far past what your eyes can see. Having made the venture to the great tree that stands atop the mountain, you notice a familiar form already standing there. Beneath falling petals and illuminated by the moon’s grace, that young boy of the past has become your stalwart general. 

With heavy steps, you approach him, yet stop just a few steps before his side, sitting down on the grass as you overlook the little lights of the village. He clearly notices your presence, sitting curtly, leaving an arm’s distance between your two forms. 

“I didn’t think you’d take part again,” You hum, keeping your eyes away from his as you maintain your focus ahead of you. 

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” He shakes his head, his lips move to open just the slightest, as if wishing to say more yet unable to muster the words to say so, still they close. Jiyan manages to breathe out, “It's been a while.”

You swallow, an action that seems oddly difficult, “It has.”

As you finally muster the courage to turn towards him, you notice how his gaze seems to consider your inept arm. Perhaps a few years ago, you would have despised the way he looks at it, knowing that people only look because of pity. Nonetheless, you instinctively press that arm against you, your other hand raising to hold it. 

He furrows his brow just the slightest, and in a tone so soft you must strain to hear, “I wanted to apologise for not doing more for you.”

“You’ve already done so much.” Sighing, a breath escapes you as you meet his eyes. You move closer towards him, shifting so that hand of yours, that arm that could barely lift a basket, could rest atop his arm. 

Your voice cracks just the slightest, even after all this time you never manage to thank him for everything he has done for you. The compensation was far too generous for an ordinary ranger such as yourself, the immediate and efficient care you received as rehabilitation, the bundle of Pecok flowers you would see upon every morning’s awakening. You only hoped you could give him something back in return, “An arm is just an arm, if you hadn’t acted as quick as you did, maybe I would’ve lost more than that.”

Jiyan looked no more than the young man he is, in such familiar settings and under such familiar straits. Sword straight brows and the soft quirk of his lips, he never truly changed from that young boy. Your eyes trail further down, to his squared shoulders and staunch chest, how they maintain rigid and perfect poise. 

Another sigh escapes you, “You’re not at work, won’t you at least untense your shoulders?”

“I’m sorry, there has been a lot going on and I didn’t think I’d end up staying here so long.”

“Don’t apologise,” You smile, then pat your lap with your hand. Sending him a nonplussed look, you can all but see the gears in his head, you can only laugh, “Humour me then.”

He does not move, his eyes widening just the slightest that to anyone else, they might have missed his brief moment of shock. You have not asked him to rest in such a manner for years, perhaps the last time was over a decade ago, so you do not blame him. Still, perhaps it was the nostalgia, perhaps it was the unveiling of sentiment, but a familiar sense of easiness takes over. 

“Come on, don’t tell me great and mighty General Jiyan is too good for a break?” You raise a brow, easy teasing falling from your lips. 

He is quick to deny your quip, “I never said that.” And with at first hesitancy in his very form, he finally tentatively lays his head on your lap. 

The weight brings about old memories, and old feelings. How old were you when you realised that Jiyan, friend as he is, was worth far more than that to you? How old were you when you started looking forward to his little breaks just to catch a glimpse of him? 

You loved him, of course you did. Who does not love their friends?

Yet this love of yours is one that is aged, one that has matured into contentment for what you had. Even as you spend your days in Taoyuan Vile, the little parts of him you see among the crooks and crannies of white walls and verdant greenery, it is enough for you. So even when he lays in your lap and closes his eyes as he did all those years ago, you are happy with what you have. 

“You know, when we were younger, I used to have to convince you to rest whenever we managed to get away,” More akin to reminiscing seniors, you brush away his bangs away from his face with a gentle flick. 

“Even then you were so hardworking,” You murmur. 

He responds, just as quietly as your recollection, “That should be expected, I was working even then.”

“I think it was when I saw how peaceful you looked while sleeping that I realised I liked you,” Humming, you close your eyes as the wind breezes past your cheek. 

As though realising what you said, a warm flush pools at the tips of your ears as you accidentally meet his eyes, “Ah…”

“Guess I said too much huh?” You laugh, the sound carried by the gentle wind. “Ignore me, I’m just saying things.”

In a rare moment of vulnerability, Jiyan reaches for you, his hand raised to keep you from looking away. Though he remains, those golden eyes tipped with scarlet bear an emotion you never thought he would hold. With just one look, just one action, he renders you incapable of moving to defend yourself. 

He mutters, voice tinged with just the hint of languish, “After all these years, you’re still unwilling to tell me things.”

“Would you have wanted me to tell you?” With a raised brow, you cock your head, leaning into his palm incidentally. 

“Yes.”

And that contentment, the placidity that came with the distance and time between the two of you, crumbles. For your love, a sentiment you have nurtured into something that can be tucked away, is still one that yearns for response. For his love, is one just as aged as yours, just as willing to sit in contentment and placidity. Years and years of pining that soon bred a seed of tranquillity, quietly sitting within the soil just waiting for that push to bloom. 

With a soft smile, so like that boy’s and so befitting your beloved general’s visage, he avows the second half of a confession brazenly said, “Because it was when I laid in your lap that I realised that I liked you too.”

#wuthering waves #wuwa #wuwa jiyan #wuwa x reader #jiyan wuthering waves #jiyan x reader

[shaunashipman]

https://www.tumblr.com/maygrcnt/751843746099904512/exactly-right-about-the-jealous-and-bothered

saw this floating around twitter and then found it on here. this makes absolutely no sense when you consider that buck literally met ALL of them because he’s a firefighter lmao. he literally wouldn’t have met any of them and therefore never started a relationship with any of them, if he wasn’t a firefighter. he didn’t actively seek Taylor out simply because she was a reporter- they met through his line of work, while he was rescuing her. sure her work becomes part of how she’s further integrated into the story but if we’re being technical, they met because he’s a firefighter and this is a firefighter show. same with ali -> rescued her (with Eddie mostly being the one to rescue her actually) and same with natalia (less rescue more aided her but all the same). he didn’t actively seek out a death doula, he happened to meet one because of his work. He didn’t seek out Ali because she was a fan of his firefighting - he met her because of work. Also even more technically, they ALL met because of work. Buck met Taylor while he was rescuing her (aka doing his job) and while she needed to be rescued at/from her work situation. Buck met Ali while rescuing her while she was doing her job/at work before the earthquake. Buck met Natalia while she was doing her job. They all met because they were doing their jobs.

And same with tommy. They met while they were both doing their jobs (well, more like a rogue mission lol), but essentially buck also meets him through firefighting aka his job because it’s a firefighter show!

the actual difference if we’re counting narrative differences or similarities here is that tommy is the only one who he didn’t rescue and they weren’t on an “official” job. Tommy was part of the rescuing team alongside hen, chim, eddie, and buck.

also before anyone claims misogyny because I know peopel will, I’m not saying the way he met his ex girlfriends was invalid because it’s all valid. All I’m saying is he met every single LI including tommy because he’s a firefighter/through his line of work and it’s that simple.

the reason he started a relationship with each one of them? Also the same -> because he was/is attracted to each of them (although possibly in the case of Natalia it was more so searching answers for about death mixed with attraction). BT didn’t start their relationship bc Taylor was a reporter and Buck and Ali didn’t start their relationship bc ali thought firefighters do dangerous work!

