#who perpetually make trouble but also have the best hearts

[sarabethsilver]

Every once in awhile I make the mistake of wandering over to the Gilmore Girls subreddit, and just.... damn. There is so much Jess-hate over there and it's INTENSE.

I know he's a fictional character, but he represents a lot of real teenagers who have been traumatized. Kids who are rough around the edges, rude, withdrawn, sometimes even MEAN. Kids who shoot themselves in the foot, reject help when they need it most, break rules, yell, test limits, and push you away a hundred times over. Kids who are HURT.

The fact there are all these people out there who sincerely believe that Jess didn't deserve help (because only polite kids deserve help?) and revel in his abandonment is depressing as hell.

#hell yeah i take it personally #because when you're talking about jess you're also talking about MY STUDENTS #who perpetually make trouble but also have the best hearts #and deserve all the best things #jess mariano #gilmore girls

[whitecreekvalley-if]

[ Demo TBA ] • Character descriptions • Pinterest •

Genres: Slice of life, drama, mystery, romance

WCV is rated 18+ for explicit language, violence, alcohol and drug use, and explicit sexual content.

Life's taken a nosedive—no apartment, no job, no friends. Desperation pushes you to cling to a chance from a kindly stranger offering a ticket to a town hidden beyond mountains and plains, a place people don't seek but always seem to need.

Welcome to Whitecreek Valley, where the Brass Pine Ranch needs your unique skills to mend a crumbling homestead, and a crumbling family. As you tackle the decay of the ranch and the town alongside the rancher's son, deeper troubles emerge—livestock falling ill sparks fears of a town on the brink of extinction. Can you navigate this community, help them rejuvenate, or will it become another link in the list of ghost towns of America's Wikipedia page?

FEATURES

Customization: Appearance, personality, gender & sexuality, what job they had before, their hobbies, etc. Choose how they feel about being a farmhand, how they're adjusting to the rural life, and - with your choices - how the town as a whole sees them. Are they part of the community or an perpetual outsider?

Skills: Depending on your previous job, you'll have a unique set of skills to help the community. Choose to learn new skills, like woodworking, bronc riding, or sheep shearing, to mention a few.

Animal husbandry: The distances around Whitecreek Valley are hefty, so it's necessary to have at least a horse to get around. Choose your favorite out of a cast of individual equines, each with their own personalities. Also, help a calf into this world and realize how fun it is to raise a baby cow! As long as you're in good standing with the rest of the herd, of course.

Rebuilding: Try your best to rebuild the Brass Pine ranch, and the town adjacent. The better job you manage, the more opportunities (and challenges) come your way.

Community outreach: A dying town is still home, and there are stories to be heard, problems to solve. Lend a helping hand to your new community and see how one kindness can pay itself back.

Romance: Not everyone in town is adverse to strangers, and if your heart yearns romance, there is a chance for a spark along the way. Just be careful as to who you're trying to woo in front of whom. Small town gossips, we've all seen it.

Mystery: There's something hanging over the valley, like a rot in the air. Why are people moving out? Why are exports not moving out? And who's behind the animals getting sick? Don you detective hat and lend a hand to the entire four local police officers working the bizarre case.

THE LOCALS (RO'S)

THE RANCHER'S SON

Mason "Mace" Gannon - 27 - he/him

He used to be so much fun. I miss hanging out with him, out by the bonfires. He'd always make everyone feel so included and happy, and oh, that homemade cider he'd bring? Warmed us up on those chilly late fall nights, when we had nothing else to do. Did I tell you about the time he got us all to go skinny dipping? He was such a charmer, I wonder --

Imagine Mace as your human golden retriever – the guy who's a blast to be around, a bit mischievous, and the first to rush to your aid whenever you need it. After being gone for five years to live his rodeo dreams, he's back, now the sole caretaker of the family ranch in his hometown. He goes to great lengths to keep his personal issues personal, and it's the butt of many jokes how he's always there to help others but has the worst time asking for help himself.

He's you boss, and probably one of the best you'll ever get. Just don't pay mind to the spats between him and his dad.

THE BARTENDER

Alice Marks - 25 - she/her

Alice, she's a feisty one! Like her poppa, rest his soul. How I love the drinks she comes up with at the bar, and that horse of hers! She could go into rodeo, but I don't think after what happened with her pa... Oh, but she's a wonder! Always there with a quip, how they drive her suitors mad. Good thing she stopped with the talk about moving away, the town would be so dull without her!

Alice is the town's most known inhabitant, running the show from the only bar in town, which she just happens to own. Her mind is like a machine for fun, and she's the brain behind all the pop-up events and happenings around town. Sure, she can be a bit like a hurricane of enthusiasm, but hey, that's Alice for you. If the town had a social heartbeat, it'd be Alice – the vibrant, smartass soul making everyday life feel like a blessing.

THE DEPUTY

Word of the wise: Never challenge Alice to a drinking game. You will lose, spectacularly, and it'll all be on film.

Judge Gannon - 34 - he/him

Judge is a bit strange, don't you think? He just vanished as soon as he turned eighteen and popped back out of nowhere! That must've been, let's see... Five years ago? He doesn't spend much time with us commoners though, but I think I've seen him at the bar once or twice. I don't actually think he knows how to make nice with people, he always has that glower on. Gets it from his dad, let me tell you --

Bold and straight to the point, Judge isn't out here trying to be intimidating – it just kinda happens. If his brother is a golden retriever, he's definitely the doberman of the family. He's got this brash, no-nonsense vibe that some folks mistake for arrogance, especially when they try laying on the charm and he's not having it. He steers clear of small talk unless it involves his job, and when duty calls, he's more than ready to throw down to protect his town and county.

There's this local urban legend that he cracked a smile once, but it's like spotting a unicorn – not everyone's buying it.

THE LAWYER

Mercedes "Sadie" Diáz - 32 - she/her

The new girl, yes! Oh, a beauty! And so curious. I do love sitting down with her though, oh the stories she brings from the big city, so intriguing! I hear she finds our town intriguing too, the mayor once - don't tell anyone I told you this - the mayor once said he caught her breaking into the city hall archives! I know, scandalous, but good on her, maybe now someone will argue that my neighbors fence post --

Sadie, the big-shot lawyer from the city, doing her solo act in town. When she's not in court, folks are lining up just to get a piece of the urban tales she's got. A trailblazer and truth-seeker, she's got this knack for poking her nose where it probably shouldn't be, and surprise, she knows more local secrets than the town gossip. Sure, she's all passionate and calculated, a bit out of sync with the town's warmth, but hey, that logical mind of hers might just shake things up and get the town back on track.

It's a well known fact that she could get access to places with the right documents, but she herself has said it's more fun to pick locks. Go figure.

LIST OF MAJOR NPCs

LIST OF MINOR NPCs

#interactive fiction #wip #if wip #if: intro #cog #choice of games #interactive novel #choice script #or is it #choicescript #idk idk

[sparrowhero]

All Might Courtship/Dating Headcanons -- Post Retirement

He's so shy. He will be pining over you for MONTHS upon MONTHS and not be able to say a word about it. He's going to be red-faced and stuttering whenever you get a little too close or smile just a bit too brightly. It's obvious--so, so obvious. You're gonna need to say something if you want anything to happen. Everyone who knows him can tell he's lovesick-- if you work at UA, people are going to be DYING to tell you how he feels so you both can get over it and just date already.