And Tommy and Buck DID NOT get together because of Eddie and because of jealousy whatever the fuck that means. They got together because buck and tommy were attracted to each other and developed crushes that have increased as time has went on.

nonny you are exactly right that this makes no sense. you can't say he met ali because he was firefighter, and then ignore that that's literally how he met all the others. hell, it's also how he met eddie like. i also notice that there's no mention of abby here, one of the most significant of his relationships. is that cause they couldn't force it into their little theory?

and for the last fucking time, buck and tommy did not get together because of eddie. buck called tommy up, asked for the tour, was flirting and asking him out for a drink before eddie was even a factor. if eddie hadn't shown up, they would have gone for that beer, talked more, and tommy would have either made his move that night, or on another night, because they definitely would have gotten together again.

buck is interested in tommy. he thinks tommy is cool, and hot, and interesting. and he thinks all of that with absolutely zero relation to eddie

#cleo gets mail #anonymous #911 #911 critical #bucktommy #evan buckley #anti buddie #for some reason this just made me unspeakably angry #like at this point i don't even want eddie involved in any bucktommy scenes plotlines #just keep him completely separate #which will just give them a different kind of ammunition #but whatever #delusional fucks

[cripplecharacters]

Hello, I have a question. In one of my projects, set in a vaguely 1600s fantasy pirate setting, one of my characters starts out as a burn survivor, with a large burn on her cheek.

She wears a scarf initially to protect the burn from the salt air as well as some self esteem issues, however I don’t want to fall into the masked burn survivor trope, or have a self-hating disabled character.

If it helps, over the course of the story she gets access to hydrating salves and stops needing the scarf as she grows to accept her facial difference.

Thank you for your time, and for all the help you give to us!

Hi!

I think protecting a burn scar from salt is smart. It also could help with the sun-related issues. However, the scarf should be of an appropriate material - a rough texture would only irritate and scratch it, which causes even more problems. If you mention that, or show the process of her choosing something that works for her from that angle, I think it would be much more of a "medical device" and less of a "hiding disability".

It's important to discuss why she has the self-esteem issues. Don't make it into a "Duh, obviously someone with a facial difference would have low self-esteem, just look at them!" which I constantly see.

Was she bullied or harassed over being disabled?

Is she traumatized from experiencing abuse or aggression? Does she fear that being visibly disabled will make her a target for violence again?

Was there a particular person who made her feel that way, like a parent or a "friend" that influenced her view of herself?

Was society around her lacking examples of happy burn survivors, so she assumed that she can't be happy either?

Make it clear why she feels that way, and don't make the narrative frame her facial difference as the root problem. The problem should be the thing that caused her to feel insecure. It's the same as the fact that mobility aids aren't a problem, inaccessibility is - at least that's how I look at it as someone who has an FD and uses a mobility aid.

This is by no means disability-specific, but look out for tragedy porn. Even if she has had bad experiences, I guarantee you that she had happy ones as well. In her case, maybe she met the funniest girl ever at the 1600s fantasy pirate burn unit, maybe the doctor who treated her helped her discover a new hobby while she was stuck in bed. Her backstory shouldn't boil down to "happy (abled) life, then the Accident, then horrible (disabled) life". That'd be a very hurtful message to send.

I do appreciate that she gets character development around her facial difference. I will say that this internal change often comes from seeing other disabled people thrive, being proud, shown as beautiful and valuable, etc. Representation is important in stories, even in-universe. This was certainly the case for me, and is the reason why now I'm so loud about including happy and positive people with facial differences everywhere. This stuff doesn't exist in a vacuum, you're affecting how people see themselves. It also leads me to my last, probably comically predictable point, which is...

Add more burn survivors, or at least characters with other facial differences, into the story. Preferably ones that have the low self-esteem either far behind them or haven't struggled with it in general (we exist). They don't have to be major characters but even just mentioned; e.g. your character thinking about other survivors she met in the place that treated her burns, or her seeing people with visible facial differences out and about and it making her think about why she even hides hers, etc. In short - don't make shame seem like the default reaction to having a facial difference, because it isn't.

I hope this helps!

mod Sasza

#mod sasza #potatolordofficial #tw ableism #disfiguremisia #burn survivor representation #face difference

[luxudus]

Merfolk in the Trail of Cryptids (for @jennywolfgal)

woah hey i wasnt expecting to have participated in mermay bet here i am now. This is for @jennywolfgal and her project the Trail of Cryptids which i talked about awhile ago with her dragons. enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another group of species endemic to this alternate earth are the legendary Merfolk. Trident wielding Half-man half-fish people of the sea of the myths in our world. The merfolk here aren’t humans or hominids, nor are they even great apes. But instead they are a sister-clade of the family Cebidae. They are related to the Capuchin monkeys of central and south America.

They split off 10 million years ago with a similar evolutionary history to the cetaceans. Allowing an evolution of similar extremeness akin to the time between Pakicetus and Dorudon.

Icthypithicids contain a variety of aquatic monkey species. True merfolk belong in the genus Meralosapiens. With some species inhabiting the mediteranean, coast of east Europe, and their ancestral ground the Caribbean with a leaner build adorned in less fat.

To start off physically, They are like Cetaceans, kind of. their tail extended to an extreme degree to swim. Unlike cetaceans and like some ancient artwork of mermaids of our earth. Their legs still remain useful to swim and hold onto partners. Their arms freed up, remain as manipulators. They remain folded to reduce drag. Which lets them hold onto large objects and young merfolk when breastfeeding.

Uniquely they have a full head of hair like humans in spite of the drag created. This hair is maintained and kept healthy through grooming with the aid of two serrated claws on the lower half of their hand. Their teeth are tipped with canines and slowly become more trident shaped further back. Which they use to flush water out of their mouth. And Lastly their nostrils can completely close like a seal, and are at the very front of the face to ensure they breach the water first.

Ecologically, they are mostly carnivorous. They eat a wide array of fish, squid, and other small marine life. They take a particular liking to seaweeds and copepods, which they use their trident teeth to filter them out of the water. They take so much of a liking to copepods they will even follow their vertical migration.

They are quite social and live in family pods. Like mentioned earlier they will groom each other to strengthen social bonds. While most Icthypithicids are comparable in intelligence to their capuchin cousins. Meralaosapiens are fully sophont organisms that have the capacity for understanding and creating art and complex language. Technologically they are comparable to neolithic humans. Most populations use stone tools or other organisms slightly bred for more cooperation, living tools if you will. While other populations scavenge for more advanced tools left behind by humans.

Overall they are neutral to humans. Often keeping their distance or outright hiding from humans. Some more aggressive merfolk will attack or even hunt humans as a source of preyluring them in with their locks of hair. Which is believed to have arisen from a few merfolk cultures going through famine and growing desperate for food, eventually looking to their cousins beyond the water.

And of course there are others naturally curious of their terrestrial relatives and will frequently come up to human divers, even attempting to communicate with them. The future is uncertain, but hopefully the humanity of this earth will treat these people with respect and maybe even lend them a hand.

#my art #artist on tumblr #art #speculative biology #worldbuilding #mermay #merfolk #mermaid #mermaid art #mermay 2024 #cryptozoology

[fidoughfaunus]

So a romantic partner and I were talking about my disabilities, chronic pain, and my excitement for a mobility aid. He mentioned that it was weird that I had been in pain so much lately, and I said something like, “weird for you, but my normal. Welcome to being disabled!”

To which he replied “for now.” He was very, very insistent I wouldn’t be disabled forever.

I didn’t know why but it made me so, so angry. When I tried to tell him no, my issues are degenerative and lifelong, genetic with no cure, he basically said he refuses to accept that to be “optimistic.” He got mad when I pushed back that he needed to mitigate his expectations because I’m working really hard on acceptance so I don’t push myself too hard and hurt myself more (which I 100% have been doing.)