It's no surprise to anyone that he has self-image issues now that he's no longer All Might, but a lot of people forget that those self-image problems have stemmed from his identity being inextricably tied with his hero career. He couldn't POSSIBLY date when he has so much work to do, what do you mean...hahahaha... He worried so much about possibly disappointing people with his human side or possibly putting them in danger that he put off dating for as long as he did. I think he won't feel comfortable dating until he's fully retired and doesn't have to hide his true identity. He may have tried a little bit in the past, but they all ended rather poorly. Unlike Mic, he couldn't remain friends with any of his (few) exes.

Prior to getting encouraged by Midoriya and his mother, he was more than happy to simply fade away. Now that he's got so much more (or perhaps so little?) time, he's a little overwhelmed with where to start. He's inexperienced, and needs a lot of encouragement. He loves it when you hold his trembling hands first, caress his bony fingers. It makes his already weak heart flutter even more. Slow and steady is what works best for him, so he'll take AGES to ask to kiss you as well, but it just makes each moment more meaningful.

Very traditional romantic. Wants to sweep you off your feet, but he sometimes overthinks and overplans. No matter your gender, he's going to want to be a gentleman and hold the door open for you and things like that. Likes to take you out to eat and for walks in the park, those kinds of things. He's never had a lot of time to appreciate the smaller aspects that he's always protected, so it's nice for him to slow down and take them in with you. He's kind of a plant guy, good at identifying different trees and other kinds of flora. It also helps him from getting TOO distracted that you're right there next to him.

Uses petnames a LOT. His favorite ones are "my dear" or "my darling". He especially uses them when he's in trouble for overworking and ignoring his own needs. "Please, calm down, my dear! Getting excessively angry isn't good for you!" It's very sweet when he greets you after a long day with a "Welcome home, my dear." He melts if you use them on him, or just call him by his given name "Toshinori". He might call himself your hubby as well on occasion.

But god does it give him butterflies when you call him by his name: he wants to hear it all the time. It feels more special when you just say it with a smile than the adoring fans he once had. Sometimes he'll call your name just to hear you say his name back in response.

He isn't big on PDA, it makes him shy-- Even though his emotions are written clearly all over his face and body language. He angles his body towards you, is always the one to walk on the side of the sidewalk that the cars are, and is always making eye contact. If you give him a little kiss on the cheek goodbye if you visit him at work, he's going to be very flustered.

He has very good sleeping posture, but he's not very used to sharing a bed with anyone so he may accidentally get you with those bony elbows or knees of his, and his feet are PERPETUALLY cold. Prefers you to hold onto him while you sleep. An early riser and if you drink any sort of hot beverage in the morning, he'll always have one waiting for you if he happens to get up before you do.

#bnha headcanons #mha headcanons #bnha x reader #mha x reader #all might x reader #toshinori yagi x reader #gender neutral reader

[thecameronchronicles]

Best Friend's Girl

Best Friend's Girl

TW: Smut, cheating, language. Fluffy also intense first time sex with vulgarity of quelling and praise kink ;)

Word Count: 2100

You had been dating Topper this last summer. In contrast to your past, he was everything a good girl like you deserved. He pulled open car doors and convinced your parents he adored you, which he did, all while making you question if they preferred him over you. He even brought you a flower every week to commemorate those you were together as boyfriend and girlfriend. 

But being entangled in the handsome Thornton also meant you were subjected to those within his life. Among them was his mother, who was perpetually over eager to correct you. And then there were his friends. Kelce was easygoing, if not a bit of a negligent guy who followed more behind his friends than leading any life of his own. But then there was Rafe…

The eldest Cameron sibling was six foot two, blue eyed, and got under your skin like nobody else could or ever would again. This was because he tormented you with silence.

It began the night you met with scoffs and comments to others in regards to how you were too 'pure' and ‘boring’ for Topper. But just as you knew Rafe's reputation for being gluttonous in everything from drugs to girls, he knew yours for your chastity, grace, and polite quietude unless spoken to or otherwise provoked.

Which he did.

Constantly.

But the moments became more direct towards the end of the summer. This came in the form of his eyes following you shamelessly around as you dressed scantily in a bikini, hung over your boyfriend with the intent to annoy him, to even something as innocuous as reaching popcorn on the top shelf, only to turn and see his eyes raise, which exposed him for having been shamelessly staring at your ass. And the most aggravating detail was brazen in his smirk in knowing he had been caught.

"I've been thinking-"

You quickly gasped, raising your hand to your chest as if simulating a heart attack.

"Must be a strange feeling for you..." You teased, carrying your bare feet across the cold tile before coming to the cabinet harboring the bowls. Pulling one down, you felt a collision in the form of his frame.

"Rafe-" You spoke in frustration before watching him pin one arm on either side of you until you were at his will.

"You think you're cute, don't you? Think you can say whatever you want and get away with it?" He slowly shook his head in disapproval.

"Top needs to keep you in check. MY girl wouldn't get away with the shit you do-"

You scoffed at his misogynistic and anti-feministic response as he continued.

"If you walked around in front of MY friends with your poor excuse of a swimsuit, I'd rip it off of you with my teeth, bend you over the closest surface, and make you cum  over it so you thought of what I'd do the next time you tried to dress like that-" Your lips parted to object, but his words emerged swifter than anything you could accumulate.

"Or...I'd leave handprints on your ass so everyone knew you could be looked at..." His hand collected your chin, surprising you with his kindness, as he leaned closer.

"But only I could touch you-" You became lost in his eyes for a moment, your body betraying you against the way their cool blue irises left a false sense of security compared to his words. You knew if you allowed his words to be made a reality, even for a minute, that you would loathe yourself beyond what you could handle. 

But that was the final reason you hated Rafe....because of just how badly you actually desired him.

"Trouble finding it babe?" Topper called from the living room as this prompted enough of a reality check to push Rafe off of you. But you fumbled to pour the contents of the pre popped kennels into the bowl, clearly affected by his words, as he chuckled at you.

"No-I-I've got it-" You offered an answer back, pushing beyond your flustered body while feeling him watch you in amusement.

"Shit...He REALLY needs to do right by you-" Your eyes rose to him in a glare.

"He is!" You spoke in annoyance, mostly originating from his effect on you.

"No, sweetheart...because if he was REALLY taking care of you..." He moved back towards you, eyes sharpening, smirk widening, and breath temporarily stilled before speaking. "Then you wouldn't be so damn tense. He'd have you so damn satisfied, you'd feel high..."

"I'm-" Before you could iterate how Topper was everything Rafe wasn't, the reasons waiting on a list at the tip of your tongue, his hand was on your hip.

"Please." Your plea was weak, defining the detail behind it to act as consent as you did precious little to convince him otherwise.

"One finger-" The rush of his bare finger to your equally naked pussy sent your expression to lift in disbelief. Not only had Topper never touched you, nobody had-at least not like Rafe was now.

 The thickness of his forefinger in the added chill of his signet ring acted as a barrier to the depth in which he penetrated into you.

"Please don't-" But again, this wish was taken as he listened more to your body's response than to your words.

"Two fingers? Okay baby..." His middle finger slipped effortlessly inside of you, the pressure sending your fingers in a harsh grip to his plaid button shirt, now wrinkled by your hold. 

"Anybody could see-"

"Okay, if you insist, here's three...." He ignored you once more, the stretch of his ring finger bringing you to imagine if this was how he would feel inside of you, pulling apart your virtue with the cock you craved when you were alone. You envisioned him in ways you shouldn't have, and yet, you were shameless in the darkness of your room. Every fantasy paling in comparison to how erotic this moment felt.

"So wet for me baby, making it so easy to make you feel good..." He explained through clenched teeth, your grip eating harshly into him, as he only seemed to find motivation beneath your clutch.