My guy/gal/person/whatever: if you cannot accept me disabled, I am going to assume you can’t accept me in my entirety. Sure, I get being hopeful about new therapies and treatments - I always am! - but there is a point you need to accept that pain is a part of my life. Disability is part of my life. Sometimes those things are small, sometimes you can’t ignore them. There are plenty of days I’m walking around and seem fine, sure, but that’s only because people don’t see the aftermath. The pain management, the chronic fatigue, the fainting. People don’t see me on my bad days because I’m *not able to leave my apartment*. Not to pull a cliche, but if you can’t love me just as enthusiastically on my days when I can’t get out of bed from pain, you don’t deserve me on my days when I can walk around the store for 30 minutes and maybe do some craft projects.

More importantly, I tend to trust you less to help me on the former days if you can’t accept my disability for what it is and meet me where I’m at.

It’s taken me a long time to accept my pain and disability, a lot longer than I’d like to admit. While I do not love my pain and limitations and don’t pretend to, they are part of me. I don’t expect other people to love them, but I do need others to accept them.

My walker doesn’t mean an end to fun days with my friends on the Terrace splitting a pitcher of beer, it means more of them. Accepting my disability doesn’t mean rolling over and rotting, it means working with what I can do to make the most of my life. Accepting pain doesn’t mean I let it rule me, it means I do things to avoid triggers while still living my life. Limitations don’t mean I can’t do anything ever, sometimes it just means getting creative in how I do things (and I am aware how privileged I am to make that statement, because other disabilities or my current without needed support would be much more devastating.)

Disabled is not a bad word.

#rivkah irl #disability #chronic pain #heds #chronic illness #chronic fatigue #disability pride #invisible disability #disability awareness #disability acceptance #pain acceptance #relationships #actually disabled #mobility aid

[girlactionfigure]

🟣 Thu morning  - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

▪️MIN. OF HOUSING BOOTS UNRWA.. The Ministry of Housing has been ignoring UNRWA failing to pay for use of their Jerusalem facility as well as making illegal changes to the property.  The Ministry, at instruction of Minister GoldKnopf, has now given UNRWA 30 days to vacate the premises as well as demanding back payments of over NIS 7 million.

▪️AUSTRALIA VOTES AGAINST PALESTINIAN STATE.. recognition, 80 to 5.

▪️AFTER THE BAT HEFER SHOOTING.. the IDF informed the mayor of a reduction in the reserve force of the standby-alert squad for the town.  The IDF similarly has been reducing the size of the reserves in standby squads in near-Gaza towns.  ???

▪️TULKARM TERRORISTS SAY THEY INFILTRATED AND TRIED TO KILL AN OFFICER.. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Battalions of the Fatah in Tulkarm claim in a proclamation: “Our operatives infiltrated a house in the settlement of Bat Hefer with the aim of eliminating an officer.”  But nicely didn’t slaughter the wife and children when the officer wasn’t found (their words, more or less).

IDF: there was no intrusion into Bat Hefer.

▪️AID LIES.. Samantha Power, head of the US Agency for International Development USAID: Our humanitarian partners working in Gaza tell us that conditions are worse now than ever before. (( And you, of course, believed them and repeat their words with no evidence because JOOOOOOS bad? ))

▪️TRAVEL TO ISRAEL - THE NEW AUTHORIZATION THING..

Israel introduces a new electronic travel authorization (ETA) system for visitors from visa-exempt countries, similar to the US ESTA. 

Visitors from countries that do not require visas to enter Israel will be required to obtain an ETA before boarding a flight to Israel. An ETA will be valid for two years, and allows the holder to enter Israel multiple times. Fee: NIS 25 (approx. US $7).

Israeli citizens, non-citizens with a Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID), and student visa holders are exempt.

Starts June 1 for US & German passport holders.  Mandatory after Aug. 1.

Issued within 72 hours, though it may arrive in a few hours. 

A person can apply any time, you don’t have to be traveling right now.

Apply here -> https://israel-entry.piba.gov.il/

▪️3 HERO SOLDIERS HAVE FALLEN.. two from an attack in Samaria, one in combat in Gaza.  Yedidya Azugi, 21, from Revava, Eliya Hilel, 20, from Tel Tziyon, and Diego Shvisha Harsaj, from Tel Aviv.  May their families be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d avenge their blood!

▪️SWEARING IN.. of the latest Paratrooper trainees at the Kotel last night.  Did you know that included a charedi paratrooper combat brigade?

▪️IRAN LEADER TO US STUDENTS.. at US universities: "Now you are part of the resistance front. You have inspired the rest of the world to act against Israel.”

▪️POLICE STOPPED STOLEN WATERMELONS?  An overloaded vehicle was stopped by Emek Ma’aina, filled to overflowing with watermelons.  Resident of Nazareth suspected of theft of watermelons worth approx. NIS 3,000 (about $815) along with severely unsafe overloaded vehicle.  Mass watermelon theft, who knew?

▪️JERUSALEM PRIDE PARADE.. today at 15:30, expect city traffic disruptions.  Refocused on theme “Born to be free” with a call for return of the hostages.

⭕ HAMAS Rockets at Nirim.

⭕ HEZBOLLAH Suicide Drones at south Golan: Avnei Eitan, Eliad, Afik, Bnei Yehuda and Givat Yoav, Gshur, Haspin, Kfar Haruv, Mevo Hama, Metzar, Neot Golan, Nov, Natur, Ramat Magshimim, Bnei Yehuda Industrial Zone 

⭕ HOUTHI RED SEA ACTIVITY.. US Central Command reported the US navy successfully destroyed two missile launchers of the Houthis. In addition, the forces destroyed two UAVs over the Red Sea. At the same time, the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles against ships.

#Israel #October 7 #HamasMassacre #Lebanon #Hezbollah #Real Time Updates #IDF

[yuri-is-online]

... so what do we know about the Clash? (pt. 2)

moving right along from part 1

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS THROUGH EPISODE 5: HOTARUBI. PLEASE INTERACT WITH DUE CAUTION.

The Laurel Crown is first referenced by Ritsu in Episode 4. It is an award given to the best performing house of the year at an event called the Darkwick Gala. Kaito says it is held one week before graduation, Ritsu says there are a lot of rewards given out to graduating winners. He also very specifically says that it is "the shortest path to success and independence from Darkwick for us ghouls." That word independence strikes me as important, though it is not followed up on here or elsewhere unless you count the discussion surrounding Article 78 in Episode 5. Ritsu thinks that Taiga was interested in it once upon a time due to his impressive mission completion record in his first year. We know Zenji wanted to win the crown to obtain recognition as an author, while most of the other ghouls we've met show a degree of disinterest or lack of knowledge of it. Ren mentions at the end of this conversation that he didn't know about the Gala, and Ritsu points out that despite being canceled it was never removed from last years schedule. It is not not this year's though, and he implies that Cornelius is covering something up. Which really does seem to be the case...

The Crown system was discontinued as a direct result of the Clash... we think. It is never explicitly stated "yeah the Clash happened so we aren't doing this anymore" it's instead alluded to as something they can't do because there are too many ghouls to control. We know it had to be this as Haku tells Zenji that it was discontinued after he died, and Zenji died during the Clash. According to Haku, he was killed by a rogue anomaly. He adamantly discourages MC from looking into the Clash gee why would you do that HAKU and this seems to be a similar stance to what Cornelius would take if he knew you were curious. Cornelius and Moby are reluctant to let Lyca free because "what if we have another case of a ghoul-" We can assume he is going to say "killing" or something along those lines based off the concerns listed about Lyca, but that's not confirmed.

Ritsu finds documents about the Clash in the school's archives. he finds them alongside disciplinary documents, he says he either overlooked them or someone had them checked out as he has not read them before. The file is thick and is specifically titled "The Clash: An Overview of Civil Affairs Instigated by Darkwick Students." The term "civil affairs" is interesting. As best I can tell it is a military term that refers to small scale missions undertaken by small teams that focus on civil action? Like diplomacy stuff? Or organizing humanitarian aid? And in more sinister scenarios to assist in psychological warfare to condition a population to not fight against your military but I don't know if that's what the translation team was going for here exactly. I think it's just meant to imply things got really bad and really violent.