"But you gotta be quiet, because either way, I'm not stopping until you cum..." Your lips parted to the eroticism behind his words as he now carried his thumb to your clit.

"But I want to be the only one to see that pretty little face twist in pleasure..." His smile returned and manipulated his focus.

"Because of me!" He was adamant, fingers pumping and thumb circling as you buried your lips into his shoulder.

"I've seen the way you look at me...You've wanted this...and I want to give it to you-" He was relentless, abusing the untouched pussy weeping at his mercy.

"R-rafe..." You groaned into him, body beginning to tremble to signal a coming release.

"More...I need more.." You called beneath a whimper as he scoffed.

"You want my cock?" The way he was straight to the point made you even more eager as you nodded.

You wanted to lose your virginity when you were in love, possibly even with music or candles. At least, that is how you hoped and even imagined it would go. But at this moment, you didn't care. You wanted him to keep going. You NEEDED him to keep going.

"You've been such a good girl for me...You deserve to feel good..." You nodded in agreement as he turned you away from him.

"Want me to be the first in that tight little pussy?" His hand gripping your hair, lying you against his shoulder.

"Yes."

"Then you gotta be good and quiet for me...Then next time, I'll let you scream as loud as you want-"

"Next time?" You questioned turning to face him before feeling him bend you forward. He was almost immediately undressed from the waist down in seconds, his cock freed by his quickened motions. Without the need for further foreplay as you were nearly dripping down your own thighs, he teased your folds a handful of times before finally sliding in to you.

"I'll go slow-just to keep you quiet...just at first.." He groaned into your ear as you were frozen by the immense pain from his size bringing you to tears. To amend this, he brought pleasure via your clit.

"Almost all the way baby, keep relaxed for me...That's right...just like-" Sliding in an inch every few seconds, you took him entirely before feeling him release an agreeable exhale.

"That..." Your fingers clawed at the counter as he tightened his grip once again.

"This pussy..." His hand lowered from your neck. 

"Is mine." Your lips pulled to breathe as his second hand wrapped over your lips.

"I know it's hard baby, but you gotta stay quiet...just until I cum...you wanna make me cum?" You nodded, willing to agree to anything as long as he continued. But on the cusp of this desperation, he used it to test your sensitivities by twisting your nipples between his fingers and returning to your clit, alternating as you rolled against him.

"So fucking tight...so good-all for me" He groaned once more, speaking low and gradual, as your body reacted in convulsions to his praise.

"Rafe! Rafe! Rafe!" You warned in quick succession, as your mouth pulled to a wide oval, your nails drawing blood to his hungry touch, and your breath erratic but quiet to refrain from being discovered.

"That's it...good girl...cum for me...let me be the first-"

"Oh god..." He devoted to your clit, flicking and squeezing its delicate and now fleeting virtue as the rush of an orgam sent you nearly limp.

And yet he didn't stop.

"Rafe-" You warned. "It's too much-"

"I know you can do it baby, so goddamn perfect for my cock...make me cum...come on baby...so good...so fucking good..." You clenched at the idea of continuing further-the stimulation making you whimper as he would then silence you with a kiss.

"Goddamn, Top is missing out-" The guilt when mentioning his name brought you to turn to face where your boyfriend remained, separated by a wall. All while you were being pinned and fucked by his best friend.

"Don't worry. You have me...I'll make you feel good baby. All day. Whenever you want-" He spoke in low, almost guttural, narrations that lessened your guilt and worsened your excitement.

"However you want...just-" He gripped your hips harshly. "Just so good for me...so fucking tight." You reclined back against him.

"Coming, babe?" Topper called.

"She's cuming!" Rafe responded, not caring to hide his mischief.

"Gotta cum baby or we're gonna get caught."

"Rafe-" He knew the tone in your voice was spoken in a coming rejection. Therefore, he sent you forward into a bow while he held you down via the back of your neck with one hand and continued his circles of overstimulation with your clit.

"Fuck...You're making me cum...SUCH a good pussy...good girl...MY pussy-MY girl..." He breathed behind you, thrusts turning sloppy as your body seemed to depart from you as a new wave of pleasure took over you completely. A sudden gush sent you to blush as he chuckled in how you soaked your own feet as well as his flip flops in your second and final release.

"Shit...." He turned you to him, his own release now mixed with yours.

"Please, no more..." You whined as he grinned.

"Not tonight. But from here on out, you are mine, yeah?" Drawing out these words, he quickly dressed from behind you as you sheepishly pulled up your clothes in the nick of time as Topper rounded the corner.

"What the hell is taking so long?" He questioned with his usual charming grin as you wondered if he could tell that Rafe was walking away with your virtue, still worn as evidence over his feet.

"You're right....something IS off,” He began as your heart nearly lept from your chest. 

“Just can't quite put my finger on it..." Rafe held a handful of popcorn, using this as an illusion to suck what remained of you from his fingertips, locking eyes while licking his digits clean. 

You swallowed hard.

You wondered how it had transpired so quickly-why you had allowed it to. You had Topper. Sweet, sensitive, even sensual Topper. But he wasn't what you truly wanted. What you wanted was passion. 

The danger. 

Even the uncertainty. 

And you craved it.

More each day.

Each second.

Until you could have it again...

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x you #rafecameron #rafe cameron smut #outer banks #outerbanks #outer banks fanfiction #outer banks smut #obx #obx smut #obx fanfiction #netflix #drew starkey #rafe cameron fanfiction

[avengerscompound]

The Interview - Chapter 6

The Interview - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist

PREVIOUS //

Rating:  E

Warnings:  nothing really

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Melody Danes

Word Count:   1684

Summary:  Melody Danes gets the break of a lifetime when as a lowly intern, she’s assigned to write a profile piece on Captain America.  Steve Rogers is a hard man not to fall for and as she and Melody get closer and Melody’s career takes off, jealousy leads to sabotage, and the potential to bring her whole world crashing down.

Chapter 6

Steve Rogers: The Man Behind the Mask

By Melody Danes | Photographs by Peter Parker

Everyone knows Captain America.  He’s on the news regularly.  There are comic books and action figures based on the man.  Less is known about Steve Rogers.  The centurion who became the first-ever Super Soldier is often tight-lipped about his personal life.  He opened up to DB and what we found was not what we expected.

“You have a crush on Captain America!”

I’ve heard that accusation a lot since I started working on this profile piece.  The first day I went in to meet him for lunch I kept telling myself; be professional, be professional, be professional, in my head on repeat.  This is my first gig after all and well - it’s Captain freaking America.  I didn’t want to freak the man out and ruin any potential I had at getting another interview assigned to me in the future.

Over the week I spent following Steve Rogers around I realized that was easier said than done.

I should start at the beginning.  I had agreed to meet Steve at a diner near the Avengers Tower.  Since he is who he is, and this was my first interview with anyone, I wanted to make a good impression. So I borrowed a pantsuit from a friend.  It was not my best call, the shoes I wore were a size too big, and I fell just outside the diner we’d agreed to meet in.

Falling and being caught by Captain America when you’re on the way to meet him should be illegal.  It leads to too many awful things from completely mortifying embarrassment to imagining how one day you’ll tell your grandchildren the story of how you met their grandfather.

Steve is somehow even more handsome in real life than in pictures.  It’s almost like he’s been carved out of marble.  His skin is flawless and his muscles are hard like stone.  It’s his eyes that catch you though.  They are so blue and his lashes are so long and so dark that I’m fairly sure they could see them from the Alpha Flight Space Station.  They’re also kind.  Steve can be intimidating, but there is something about his eyes that makes you feel safe.