Lastly, this is less easy to prove than some of the other things as fact but I still think it is one: there are hints of a split in the student body over who is pro-anomaly and anti-anomaly. Subaru is obviously very pro-anomaly and thinks that capturing them is cruel, Taiga seems to be pro eating anomalies while Romeo is very comfortable with catching them and collecting bounties. A lot of this seems to be tied to how they view the school, the Institute that runs it, and their place in that hierarchy. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that they are trapped at Darkwick and don't want to be. At least not forever.

So to re cap all of the things we know to be fact: the Clash happened sometime last year, half a year ago at the absolute latest. The fight is thought to have been started by the ghouls, we do not know over what. The Laurel Crown system and the Darkwick Gala were both canceled after the fallout of the Clash, in which at least two named people are thought to have died: Zenji Kotodama who would have been a second year Hotarubi student and Dante whose former role is unknown. Zenji still resides in the school as a ghost, though this is unknown to Darkwick staff, and Dante has been brought on as a Professor. Also, all of the Inspectors seem to have quit at the end of the previous year due to the ghouls abusing mesmer matches on them. Three dormitories were disbanded at some point and one new one was created. We do not know if this was connected to the Clash or if it was an inciting incident for it, but at some point Clementia, one of those dormitories, was the scene of some sort of fight. Some of the students of Dionysia dorm went missing, presumably the ghouls. We know nothing about what happened to Ultio aside from the prison they were tasked with running now being run "by Darkwick." All general students from these dorms were re-assigned elsewhere, as were the general students previously assigned to Jabberwock who had general admissions halted. There is a spy amongst these ghouls who Taiga believes is intending to make them look bad; Alan and Tohma are attempting to isolate this spy. We do not know who this spy is spying for, or what Alan and Tohma want out of him exactly, nor do I really expect to find out anytime soon.

So. Now onto the Questions and Theories. As in things we can assume but cannot exactly prove:

Questions and Theories

Jiro and Zenji look extremely similar with a few noticeable differences, namely the piercings Jiro has and the glasses Zenji wears. My first thought was that maybe Jiro was made out of Zenji's corpse, but his birthday is listed as October 13th, which is not the middle of the year by any stretch. They also have different blood types; I think the most practical explanation comes from Zenji himself. When describing why he's so attached to the haunted doll you've found, he says it looks just like his brother did when he was a baby. I have some screenshots of Zenji following Jiro around in a campus event because he wants to help him find something he's looking for, so it does make a bit of sense. And make me even more sad.

The Institute that runs Darkwick seems to be deeply suspicious of ghouls and feel a need to keep them on a short leash. There is a great deal of distrust and resentment between the ghouls and the Institute, and the Clash seems to have been the result of that distrust. The thickness of the records Ritsu finds suggests to me that whatever the Clash was exactly, it took up most of the previous year and that it had something to do with Darkwick's treatment of anomalies.

On that point, I think that Clementia was likely destroyed by a rogue anomaly. The destruction MC sees is described as something going on a rampage, and not as a fight. The fight angle is still possible of course, and if that's the case I wonder if it has something to do with how Ultio was running the prison. I mentioned in the previous post that the goddesses these dorms are named after are meant to sort of balance each other out, so if there was going to be a clash of ideals between anyone on campus it'd probably be these guys.

I feel like Obscuary was set up as a result of the Clash? Or at the very least some time before it specifically so there would be some place for Rui and Ed to go. I think the dorm members will all be crossed with an anomaly in some way, Ed with a vampire, Rui with a reaper, and Lyca with a werewolf. Also, Ed is rumored to have done something. What? No fucking clue, don't even know if it's related to the Clash but still he has done something to get added into the rumor mill.

We don't know what Haku's stigma is as he didn't tell us. He also makes a point of saying that he thinks it's a good thing to get through a mission without using your stigma, if anything he seems to discourage the MC from using or relying on the ring to help the ghouls. You could see this as him trying to encourage her to value herself more, or maybe he thinks that there is a cost for using stigmas we don't know about just yet and they're not the blessings the ghouls think they are. Also he asks Cornelius if he has ever lied to him at the end of the chapter and if you think I didn't find that sus as all hell-

I need to sleep, but remind me to make a post about Haku sometime. Because I don't think he's evil exactly, but I do still think he's the spy.

#tokyo debunker #tdb #tdb theory #tokyo debunker theory

[sleepyfan-blog]

Rotten Hope (1)

Author’s note: Part one of the Typhus x Reader fics. I blame you all for the botflies that have spawned because of this.  Next

Tagged: @ms--lobotomy @egrets-not-regrets @the-pure-angel @whorety-k @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

Warnings: fictional illness, quarantine, bodily fluids, body horror, vomiting, please ask me to tag anything that makes you uncomfortable that I missed

Summary: Illness ravages the sector you’ve been quarantined in. Desperate for help as supplies dwindle, you psychically reach out to a nearby Astartes Librarian, who promises to bring aid.

word count: 2, 677 words

In your centuries of life, you’d seen many things. Glorious heights and dizzying lows…  But this creeping, miserable sickness that weakened the bodies and minds of the non-perpetual humans around you was a whole new kind of awful that you’d have been happy to have never seen ever. You’d established yourself on this world as a mid-level rogue trader before the quarantine had gone in place. You were wealthy, yes, but not Very Well Known, as your perpetual nature might attract the attention of the Inquisition, and you’d spent long enough dodging their knives and gang-pressing into their service last century, thank you very much. 

You’d funded the research project into trying to combat and cure the horrible illness that started as excessive lethargy and the inability to focus on any one task for more then a handful of minutes. After a week or two of low energy, the person afflicted with this disease would suddenly get a strong burst of energy and the desire to go out and interact with as many people as possible, alongside a minor cough and the occasional but regular sneeze. After a week of increased energy, a terrible fever would strike, alongside a bright red rash that appeared across an afflicted person’s back, neck and shoulders.

The rash was incredibly itchy and, if scratched, oozed puss that was highly contaminated and spread the illness just as quickly as sneezing or coughing directly on another person did. It took another week for the rash to spread fully across an afflicted person’s body, with pustules appearing wherever a person scratched that often burst painfully, before regrowing. Within a month over half of the total population of the world you’d been visiting had caught the illness and were suffering through one of the first three stages of the illness. That was when the planetary governor instated the quarantine, even as the rash spread across her cheeks and faces, enforced by the arbites and the astra militarum in hazmat gear.

The governor had also sent out a shelter in place order, with rations being delivered to the shelters of the living at regular intervals, to further discourage anyone from breaking the stay in place order. Those who did not have permanent housing of their own were put up in hotel rooms for no cost. The medical and medical research staff on world who had not fallen to the illness were working frantically to come up with either a cure or at least a treatment that would delay the onset of further symptoms…

Especially as after the pustules on an afflicted person’s body had burst and reformed over half of their skin, they had to be put in full-body restraints, as otherwise the altered mental state that the sickness-afflicted person went into was both violent and difficult to stop with anything less than using lasgun rounds to each of their joints and melta-flames to prevent the gushing spurts of puss that sprayed from those wounds from covering everything in a ten foot radius in grey, highly infectious bodily fluids that stunk so badly of rot and death that made anyone improperly attired vomit. While in this violent state, if the infected person or people weren’t properly restrained, they tried to infect as many people as they could by forcibly trying to smear the puss into the eyes, mouth, or nose of any uninfected they could reach.