That first meeting I’d expected him to be closed off and unwilling to open up.  The Avengers haven’t exactly had the best run with the way the press reports on their work, and Steve in particular is known to keep to business when he speaks to the press.  What I found (apart from the textbook definition of a chivalrous meet-cute) was a man who wanted to see who he was, just as much as we wanted to find out.

We are all used to seeing Steve Rogers as Captain America, a role he considers important, but the role means he’s always on display and the way we interpret the message might not be the one he is trying to put out.

He wasn't always on display.  As he sits down to his steak he tells me about his childhood.  It's a bleak tale.  We all know the story, Steve Rogers was born to poor Irish Immigrants Steve had a list of ailments as tall as he was.  Asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, sinusitis, heart palpitations, nervous trouble, bone and joint deformity, color blindness, scoliosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, pernicious anemia, partial deafness, astigmatism, and easy fatigability.  It’s quite the list.  “I was a perpetual letdown for my father.  All he wanted was a good strong son who could follow in his footsteps, but what he got was a sick kid they didn’t expect would make it to adulthood,” Steve confesses.  The disappointment was added to when Steve’s younger brother died shortly after he was born.  It resulted in Steve’s father turning to alcohol and taking out that disappointment on the son who did survive.

It’s the kind of childhood that people usually describe to explain what sent them to the dark side.  Not so for Steve.  It made him particularly sensitive to vulnerable people.  In his own words, Steve Rogers doesn’t like bullies.

On a tour of Brooklyn Heights, the place he spent his youth, Steve is quick to point out all the places where he fought off bullies.  “You point to a spot and I probably started something I couldn’t finish there,” he tells me as we walk the streets.  Even with that huge list of ailments and a father who beat him, he still stood up to people bigger than him when he thought something wasn’t right.  It was no wonder that they chose him for Project Rebirth.

The sight of the Project Rebirth experiment that had turned into a nightclub now, and a strange tribute to all things Captain America.  Taking a look around it with Steve is a strange experience.  He seems genuinely happy that it had been turned into a place people go to enjoy themselves but it’s hard not to think about how he’d been experimented on and changed in that very room, making him the man he is today.

There are still things that linger from his childhood.  Over his steak, Steve tells me about his issues with food and why he hadn’t ordered the pancakes he would have preferred. “Steak is fine.  But is it what I wanted?  I’m not even sure.  I chose it because it looked like it was the best combination of protein and carbohydrates to get me through until dinner.  The serum has made it so I burn through calories so fast, so if I eat something like pancakes or pie, I end up having a crash an hour or so later.  And I can’t have that because it means I have to eat again.  And for a guy who grew up through the great depression with medical conditions that made it so that he had to eat pounds of raw meat that I’d just end up throwing up - well I can’t take constantly eating throughout the day.”

It's such a human reaction to childhood trauma.  We put our superheroes up on these pedestals and expect them to be more than us.  To be perfect both as public figures and behind closed doors.  It's a position no one can hope to achieve.  Not even actual gods. (Especially not actual gods).

Steve Rogers is just a man.  A good man, but still just a man.  He blushes when he flirts and he rolls his eyes when his friends tease him.  He can be quite sarcastic when he wants to be and he seems to want to be on a semi-regular basis.  He is sweet and he is open about what he believes in.  Sergeant James Barnes, Steve’s best friend growing up, followed him into battle not because he was Captain America but because he was Steve Rogers, “... and that little punk had a good heart.”

When asked what his biggest flaws are, he thinks about the question seriously.  “I expect a lot out of others.  I think I also automatically fall into a kind of disappointed father role.  And I can be reckless.”

That recklessness is regularly seen through his role as Captain America.  The fact he is still alive today is only because he intentionally crashed a plane in the Arctic Ocean and was put into suspended animation thanks to the ice.  He is regularly known to throw himself off buildings without a way to break his fall.

He’s a little more careful in his personal life, though it’s easy to see why.  The man has lost everyone once.  Since waking up there’s only ever been one rumored romantic partner.  Though he has gathered a rather large group of friends around him.  The Avengers are more than just teammates, they're a family that they created together. Each one wants to be better and help fix the world with the skills they each have.

So what is a better world according to Steve Rogers?  “I’ve always believed consenting adults should be able to love each other freely and without interference.  I have always believed that people should have a minimum standard of living that’s met even if they’re unable to work.  That means homes, food, electricity, running water, and medical care.  I have always believed that people should be free to worship whatever god they choose - or not - as long as that worship doesn’t interfere with others or harm them.”

He’s also pro-choice - a position well ahead of his time, though he’s seen what can happen when the procedure is outlawed.

That is only one of the ways the world has changed since he was a kid, not just politically but physically.  Steve used to stand at the docks in Brooklyn and watch the city line change.  It’s now barely recognizable to him, only really the Chrysler and Empire State buildings stand out as recognizable.  Where he grew up is different too, the art school where he started college doesn’t even exist anymore.  Back when he was a child he treated his myriad of medical conditions using things like heroin, cocaine, and belladonna, something that seems unbelievable today.

It’s a lot to have to adjust to, but he has adjusted, and he still works to change what needs work while appreciating the changes that have happened.  When I ask what he thinks we do today that will be seen as completely backward in another hundred years, his answer is circumcision.

He immediately blushes at his answer.

And that’s the Steve Rogers I got to know.  Working hard at fitting into a world that has moved forward as he works to make further changes.  Trying to be the good man he is.  Snarky.  Intelligent.  And willing to talk about circumcision with a stranger even when it makes him blush.

So my friends are wrong.  I don’t have a crush on Captain America.  My crush is firmly aimed at Steve Rogers.  The man is sweet-natured, decent, and completely unexpected.  I may always carry this crush with me.  He’s something special, and we’re all really lucky to have him.

// NEXT

#marvel #avengers #steve rogers #steve rogers x oc #steve rogers x ofc #captain america #captain america fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #ofc #smut #the interview

[lunar-years]

everyone has different interpretations of scenes, but for real that scene with jamie and roy was just plain sexist. roy seriously said "i don't know if we're getting back together because she's a woman and you never know". like what the absolute fuck was that line? they showed up to her house condescending, completely unapologetic about their behaviour, and treated her like a trophy prize. she deserved to beat them up. jamie and roy have always been troubled characters, but they were never (not even in season one) sexist assholes. the show went out of its way multiple times to establish that even when they made mistakes it was due to personal insecurity and not misogyny.

and whenever it was something misogynistic, it was heavily criticised as such, which, in this episode, it was not. a lot of people did seriously not catch the blatant sexism of it at all and went "that's how these men act" (again, what the fuck?). jamie spent season three being respectful of roy and keeley's breakup and not making a move on her, out of consideration of roy's feelings. roy, who knows how abusive jamie's father is, probably better than any other male character on the show, physically assaulted him. despite the fact that throughout the season roy has been approaching jamie with affection, realizing that's what he needs to feel secure (complete disrespect to 2x08 too, one of the best episodes of the series). and while we're on the topic of violence, roy and jamie were never this violent with each other, even when they hated each other's guts. jamie, who gave keeley a truly heartfelt apology about the leaked video, making a point to not victim-blame or engage in literally ANY other sexist behaviour, just brings it up to upset roy in a dick-measuring contest. and one episode ago, one fucking episode ago, they were all getting along, keeley and roy were obviously trying to get back together, and jamie wasn't one bit bothered by it. they were holding hands on his bed and he saw them and smiled! regardless of whether you think the roykeeley arc was rushed (i do), jamie might have been heartbroken or sad, but he wasn't, not once, established as jealous of them. and this entire season was devoted to roy and jamie becoming friends by slowly growing comfortable around each other and actually trusting each other. every single one of those things was thrown into the trash. and yeah, sure, progress isn't linear and perfection isn't possible for people, but that WAS NOT regression. roy and jamie were never sexist dicks. those were two completely different characters.

ALSO, this scene normalizes the idea that it's perfectly forgivable to revert back to sexism whenever emotionally distressed, even if you are generally not like that in your life. it's not. in reality, you're either sexist or you're not, and doing this in one scenario will absolutely mean that you will be sexist in different scenarios too. nobody in real life will be sexist in some areas of their life and feminist in others. implying that this isn't the case shows a very poor understanding of feminist theory and ted lasso has more or less done a good job at not being sexist. i feel like this really excuses unacceptable behaviour that the show itself tells us, with rupert particularly, has very real consequences that perpetuate violence against women. to me, the light-hearted resolution of that whole scene was terrible and poorly written at best. people in the writers' room typed that scene, read through it, and did not find it weird at all. though it's not the first time in the third season, see: forgiving jamie's dad and far-right bigots (???).

and lastly, when people were asking for a love triangle resolution, they meant something fitting for the year of our lord 2023. healthy communication and conversations, mutual respect and love between the charactets, maybe even polyamory (3x11 had a great ot3 set up, too). nobody meant we wanted something from the fucking 1950s. literally the only worse way this could have played out would have been if keeley ended up with the one that caused the other more damage. legit disgraceful ending for roy and jamie as characters, and for the show as well. considering everything it has stood for so far.

(i'm sorry if this reads like i'm calling people out, i'm not, really, i'm just very mad. and also really sad, because i did not go into the ted lasso finale expecting unaddressed sexism. like that was Really Very Bad. for this show especially).

woahhh there's a lot going on here, anon. For anyone wondering, I'm assuming this is a response to this post of mine. While I don't mind discussion or being called out... this does feel like something that could've very well been your own post or an open response to mine instead of an anon note. Because if you've read my meta, you'll probably already know I'm not going to agree with you on this.

Just gonna drop a few short thoughts because I don't have energy to write a think piece when my broader thoughts are already contained in my original post:

I'm not sure where you think I was trying to excuse their words or pretending they weren't being sexist or like they weren't treating Keeley as a weapon in their own games or a prize to be won. I think there's a difference between excusing someone's actions versus trying to understand where they were coming from for the characters and where they are at now.

"while we're on the topic of violence, roy and jamie were never this violent with each other, even when they hated each other's guts" Roy & Jamie were literally beating each other up in the locker room and brawling right out there on the pitch in season 1, anon.

"Keeley and Roy were obviously trying to get back together, and Jamie wasn't one bit bothered by it." this is just not true. Roy was trying to get back together with Keeley. Keeley wasn't shown to be reciprocal (beyond sleeping with him, which is a repeated pattern of behavior for her on the show, and something she in fact did with Jamie in season one), and Roy misinterprets it, as Jamie misinterpreted it. In fact, I'd argue Roy deciding it was a good idea to try and make him and Keeley happen right there in Jamie's bedroom with Jamie crying to his mum one room over, shows he wasn't thinking about Jamie, not when it comes to Keeley. Roy wants what Roy wants and he assumed he was going to get it. And Jamie went through a whole journey of expressions when he opened that bedroom door, so I don't think it's fair to say he "wasn't one bit bothered." I think we've established at this point Roy and Jamie both love Keeley and have always been weird and jealous about it with the other.

"this scene normalizes the idea that it's perfectly forgivable to revert back to sexism whenever emotionally distressed" this scene didn't normalize anything, because the show immediately acknowledged that Jamie and Roy were both in the wrong and had Keeley rightfully kick them to the curb for it. The narrative was not that this is okay or acceptable behavior. I definitely didn't see the scene as light-hearted

"nobody in real life will be sexist in some areas of their life and feminist in others." i am a woman who considers herself very much a feminist. That doesn't mean I've never had moments of internalized misogyny or made harmful comments that buy into a patriarchal narrative, despite myself. Well-intentioned people make mistakes. We are all works in prog-mess trying to get through life as the best people we can be. Jamie and Roy, in my opinion, are fictional iterations of the same principle. I don't think this comes even close to destroying their entire characters in the way you are implying.

All the best x

#asks #roy kent #jamie tartt #keeley jones #ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers

[magxit]

Just dropped: https://twitter.com/rollingstone/status/1663660316817780745?s=46&t=Jv7EvC8oVb-dKk_gHc29yQ

I haven’t read the full thing. But kinda sad when the media gets it more so than her own fans…

We Wouldn’t Be Having This Conversation If Taylor Swift Was a Man

Publicity stunt or not, Swift can have a sleazeball summer if she damn well pleases.

ON THE FINAL night of Taylor Swift’s MetLife shows this weekend, 80,000 Swifties screamed in the swamps of New Jersey for over three hours. They wore outfits from every era — tinsel fringe dresses, serpent arm cuffs, and heart-shaped sunglasses. I saw countless faces in cowboy hats similar to the emoji — only these cowboys were sobbing uncontrollably while eating foot-long hotdogs. And the bracelets! They were all wearing beaded bracelets coded in Swiftian lyrics, trading them in the parking lot like Deadheads swapping grilled cheeses. (Take my advice: do not try to pay for the bracelets. They will look at you like you’re from outer space.) 

It’s hard to believe that while this magical Eras tour is happening — and while Swift is somehow reaching previously-unimaginable heights of popularity, surpassing even the ludicrous highs of 2015 — she is also experiencing a backlash from some corners of the Swiftie community over her supposed new boyfriend, the 1975’s Matt Healy. 

Their sentiments were best summed up in an open letter on Twitter using the hashtag #SpeakUpNow (named after Swift’s upcoming re-recording of her 2010 album), which states that Healy’s many controversies “deeply trouble” them. “From engaging in racist remarks, making offensive jokes, and admitting to watching degrading pornography in which people of color are being humiliated and assaulted, his actions contribute to the perpetuation of hate, stereotypes, and objectification, which targets and hurts some people from the Jewish, Black, Chinese, Hawaiian, Inuit, LGBTQ+ communities, as well as women.”

The statement refers to the derogatory comments Healy made about the rapper Ice Spice on The Adam Friedland Show podcast in February and the questionable apology he delivered onstage last month. Fans raised eyebrows when Swift recruited the rapper for her “Karma” remix last week, and on Monday, Healy finally addressed the controversy in a New Yorker profile that only exacerbated the issue. He explained that the whole thing “doesn’t actually matter” and that the backlash he received was merely virtue signaling: “It’s just people going, ‘Oh, there’s a bad thing over there, let me get as close to it as possible so you can see how good I am,’” he said. “And I kind of want them to do that, because they’re demonstrating something so base level.”

If you didn’t catch this quote aggregated on the internet about 137 times (you probably had better things to do than scroll Twitter and hustle children for their handmade bracelets), you aren’t missing much. This is all part of Healy’s artistry: an intricate, tangled web of bits intended to rile you up and piss you off. This is the guy who eats raw meat onstage, gives Nazi salutes, and delivers intelligent observations like, “I’m obsessed with my dick for some reason.” Stupid Shit is his brand. Are we really supposed to take anything he says seriously? 