You’d used your contacts made as a Rogue Trader to desperately call for aid in combatting this illness… There was also the fact that, should things continue as they were, within about six months, all of the emergency stores of rations would be depleted, as the ill still needed to be fed, no matter how violent they became. Not that the sick seemed to be able to die of the infection itself - the only fatalities that had happened were due to the arbites having to kill the infected who broke free of their restraints and tried to infect the healthy.

You… You weren’t sure the fact that the sick weren’t able to die of the illness that ravaged their bodies and minds was a good thing, especially as both medical supplies and rations began to run low. You’d contacted your friends and allies you’d made as a rogue trader and found out that the fucking Inquisition had declared the entire system a no-go zone. Oh, the callous bastards were watching as the healthy of this and the other five living worlds scrambled and tried to keep themselves from succumbing to the illness they were trying to research a cure or at least treatments to ease the worst of the symptoms… But they refused to send so much as an unmanned ship of medical or standard rations, much less anything that would truly help the situation.

Bastards!

You did have ways of sending encoded messages to others that the Inquisitors who were heartlessly watching the people of this system suffer and break under the onslaught of this illness couldn’t intercept and stop. While you were still wary of the genetically altered creations of Neoth’s, you were keenly aware that many of the Adeptus Astartes who roamed the stars did try to protect humanity to the best of their abilities and many of them despised the Inquisition and would come to help in order to spite whichever Ordo of the inquisition was withholding aid to this system… Doing so, however, required that you use some of the psychic gifts that you used as sparingly as possible, in order to avoid detection as the powerful psyker you were.

Dodging curious Astartes Librarians was a small price to pay for aid for the mortals suffering in utter agony all around you… Which was why you settled down into a meditative pose, sitting comfortably on your ship, the murmurs of your frightened crew and anxieties a background hum that you needed to ignore in order to reach out psychically. You had been on semi-friendly terms with Neoth before he’d been interred onto the Golden Throne and did your best to guide humanity towards a better future in whatever ways you could… You also had the verifiable command codes that would prove you were a high ranking - if secret - member of the Imperial Hierarchy when you came into contact with an Astartes Librarian. 

You began your psychic search for an astartes librarian with caution - aware that the Inquisition had their own psykers and you had no desire to reveal yourself to them if at all possible. Time passed as you searched for the particular blend of determination, training and psycho-indoctrination that marked an Astartes Librarian, your mind wandering further and further from your body. 

You could not say how long it took you to find him, but he was a powerful psyker, and held the strict discipline of an Astartes. You lightly tapped on his walls - a silent request to speak, making sure that your pressure against his mind was just enough to be felt, while just as clearly also not being an attack of some kind. 

Less than a second passed before his mind focused on you. You could feel the way his mental presence shifted and stretched, grabbing a rough hold on your consciousness, turning you this way and that, buzzing with confusion and curiosity - and a little bit of indignance that a stranger would dare touch his mind in such a way.  {WHO ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU REACHING OUT TO ME?} He eventually sent coherently.

You explain who you are, giving the psychic imperial codes that would prove who you were as well, before explaining {The inquisition refuses to allow any aid to come to the system I am in. A terrible illness has infected over ninety percent of the populations of the system I am in. The remaining healthy people are doing their best to try and find a cure or at least treatments for this disease. I am immune, but that’s because I am a perpetual. The immunity I enjoy is not something I can share with others.}

The Astartes Librarian’s mind surged back and forth, thoughts and emotions swirling together in a chaotic hurricane that you could only catch bits and pieces of, though you were trying not to peer too deeply into his mind - it was rude to do that without permission after all - and tried not to get overwhelmed by the intensity of his presence. {And so you sought me out because?}

{Most Astartes and the Inquisition do not get along for… Many reasons. I sought to call for help from an astartes whose mind I could communicate with. Please… the mortals are suffering terribly, though the illness does not seem to let them die…} You plead, offering up the memories you have of the terrible illness ravaging through the near half-dozen worlds.

The screams of the deeply afflicted as they throw themselves bodily at the healthy. Teeth and puss smearing against glass and plastic face plates. The awful coughing and sneezing. The low medical supplies and even fewer rations and food that was edible. The fact that the disease had mutated and afflicted the livestock and domestic animals, causing further vectors of infection and misery. 

{You are a perpetual Rogue Trader, mm? Caught between this illness and the Inquisition, unable to help, unable to flee. Very well. You’re in luck. I am in command of many brothers, and our… Specialty allows us a unique perspective into the nature of illness. We can bring all the aid these mortals needs. But in exchange, you will come with me, without fuss, without fighting. I have never met a perpetual before, except for the Emperor Himself, and I am… Curious.} Teh Atartes rumbles, his mind still wrapped tight around yours. 

You sense he has a number of motives he is hiding from you… But you’re also quite certain that he believes that he is telling the truth when he says that he can help the mortals suffering and agonizing in rotting, miserable stasis all around you. {Yes, I promise to go with you and your brothers without fuss after the people here are healed and well taken care of.}

The pleased rumble he makes and the way his mind caresses yours before letting you go back to your own mind makes you shiver and warmth suffuse through you {I look forward to our meeting, perpetual. You will know when I arrive with my brothers. If my younger brothers give you trouble, tell them that Typhus asked you, little Isha, to come to him.}

You’re not sure why his name - and the name Isha - bother you.  Warning bells ring faintly in the back of your mind, but you can’t quite place why. That and the desperation to get actual help fuels your relief {I understand. About when do you anticipate on arriving?}

{Again, you’re in luck, lovely flower. I and my brothers should arrive within the next month. Two on the outside, if the Inquisitors at the edges of the system you are in actually prove troublesome.} The astartes promises. Something buzzes beneath the surface of his mind, but you do not press, grateful beyond words for his aid. His mind squeezes around your tightly. His rifling through your memories is a little rough, and catches you off, as he gets from you where you are in the galaxy. {Yes, I will be there soon. The mortals’ torments will soon be at an end. You should return to your body, I can sense your exhaustion.}

You grumble a little to yourself, but he’s not wrong. This kind of extended mental contact with another person over such long distances in space is wearing on you. You withdraw from his mind and tumble back into your own body before exhaustion drags you into sleep.

“My lady! My lady, Lord Angels have arrived, and have been distributing food and medical aid to the sick and injured. They… Their armor is rather terrifying, I’ll admit, but their aid has been nothing but true and good. Their first captain has asked to speak with you, as soon as you are able.” Your second in command called out, between knocking rapidly on the door to your personal quarters, waking you out of the troubled dream that had been tormenting you.

Gilded flames had lapped at your feet, threatening to consume your body as creeping green rot choked your lungs and turned the mortals you’d been working alongside to agonized piles of mush and misery. You mentally shook yourself as you respond “I’ll be out to meet him as soon as I get dressed properly! Tell him I’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

You’re already stumbling out of bed and over to your extensive clothes’ closet. Considering the direness of the situation, you hope that the lord angel would forgive the fact that you’re going to be wearing simple clothes beneath the hazmat suit that while you do not need, you wear anyways when going outside, so as to not bring the disease back and potentially infect the mortal crew around you. You pick out a simple shirt and pants combo, along with sensible lslhoes that will fit inside the boots of the hazmat suit, not bothering with any make-up or jewelry, dressed well enough in under five minutes.

It takes three minutes for your to sprint your way through the ship, everyone else clearing way for you to get to the cargo hold, slugging back a small shot of recaff and breakfast rations handed to you by your SIC just before you get suited up into the hazmat suit (Which takes most of the remaining time you told the first captain you’d need to be ready to see him). Just as you step out of your ship, you ask your loyal and stalwart second in command “Which chapter are they from?” Depending on which chapter they were from, you could have a guess as to what the first captain might want of you.