I’m not here to answer that, but I am here to tell you that none of it is Taylor’s problem. For the last 17 years, we’ve held this woman responsible for the actions of men she chooses to spend time with, and it’s time to stop. It would be fair to criticize her for walking out of Electric Lady with the ghost of Pol Pot or wondering why her dad and Matt Lauer are grooving out to her performance of “22.” But this is just a hot sleazeball who wants Oasis back together (I don’t know about you, but I’ve dated a lot of guys who fit that description), and it’s up to Taylor to spend her time as she pleases.

[lovelyhan]

Vernon pov where he thinks how beautiful his best friend is and him being deeply in love with her 🤌🏻

His thoughts during segs😩

this is so ???? 🥹🥹🥹 OKAY good thing i still have some inspiration left over so lemme just *cracks knuckles*

just a quick vernon x reader drabble wc: 0.4k words minors do not interact!

Vernon wonders if things would've been different if he wasn't such a coward.

You call him your one-call-away. Your ride-or-die. Whatever bad idea you've got under your sleeve, he's always been there to see it through until the end.

But even if he's always found it difficult to say no to you since you were kids, Vernon doesn't exactly think of himself as a pushover. He knows all his choices still have some autonomy in them.

So, he wonders... Did he only agree to lie with you like this time and time again because he's perpetually willing to play along with all your terrible ideas? Or is it because he's so afraid of hoping for more, that he's simply content with having your body, and not your heart?

The people around you often sneer to themselves whenever you're around, whispering about how you're more trouble than you're worth. But Vernon has known you long enough to see past your mischievous smiles and passive-aggressive outlook on life.

In fact, he's probably the only person in the world who knows the exact face you make in the midst of a blistering orgasm. How you'd always rake your nails across his back. How you're typically silent as it washes over you, as you're too overwhelmed to utter a single sound.

He loves pleasuring you just as much as he loves you—convinced that you're prettiest when you're sighing his name in post-coital bliss, like a string of prayers you're begging for the gods to give to you.

Vernon wants to say that you have him. In times where you want him, and in times where you don't—you'll always have him.

But once everything is said and done, you're already halfway to his door before he can even think about putting his clothes back on. You thank him for the fix. A little stress relief is just what you needed, you say, and Vernon's mouth twitches into a tired smile as he waves goodbye.

The moment the door clicks shut behind you, he's left in the ear-splitting silence—a plethora of what ifs swimming through his thoughts like a permanent cloud over his head.

What if he just asked you to stay?

What if he finally owned up to what he's been hiding from you for years?

But then Vernon remembers... He can't do that. Not if he wants to keep you close to him as you already are.

Sacrificing the friendship you've both cultivated for years in exchange for a chance at becoming something more... It's not a risk he's willing to take. Not yet, at least.

So for now, he'll continue being a coward, as long as it means that you'll keep coming back to him.

notes: hehe the anon didn't really specify if vernon and his best friend had to be Together together, so here's some angst <3 also :( he is definitely the type to be catastrophically in love with his best friend, yet can't come clean about it bc he's afraid of ruining the friendship T T

#📝 drabble #vernon #seventeen vernon #anon #thank you for letting me write this HEHE #💭 request

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Edward is even more remarkable. . . . I'll give you an example. You can publish it or not, it makes no difference to me. When I came out of the asylum, the person who collected me was Edward Hardwicke. He took me to an Italian restaurant. I had a pasta and a glass of red wine. He then drove me back to my home where we sat and had a cup of tea. It was Edward Hardwicke. He is one of the loveliest people, and I suppose he *is* the best friend that any man has ever had....in life. Which is after all how Doyle describes Watson.

- Jeremy Brett on his co-star Edward Hardwicke

In the same way everyone has their personal James Bond, so too do people have their own Sherlock Holmes. Mine will always be Jeremy Brett. Not just because he came closest to the original Sidney Paget drawings in the Strand magazine, nor that he was supported by an excellent film production crew who were loving to the source material. With all due respect to all the other wonderful actors that have played Holmes over the many decades, no one can come close to Jeremy Brett.

What makes Brett stands out was he captured Holmes’ inner life better than most because he inhabited the same qualities and struggles. Not only was he tall, atheletic, and aristocratic but his best friends were the actors who played Watson on screen. Moreover the secret to his success was how Brett’s life mirrored the deep and hidden vulnerability behind Holmes’ frigid exterior.

In 1976, Jeremy Brett married Joan Sullivan Wilson, who died of cancer in July 1985. it perpetuated his descent into depression for which he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Brett was prescribed lithium tablets to fight this condition. He suspected that he would never be cured, and would have to live with his malady. And yet he wanted to return to work, and to play Sherlock Holmes again because he shared an affinity with the famous detective. 

The first episode to be produced after his discharge was a two-hour adaptation of The Sign of Four in 1987. From then on, the changes in Brett's appearance and behaviour slowly became more noticeable as the series developed. One of the side effects of the lithium tablets was fluid retention; Brett was putting on weight and retaining water. The drugs were also slowing him down. According to Edward Hardwicke, Brett smoked up to 60 cigarettes a day, which "didn't help his health." He also had heart troubles. His heart was twice the normal size; he would have difficulties breathing and would need an oxygen mask on the set. "But, darlings, the show must go on", was his only comment.

During the final decade of his life, Brett was treated in hospital several times for his mental illness, and his health and appearance visibly deteriorated by the time he completed the later episodes of the Sherlock Holmes series.

Jeremy Brett died on 12 September 1995 at his home in Clapham, London, from heart failure.

#brett #jeremy brett #quote #sherlock holmes #dr watson #edward hardwicke #tv series #television #literature #sir arthur conan doyle #conan doyle #de^ression #bipolar disorder #mental health #culture #britiain

[kitkatt0430]

Wedge, Lando, Mara Jade, and Chewbacca for the character bingo!

Wedge:

I know Wedge best from the X-Wing books I've read and a few other Legends books here and there. And I always get SOOOOO excited to see him pop up in the books. Usually leading Rogue Squad. Except when he's leading Wraith Squad.

He is absolutely the reasonable adult in the room and accidentally dad to his Rogue & Wraith squads. But oh, he gets the angst as bad as anyone who gets main character status in the extended Star Wars universe. At least one of his love interests is murdered :( poor dear.

He has to put up with being tangentially associated to Jedi nonsense through multiple characters - most notably Luke Skywalker and Corran Horn - but because he's a good friend and a good person to have your back in a crisis, he never complains. They're his people, he's gonna be there for them.

Lando:

He's a con man turned legit business owner, though it's a different business every time I check in on him in Legends. lol

So he spends some time in Legends dating Mara Jade. This is later retconned into the two of them going under cover with fake dating to do some recon and Mara was probably plotting his murder the entire time. Though she only wore his clothes (better than him) and probably stole a few of the man's true love interests (his cloaks). But Lando definitely sees himself as the suave playboy, which I enjoy about him so much. (Leia/Han/Lando please???)

Lando is often the adult in the room. He has no idea how this happened and is in perpetual fake it 'til you make it mode when it happens. I love this about him and I'm always excited to see him get put in a situation. Especially when Han and/or Leia are involved. And if he gets whumped... ;)

He introduced Luke to hot chocolate, canonically (Legends), and I adore that because he looked at this Jedi of growing legendariness and accurately diagnosed him with 'perpetually a farmboy at heart'.

Mara Jade:

Ah, my favorite Emperor's Hand, given the final mandate of killing Luke Skywalker upon the Emperor's death. Quite likely my favorite of Timothy's Zahn's Star Wars OCs, (though Karrde and Thrawn are close seconds) and she is absolutely a bit feral. Cryptid energy absolutely.