“They say that they are part of the Death Guard legion, ma’am.” Your second in command revealed, oblivious to the bone-deep panic and horror washing through you. “I don’t recognize their markings or heraldry, but they’ve been an enormous boon so far.”

No! No no no… “Have any of you taken anything that he Death Guard has offered you? No matter how small?” You ask, terror and failure acrid tastes in your mouth. How had you not noticed the taint of chaos in his mind at the time? 

“Not yet, as our stores have been fine. Is something wrong, ma’am?” He asks, a worried frown appearing on his face. He can see the fear in your face.

Damn, need to work on your mask, which you quickly put on, radiating confidence “OH… I just… don’t accept anything they give you,  if possible. As soon as I start talking to the first captain, take off and activate the warp drive and get as far away from this system as possible. I can… I can guess what they want with me, and as of now, I am resigning my duties as a Rogue Trader. Everything I own, all of my titles, rights and responsibilities I bequeath to you. FLy far, and fly well.”

“W.. What? My lady? I won’t just leave you-” He splutters. 

You shake your head angrily and hiss “I was the one who contacted them, believing them to be angels! But they are not! They are demons! They feed on  illness and misery, delighting in strive and causing Chaos wherever they go. I have gotten their foul attention and cannot escape, but you and our crew have a chance to escape. Please, take it. I will endure.” 

“I… As you command, my lady. I’ll begin preparations to leave now.” Your former second in command acknowledges, bowing his head forward, trembling a little in the fear that you can’t allow yourself to feel as you leave your ship, walking toward your grim fate with your head held high, despite your trembling hands.

#cw illness #cw vomiting #cw bodily fluids #cw pustules #warhammer 40k #my writing #reader insert #perpetual reader #typhus the traveler #death guard

[ivetoldamillionlies]

Posting this on tumblr incase my quotev acc gets deleted but

Heres a link to the original

I did not proofread this, sorry yall.

I'm sure we've all noticed the changes made, and I'm aware that majority of us are in disagreement with it. Deactivation is not the solution here. Quotev got rid of the feed, messages, and groups, with the knowledge that it may have been the only feature some of you used. That being said, they were willing to sacrifice you as a user in exchange for the update.

I don't work for quotev, I can't promise anything, but if you would like even a chance at old quotev, I think the solution lies within our stories and quizzes.

Quotev has stated that "these features have become increasingly less beneficial to the main purpose of the platform." We can only assume that because stories and quizzes have not been targeted with the recent update, that those are main purposes hinted. The update, therefore, is meant to push these towards the forefront of the site. By targeting both stories and quizzes, we show Quotev that we do not support the new update and will not aid them in pushing those foward at the cost of older features such as recent activities, messages, groups, and group search.

So what can we do?

Authors:

Transfer your works off site.

No one is asking you to completely delete your works off the face of the internet, but instead consider them moving them off site.

Then, either delete the work on quotev or remove/hide published chapters and publish one chapter with the following.

Title: I do not support the recent Quotev update

Content: On May 31st, 2024, Quotev removed it's recent activities and its group functionality. Additionally, on July 1st, it is planning on fully removing groups and it's messages features. These changes were unannounced to it's users and are unfavorable to majority of the site users. As such, my book will be moved offsite to (Insert link here) unless Quotev returns these features to the site. Thank you.

Quiz makers:

This is not a good solution, and I apologize in advance. I do not expect you to delete your quizzes. I am aware few sites have such functionalities. For now this is the solution I have come up with.

Copy and paste your results and descriptions onto a word document or google doc. Do not change the the questions or answers.

Once you are sure that your results and descriptions are saved off site, change every result and description to the following:

Result: I do not support the recent Quotev update

Description: On May 31st, 2024, Quotev removed it's recent activities and its group functionality. Additionally, on July 1st, it is planning on fully removing groups and it's messages features. These changes were unannounced to it's users and are unfavorable to majority of the site users. As such, my quiz will only display this result unless Quotev returns these features to the site. Thank you.

Readers:

Copy and paste the links to your favorite books somewhere offsite.

Remove them all from your libraries.

Extra brownie points if you unlike them all.

For an extra kick, if you so wish, comment this on a couple of the books:

Thank you for this story. I enjoyed it, and wanted you to know that it was not removed from my library because of anything wrong with it.

On May 31st, 2024, Quotev removed it's recent activities and its group functionality. Additionally, on July 1st, it is planning on fully removing groups and it's messages features. These changes were unannounced to it's users and are unfavorable to majority of the site users. As such, I will be removing this book from my libary unless Quotev returns these features to the site. Thank you.

Everyone else:

Yall? I don't know. I've got a silly goofy pic up on my about, I'll link it here incase anyone is interested in putting it up on their account but, this is it yall. This is what we can do. You can make satirical content if you want? But I'm not sure what else

#quotev #social media #quotev.com #quotev dot com #quizzaz #ripquotev

[queseraone]

Rank the episodes of season 6… 😈

This took me forever, because I had to go back and look at transcripts and watch clips for several episodes...

And being the insane person that I am, my ranking process involved giving each episode a grade for (a) the episode itself, and (b) the Chenford.

Fair warning, this is a loooooooooooooooooong post, but here we go (from worst to best, in my humble opinion):

6x10 | Escape Plan Listen, I hated this episode. Take out the Chenford content and it absolutely lands near the top of my list of most-hated episodes of The Rookie ever. Because it barely felt like an episode of The Rookie—it was a constant parade of villains. I don't watch this show to follow random bad guys, I watch for the characters I love. And we spent less than half of the episode with my people (one day I'll re-watch and keep track of the exact percentage). I haaaaaaate Monica (she's honestly like a cartoon villain at this point), and I still have no idea who the Big Bad is/was?? Could someone please enlighten me?

The Chenford scenes were about the only redeeming moments for me. Love, love, loved the return of our beloved Battle Couple™. I loved seeing them riding together (Chenford in a vehicle together is everything to me), and they had some great conversations that very much felt like small steps forward. But those small moments weren't enough to redeem an incredibly disappointing episode for me, so that's why this lands at the bottom of my list.

6x05 | The Vow This episode ranks low because nearly every plotline felt abrupt and forced. There wasn't much follow-up to previous plot (the Budny shooting was apparently resolved to the point that Lucy was okay with being gifted a reminder of a moment that had her breaking down the last time she was on our screens...), nor was there enough build-up to anything we saw. It very much felt like they needed another episode or two in between to fill in a lot of those blanks.

I liked the Chenford (or I guess the Tim and Lucy mostly) because it definitely packed an emotional punch (especially the scene when Tim shows up at her place and she turns him away), but the contrast between Lucy laying awake worrying about Tim and her almost comedic use in Aaron's storyline was jarring, like we were watching two very different versions of her character. We know she's damn good at compartmentalizing, but that felt like a stretch.

6x03 | Trouble in Paradise This one is tricky for me, because while I loved the Chenford in this episode (it included one of my new favourite Chenford moments!), the episode itself was a snooze. I give absolutely zero fucks about Nolan and Bailey, and spending a huge chunk of time following them on their snooze of a honeymoon is not it. I still can't tell you what happened on that island(?), I just couldn't get invested (also that was the least romantic/passionate honeymoon to ever happen). And we had very little of Angela, Nyla, Aaron, etc., so that was a bummer too.

Seeing Tim and Lucy riding with Celina was fun, the Chenford domestic moments were lovely, and it was so nice to see Tim being so supportive of Lucy through her detective exam and with the trophy (!!!!), etc. Great moments, but I just can't get past the dreadful A-plot of the honeymoon.