I adore that she spends so much of the Thrawn Trilogy (Legends) being driven by the Emperor's final command to kill Luke while also fighting it pretty hard while Luke is just, like... batting his eyes and going 'is this friendship? This is friendship. Leia, look at my new bestie!!!' (While Leia watches in bemusement before heading off on her own weird adventure. While being a badass pregnant woman the whole time.)

She is a trouble magnet in much the same vein as Luke too. Which is fun. I'd say she's an unapologetically Mary Sue character, which is well done here. She's a nuanced character with flaws, no one seems sure why they like her at first but she grows on them while she's actively fighting them growing on her too, and she is absolutely the one with the brain cell on Karrde's bridge every time he pulls some crazy stunt.

She's the only love interest Luke has that I don't wind up getting bored with, so it's convenient that she's the one he actually marries... and the way they go about it is they're besties and not romantic at all, but then realize that they're just... happier together and they get married once they're out of danger. Married QPPs anyone???

If not autistic then Mara definitely has some kind of neurodivergence going on, she has that ND putting up with nonsense energy so hard.

Chewbacca:

I love Chewbacca so much. Definitely can do no wrong. Oldest character on the OG main cast, fought alongside Yoda in the clone wars, taken from his home to be enslaved, rescued by this idiot child (Han) whom he becomes a parental/older sibling to because goodness knows Han would get himself killed once a week without Chewie there looking after him.

He's definitely playing up the Wookie stereotypes on occasion for the fun of it, exuding cryptid energy in the process. Is he feral? Is he just playing on stereotypes to win at space-chess? C-3PO & R2 would certainly prefer not to find out the answer.

#thanks for asking :D #blorbo bingo #kitkatt0430 answers #star wars #wedge antilles #lando calrissian #mara jade #chewbacca

[happy-hermit]

HELLO I WASN'T EXPECTING SO MANY OF YOU DKJSKD THANK YOU OMG <33

Okay very long incoherent ramble incoming I haven't figured everything out yet so here's just the general idea :)

Okay so basically the setting is a sort of like. Medieval setting where magic also exists! Ren is the king of the land which isn't plot relevant at all but it's relevant in my heart ASJKDKJS. Grian is a just sort of a traveler. He hates staying in one spot for too long so he's always hopping from village to village getting into trouble, the usual Grian stuff you know. He's best friends with Mumbo, who's a big name in what i'm calling the industrial district. He's a redstoner, which i'm thinking is a type of like. technology based magic. So he and Grian communicate on ye olde FaceTime via redstone/magic crystals, which is a very new technology that he's basically beta testing on Grian because what else are friends for.

ANYWAY akjsdkjs so Grian is a traveler. Pearl is his sister, also sort of does the same thing except she's been into sailing lately, so Grian can't exactly send her mail. Her address is perpetually changing. But he misses her and wants to check in on her SO he has to go to a wizard to help him send a message :) Just so happens that the next village he stops in knows of one close by...

Enter Scar :D He lives in a tower sort of on a cliffside by the ocean (dramatic flair). He's a good bit away from the village but close enough to walk, other than that he's pretty isolated. The village people act a little weird about him, like he's some kind of mysterious shut-in, or a hermit (hah), so when Grian knocks on the door he expects like. Some old and grumpy magic user telling him to get off his lawn. And it's Scar. Neither old nor grumpy, and in fact he is delighted to have a visitor.

Grian explains what he wants to do and asks what the price is, expecting like. diamonds or emeralds or his soul or something. And what Scar asks for is flowers. Grian is a little worried he's being scammed but ultimately goes through with it. Grian writes a letter and Scar conjures a bird to carry it safely to Pearl, and Grian goes outside and walks a bit until he finds some flowers to pick, and he brings them back to Scar. Scar pretty much lights up when he sees them, and the moment he touches them they get more vibrant and alive, so Grian figures out that he's nature-aligned (which just means he's got a natural talent for nature magic) which is weird because apart from the flowers Grian just brought there just. aren't any plants in his house. But he shakes it off and goes back to the village to stay in his little rented room.

He has to stay in the village long enough to get a response back from Pearl, so he has to visit Scar every few days to check! Cue awkward bonding moments and the forming of a friendship while they wait for the magic mail service to make the rounds. Finally he gets a response from Pearl and of course has to write her back. And of course has to wait for her response to that, and eventually it's just a thinly-veiled excuse to keep hanging around Scar KADSJJKD

Mumbo notices on one of their ye olde FaceTime calls that Grian's been in the same spot for like. way longer than usual. And he starts teasing him about it. ("Did you meet someone?" "...Well." "YOU DID?!")

So they're both falling in love, but Scar is. clearly nervous about something, hiding something. Grian tries to be patient but he's also worried and horribly curious. He invites Scar to walk through the market or the meadow or stargaze multiple times but Scar always looks guilty and scared and makes some random excuse. Grian's confused and a little hurt but is now fully invested in the health and wellbeing of this silly little wizard so he sticks around.

So things are sort of at a standstill. Until one day after a few days away Grian visits Scar again to find him fully panicking and freaking out, and he tells him that Jellie hasn't come back in a few days, and he begs Grian to look for her, telling him he'll do anything if he does. So Grian calms him down and promises to look for her, even as he's wondering why Scar isn't, and he asks if Scar wants to come with him but Scar just shakes his head through his tears and Grian leaves it alone.

He goes and looks for Jellie and finds that she's been "adopted" by one of the village families that thought she was a stray. Grian buys her back from them and takes a very grumpy Jellie back to Scar, who is just. so incredibly relieved and he cries into his cat for a while. Eventually Grian can't help himself and gently asks him why he didn't go look for her himself. Why he didn't leave.

Scar seems to resign himself to something, and he looks up at Grian with dull eyes and a sad smile. "I can't."

Grian asks him what that means. Scar demonstrates by standing up and trying to walk out the door. Glowing purple shackles appear around his wrists and neck, chains connecting back into the tower and fading into the walls. He steps back inside and they disappear. "I can't."

He explains that someone has trapped him here. That they think it's handy to have a wizard at the ready whenever they need one. That they force him to do magic for paying customers but that he never sees a penny of the profits. He doesn't have plants in his tower because he has not been allowed outside in years.

(i haven't decided who the evil person should be yet sdjskj please help.)

Anyway :) Grian starts feeling very, very murderous :)

#and some cute romantic stuff would also happen!! #ALSO FULLY FORGOT TO MENTION THAT GRIAN IS AVIAN SORRY #please give me feedback/ask follow-up questions in my asks! typing this out really helped me figure some things out sjkdj #came up with some of this AS I WAS TYPING :D #anyway thank you so much for asking about it!!! made me really happy thank you skadkj :] #jay's journal #hermitshipping #scarian #um for the moment i'm just gonna call this.. #tower au

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Tuesday 11.. March 1834

6 20

12 10

my cousin had come a little in the night – fine morning F54° at 7 5 – writing little paragraph in answer to Miss W-‘s indecision about Lidgate – out at 7 ½ - by Charles Howarth’s into my  walk and an hour  there– then with Pickles or one other till 9 ¾ at which hour breakfast in the little sitting room – my father had printed prospectus of the history and antiquities of Halifax by Mr Edwards Alexander the attorney - Letter 3 pages and ends and 1st page crossed (forwarded by Dr. Belcombe from York) from M- Leamington – very affectionate and very judicious answer to my last – hopes I found Miss W- better ‘Is she une malade imaginaire  because Steph says in speaking of her to me  ‘if Miss Walker was poor she would probably not be sick’ ‘ Has anything passed in reference to the occurrences of last spring, and have you any reason to believe an answer on the same subject, if again required, would be different from that which you received last year. Freddy, since you have been in York, my thoughts have been perpetually full of you  I do love you dearly and fondly come what may my heart is not unfaithful and still as formerly and forever  my joys by yours are known   ‘What you say on the subject of making things answer is I doubt  not true as applied to you, because you have energy of character to do with your mind, what you will