6x01 | Strike Back My biggest gripe with this episode was that it felt anticlimactic following the intensity of 5x22. Yes, they picked right up in the immediate aftermath, but it was lacking somewhere. I think because they did that time jump and seemed to leave that whole storyline in the dust until the end of the season.

There were things I liked and things I didn't like with regards to Chenford. This episode was a great example of the challenges that come from the transition from TO/rookie to sergeant/aide, to boyfriend/girlfriend. TO Tim and BF Tim are very different, and the lines got blurred a bit. I hated the sprinkler thing (that's not on Lucy or Tim, that's on the other officers, and that's the hill I'll die on), but the conversation at the end of episode was so intense, and that's exactly what I want, the show to make me feel things.

6x09 | The Squeeze I'm going to start this one off by saying (again)—it was Lucy's birthday. What in the Sixteen Candles!!!! This is a timeline fumble, even for The Rookie. In that opening scene at the apartment, I was fully expecting Nolan to open that pastry box and having cupcakes or something, so I was flabbergasted when they just blew past not only the fact that it was her birthday, but that she also spilled so many feelings and he was basically like “okay, cool.” Nolan is a terrible friend (if they can even be called friends at this point).

Moving past that... where the hell was everyone?! Tim wasn't in the second half of the episode, Aaron had all of four lines, Bailey wasn't in it at all... and yet Monica. was. everywhere. Ugh.

ANYWAY. I did love seeing everyone rally around Tim (even though it made it even more obvious when they weren't when it was Lucy going through a difficult time). And the highlight of the episode for me was the Chenford elevator scene. Watching Lucy clearly contemplating, then making the decision to follow him into the elevator—I love that she acknowledged how she was feeling, but still managed to set that aside and be there for Tim. What a showcase of her empathy. (But truth be told, she needed that hug just as much as he did.)

6x07 | Crushed I LOVE seeing them all working together on one case. The team dynamic is a huge draw for me, and it's definitely something they've moved away from in the last couple of seasons (a byproduct of moving half of them out of patrol). So that felt like a really welcome return to their roots.

I really enjoyed watching Tim and Lucy in the immediate aftermath of the breakup. Do I wish we'd seen Lucy opening up to someone other than Sgt. Grey? Yes. But more than that, I'm glad we got to see her processing. She's hurt, she's confused, she's angry, and she's earned the right to feel all of those things.

Dr. London read Tim like a fucking book, and his actions solidified that—this is just another example of the way Tim continues to delude himself into thinking everything's fine, when in reality it's absolutely not (ahem, lie detector scene). I'm really happy that we saw him pursue therapy of his own volition, not because it was department-mandated or because someone was requesting it. Recognizing that you need help is a huge step for anyone, but it feels particularly monumental for Tim.

6x02 | The Hammer What a fun episode! Was it the best? Absolutely not. Was it worthy of being the monumental 100th episode? Eh. But as a whole I really enjoyed this one! It started off strong with the return of “Daddy Cop”—HELL. YES. And I really enjoyed the way they carried plotlines early in the season. Th first few episodes flowed together quite well, and it really felt like it was spanning a handful of days. The group scenes (the bachelor and bachelorette parties) were a lot of fun, I really wish they'd do more of those! I actually liked Nolan and Bailey's wedding vows (it's probably the closes I've ever been to caring about their relationship). I was pleasantly surprised to see Henry again, though it felt like a waste to go to that trouble (on-screen and off) to not have a scene with him and his dad. There are a lot of other characters I would have preferred to see instead of Skip Tracer Randy (Elroy! Ben! Pete!), but I did love Grey's “Sit down, German.” 😂

And then the Chenford. Again, it flowed really well from their tense moment in the previous episode (I'm reluctant to call it a fight), and it was nice to see them navigating the aftermath of that, and then come back together at the wedding. The thing with The Hammer was ridiculous in the most TR way, so I enjoyed that whole interaction. The ring imagery was !!!!, but also feels a little bit cruel in hindsight, knowing where they were going with that relationship this season. But I'm going to stay firm to my thinking that they couldn't possibly be cruel enough to do that without actually making it happen for real one day. ANYWAY. I loved hearing them say “I love you” (though I still wish we saw the first ones), and the dance scene was, overall, wonderful. I loved that it was Tim approaching Lucy, the “it's about damn time” look on her face, the way they come together so easily, the way they look at each other... love.

6x08 | Punch Card Another instance of seeing the team working together, so that contributes to this landing high on my list. (The good parts outweighed the absolute absurdity of Nolan and Bailey seeking medical help when they've only been trying to get pregnant for about five minutes.)

It was fun to see Lucy as a TO. I've long thought that path could be a good fit for her, however I'm not on board with the idea of it being something she resorts to after not be able to pursue the career path she really wants... The show would never do it, but it would certainly be fun to see Lucy be an incredible training officer in parallel to Nolan doing a terrible job at it (no one will convince me that he's a good TO, he's awful). Regardless of the longer term intentions for this, it was nice seeing Lucy work with Celina and to see her kicking ass at it.

And then, of course, the Kojo scene, already such a favourite for me. Beyond seeing my beloved pup again, it was also such an important moment, for Tim, for Lucy, for Chenford. We've seen Tim put on this strong façade (as he always does), but this really shows the audience just how much he's hurting in the aftermath of Ray/the breakup. And it also lets Lucy see that Tim still cares, because until now, she's been more or less been operating on the assumption that Tim walked away easily. It felt so incredibly hopeful, and showed us just how deep their feelings run.

6x04 | Training Day There was a lot to dislike in this episode (Nolan saying the exact wrong thing to Lucy, Angela and Nyla not being as supportive of Lucy as I'd hoped/expected, seeing Lucy struggling post-exam results...), but there was so much to love.

I love Tim and Aaron working together, and Tim busting out a training acronym just makes me so damn nostalgic. And sorry not sorry, it was refreshing to see Nolan get called out (and face repercussions, however minor) for his ineptitude as a training officer. Because while, yes, Celina is a rookie and bound to make mistakes, like Nyla said, “as her TO, that is on you.” I know he's the main character, but I'll say it until I'm blue in the face—it's so fucking boring watching a character win over and over and over again. There's no depth there.

Lucy being an absolute badass was wonderful, and when I tell you my heart stopped when I heard that gunshot, my god. And that hospital scene??? What can I say but the hospital scene!!!!!! That was everything. Great music (*sidebar, they've made some really beautiful song choices this season!!), great to see Tim rushing to her side, and it was just the greatest of the great to watch him supporting her, the way she melts into him, how impeccably Melissa acted that scene... all of it was phenomenal.

6x06 | Secrets and Lies Oh god, what does it say about me that my favourite episode of the season was the one with breakup?!?! 😅 But seriously, the episode gave us alllll the emotionally intense moments, and I'm here for it. Loved the Tim and Angela scenes (my favourite relationship on the show outside of Chenford), loved Nyla working with Aaron again and seeing her dip her toes back into UC work, loved seeing Commander West(!!!!!) back.

Obviously the breakup (and the events leading up to it) was painful as fuck, but they did it SO well. Eric and Melissa acted the hell out of this episode, and it paid off in a big way. It was emotionally compelling and I felt (and continue to feel) so strongly about their scenes. They made it so easy to feel for both of these characters, and that speaks volumes. It hurts like hell, but it was so well done!

Whew, longest post ever! (I suppose I could just have gone 10, 5, 3, 1, 9, 7, 2, 8, 4, 6, but... that's boring!)

Again if I was ranking on Chenford scenes alone, things would certainly shake out differently. And even still, I could probably swap a few of these spots.

Thanks for the fun/exhausting question! 💗

#asked and answered #the rookie #chenford #opinions #i have a lot of thoughts #roguetwelve #the rookie questions #ranking the episodes #6x10 #6x05 #6x03 #6x01 #6x09 #6x07 #6x02 #6x08 #6x04 #6x06

[mariacallous]

Russia is up to so much mischief around the Baltic Sea that even the things that it ends up not doing cause Western alarm bells to ring.

In just the past few days, Russia has floated a now-you-see it, now-you-don’t unilateral plan to change its maritime borders with Lithuania and Finland; tried to sneak its way closer to Estonia; and spooked the head of the Swedish Armed Forces so hard that he publicly feared for the safety of Gotland, Sweden’s biggest Baltic island. 

All that came on the heels of a broadening campaign of apparent Russian sabotage across the region, including mysterious fires, disrupted trains, and damaged undersea pipelines. A Russian spy ship is heading to the Gulf of Finland to keep an eye on things. The Norwegian police just warned about a new Russian campaign to sabotage Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, invoking the same “see something, say something” public warnings used for terrorist outfits. Due to sabotage fears, Poland had to increase security at the main airport that transports aid deliveries to Ukraine. All the while, Russian efforts to jam GPS signals for commercial aviation in the region continue apace.

Together, the Russian moves are meant to test boundaries—sometimes literally—as well as provoke a response, distract its neighbors, and swarm the West with the kitchen sink of full-spectrum harassment. For Russia, the battlefield is most certainly not limited to Ukraine, and when it comes to expanding it, the Baltic region holds a special place both in Russia’s imperialist past and Moscow’s expansionist present.

“The last time Russia had this little access in the Baltic was centuries ago,” said Charly Salonius-Pasternak, a researcher with the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. In Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mind, “for Russia to be recognized as a great power, it must be dominant in the Baltic Sea. That clearly wasn’t the case before NATO expansion, and now is even less so.”

The moves afoot aren’t the traditional kind of land grabs, such as the ones that Russia previously pulled off in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, and is now attempting with the rest of the country. But it may be Putin’s marker for a new kind of low-intensity campaign, Salonious-Pasternak said.

“Somewhere in his mind, he may have this idea, not to do what the USSR did, but to cause continuous mayhem until he has the resources to do something about it,” he added.

Consider the curious case of the Russian bid to change its maritime borders with Lithuania and Finland. The Russian Defense Ministry released the proposal publicly, but it mysteriously disappeared in less than a day; Russian officials denied that they were seeking to change the border. But the very notion sparked a furious response from Russia’s neighbors—Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called it “an obvious escalation against NATO and the EU”—while the whole spat highlighted the difficulties of dealing with such inchoate threats.

“To me, it looks like a provocation,” said Martin Kragh, a senior research fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. “No matter how the West responds, it will have an effect at a very low cost for Russia. If the West makes a strong response, it can use that for domestic and international propaganda purposes; if they don’t, Russia can exploit that, arguing the claims are legitimate. It’s a ‘heads-I-win, tails-you-lose’ situation.”

The small changes to the maritime map may not have come to pass yet, but the Baltic states and several other NATO neighbors are taking no chances with what Kragh calls Russia’s strategy of “creeping annexation.” 

Over the weekend, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—alongside Finland, Norway, and Poland—announced plans for a “drone border wall” to protect against Russia’s encroachments and destabilizing maneuvers on the borders by enhancing video surveillance of the sprawling frontier. Estonia, like Norway, has also stepped up its public warnings about Russian misbehavior on the border and regional sabotage more broadly. NATO held the first meeting of its new Critical Undersea Infrastructure Network last week, with a particular eye on Russia. Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is otherwise engaged, took the time while speaking to reporters over the weekend to recognize the clear and present danger that Russian designs pose to the Baltics.

To make sense of why Russia, with a grinding war on its hands in Ukraine, is busy making mischief in the Baltic Sea requires understanding both what’s new and what’s eternal for Russia’s regional objectives. 

What’s new is that with the accession of Finland and Sweden to the Western alliance since early 2023, the Baltic has become, for all intents and purposes, a NATO lake, with member states now ringing the entire body of water— with the exception of a bit of Russia. Though Putin downplayed the significance of that seismic shift at the time, and some Western commentators stress the need for even more NATO vigilance in the region despite the expansion, the geostrategic shift was fundamental.

As a result, Russia realizes that due to its own actions in Ukraine, it has lost ground in an area crucial to its international power projection. That’s why it is lashing out in the region, albeit haphazardly, as a French report noted in November 2023 and a Norwegian intelligence assessment put it earlier this year.

“If you want to undermine the collective West, then these regions—the Gulf of Finland, Estonia, Lithuania—all those territories are easy to access for Russia,” Kragh said. “They don’t have any other borders when it comes to challenging the West.”

But the reason that the loss of the Baltic hurts Russia so much, and Putin in particular, is not just because of Finland and Sweden’s military might (Sweden just gave Ukraine a massive arms assistance package) and the reach of geography. There is also the weight of history. 

Since the time of Peter the Great, Putin’s self-styled role model, Russia’s window to the West (and to great-power status) has come through the chilly waters of the Baltic. Russian imperial aspirations in the 18th and 19th centuries came through the defeat of Sweden and the vassalization of Finland. Later, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, when not busy carving up Eastern Europe otherwise, briefly made a postwar bid for Bornholm, a strategic Danish island. Putin will be hard-pressed to make Russia great again if he can’t scrape back a semblance of power in the Baltic.

“Of course it’s a blow to have the Baltic Sea turned into a NATO lake. The Baltic has been a crucial objective of Russian and Soviet foreign and military policy since the time of Peter I,” said Norman Naimark, a historian at Stanford University who has written about Bornholm and other Soviet adventures. “Putin is also a Leningrader, which means that he has a special eye on access to the Baltic and egress into and out of the belts and the sound,” he said, referring to the critical straits connecting the Baltic to the wider world.

Russia’s neighbors haven’t been shy about calling out Moscow’s latest provocations. But that doesn’t mean that the mischief will stop any time soon, as long as it offers Putin a way to redress, even partially, what he sees as a geographic and historic imbalance.

“What is fascinating is the innovation in the Russian toolbox. They keep finding new ways of pushing,” Kragh said. “It’s like playing whack-a-mole—you keep hitting them, and they pop up somewhere else. The Baltic Sea simply provides a very good and opportunistic area for them to operate in.”

[boyswanna-be-her]

I've been participating in some mutual aid this year and last weekend was part of the best-organized event I've ever been to. I've also been learning to dumpster dive legally. I've also learned how to cook all sorts of cool shit from scratch. I used to be too intimidated to work in the kitchen of the unhoused resource center where I used to volunteer (I legit thought doing patient intake in their clinic was less intimidating rofl). Sometimes the kitchen people would bring lunch to the clinic/office people and holy shit it was always so good and there was a jambalaya one day that I still dream about.

And now I sorta have visions of myself cooking my big batches of free delicious things made from food I kept out of a landfill, for people who want it in an informal setting like the one I participated in last week. Like when you're making it all from scratch, it takes very little to scale these recipes all up. Dumpster diving inherently gives you random surplusses of fresh food that one family couldn't eat all at once.

I made a loaf of bread and a big pot of vegetarian chili yesterday, but it easily could've been 8 loaves of bread and 2 full stock pots of chili in almost the same time if I'd just planned for it and had the ingredients on hand. Or plated out, it could've made a ton of hot lunch or dinner for whoever showed up for it. I'm just sorta talking out loud to myself and trying to make it materialize by putting it into words. But seeing mutual aid done really well by what basically amounts to a group of friends with zero funding like... fundamentally changed what I thought was possible locally without any org backing/funding.