SH:7/ML/E/17/0006

but not one in a thousand could in reality so bend to circumstances - you are one whose practice can be made to accord with your theory, but nevertheless there is no reason why you, with others, should not profit by the maximum of ‘look before you leap.’  - I know quite well, that it would take much more to make you satisfied than you think, for my own feelings have more than once brought the conviction that even now she  who occupied the ‘fairy visions of your youth’ would have new lessons to learn - you won’t allow it, and I know you argue well against it, but your views of domestic life are changed  and I am quite assured the people and things that could have made you happy some years ago, would not do so now, without the help of your ‘I will make it answer’ - that all, and  everything, you undertake may answer will always, dearest Fred, be my earnest prayer - God knows what time may bring to us both, but my visions for the future, do not offer a much brighter prospect than the present presents  - as the last 18 years have passed, so do I expect will be those to come, and the only comfort I have to cling to is, the circumstance that if I have few individual pleasures, I at least enjoy that of doing good to others   There are many who would have been sadly off without me, and in having done good, I can, and do, perpetually find my best consolation.  Should anything under existing contretemps deprive me of this solace, life would be altogether a burthen.’  - How one false step in early life may blast the whole remainder upon days! Poor Mary! She has disappointed me too cruelly;  but her fate, as it was her own making, is more pitiable than mine – the new lessons she would have to learn, are, how to regain my confidence - it was in losing this, she lost the all she now regrets - and  her affection for me now is the forced tribute of esteem - Marian, too, had a letter which she said annoyed her -  on inquiry – It was from Mr George Brearleyrn Terrace Grove Mirfield  to whom I wrote for her the following answer    Sir my sister has just received your letter which she has very properly put into my hands as also a copy of her answer of the third of January to your previous letter which answer ought to have  prevented  your giving her any further trouble  I hope you will deem this communication from me sufficiently  explicit and that you will see the necessity of for bearing either to write again or to call at Shibden Hall on any plea whatever I am sir etc. etc. etc.  A. Lister   Marian much pleased and obliged and being just going to Halifax put it in the post herself  out again at 12 for a little while then came in and wrote all but the last 9 lines of today - out again at 2 and from then to 7 ¼ out with one or other - chiefly with John Booth planting out flowers in my walk then moving large white rose tree, and Persian lilac, and large Aucuba japonica from the terrace to the other side the upper garden door - Mallinson Pickels and his son John and Dick helped to move the latter - In the meantime Mark Town, Mr Jospeh Akroyds’ watchman  came to take the Hanging Hey & Flat Field 11D.W. at £2 the tenant paying all taxes - will come again about them tomorrow -Dinner at 7 ½ - coffee and read till 8 ½  the 2nd series Waldensian Researches from p.382 to 425 - Pickels and his men at the terrace - Mallinson and his man at the chimney (walled (bricked) in my father’s window) Charles and James H- at the cupboard with drawers for the upper buttery and John Booth shifting gravel and soil in the morning and flowers and shrubs in the afternoon - an hour with my aunt -  wrote 3 pages to Miss W- till 11 ½ - very fine day - F55° now at 11 35 pm.

[lilyhoshikawa]

how aboutttttt kasumi!!!

Overall opinion

I love Kasumi so much and she’s definitely up there as one of my favorite persona characters, except… canon Kasumi is really conflicted. I feel like I’ve explained this a couple times now but it really bothers me how the game introduces you to an interesting character with a dynamic personality, cheerful but troubled, shy but determined, and has you spend a significant amount of time with her between her confidant and the plot beats surrounding her, but then just… midway into the last arc, unveils that all of that was a lie and totally made up, and that this is actually a totally different person convinced she’s someone else!

Now, that already trips my unreality sensors, but the fact of the matter is that even ignoring the uncomfortable way this treats Sumire’s mental illness and the unreality stuff it subjects the audience for for the sake of a shitty twist, it also does a disservice to Sumire as her own character. We spend a significant portion of the game meeting Kasumi, or the Sumire who thinks she’s Kasumi, so not only do we have less time to get to know the real Sumire, it also kind of sets us up to not like her. We’re being forced to view Sumire immediately as a replacement for the Kasumi we’ve known up to now, to continue judging her against her sister, which is just a metatextual version of exactly the same thing she was doing in the text, which kind of undermines the intended point. I like Sumire as a character well enough, but she isn’t the character I enjoyed meeting to begin with, so I’m always going to be a little frustrated judging her against a nonexistent character that I liked more and now have to live with being gone. It’s not fair to either character to give us one when we should have had both, to be honest.

Not to shill a story I’m involved in but Deja Vu is probably the only work I’ve seen so far that has made the decision to separate them into two proper characters, a choice that I feel like the game should have made to begin with, but on top of that, DV also preserves the twist and the impact it has on Kasumi’s character by retaining the unreality aspects and psychological angle without forcing Sumire to replace Kasumi as a character, instead introducing her as her own wonderful and fleshed-out character. Kasumi’s cheerful and cutesy attitude being her genuine self makes it a lot easier to like her without being worried that I’m like, perpetuating the anxious spirals of a fictional character, and the other little touches added to Kasumi’s character are great. The autism, the speech impediment that her attitude towards evolves with her character in a subtle but meaningful way. Gosh. DV good.

Gender / sexuality

I think Kasumi is bisexual with a strong preference for girls! I also think she’s trans, because I think almost every persona character is trans and no one can stop me from thinking it.

Favorite canon moment

I wish her awakening was a little better than it was, but it’s not dhdkfnf. I also wish we got some more interesting stuff between the royal trio given how much they were highlighted in early marketing for royal only for them to be together for ultimately a pretty short time and have some fairy limited and kind of bland banter. As it stands, some of the best Kasumi moments are probably her appearance in the casino in the beginning of the game- yes, it’s kind of obviously forced to show you this cool new character and kind of ruins the scene’s pacing, but she IS cool in it so it works as a Kasumi scene even if not a good plot scene- and the conversation between Ren, Kasumi and Akechi about the Thieves.

Favorite fan work moment

All of Kasumi’s early appearances in Deja Vu have a special place in my heart because they endear the reader to her so quickly and they genuinely affected me specifically and made me feel like I was able to like this character that had previously left me kind of uncomfortable any time I thought about her.

Favorite line

This is always tough… I think as much as I hate the canon twist and everything, “the weak, insecure Sumire dies today” from her second awakening is a great line.

Characters I love seeing them with

Surprising nobody, I really do like her dynamic with Akechi, but mostly because of the way we’ve expanded upon it for DV. The game just throws it out there that Akechi, the guy who isn’t honest with anybody and is hostile to basically everybody, is best friends with Kazumi, a very sweet and genuine person, and then never touches on that again. The potential for their friendship is tremendous and the game forgets it set it up as quickly as it introduced it. On top of that, she and Ren have a great dynamic given their similar situations and the way their bond develops. And of course, most of all, I really really love seeing her interact with Futaba. They’re both such disaster gays and I love the way they bounce of each other, transfem hacker gal and her sporty gf. They’re fantastic together and super duper cute, and it quickly became my favorite ship once DV gave me the idea basically dhdjdjd.

Last thing before bed

I think Kasumi’s very ADHD and scatterbrained so she waits until late to do stuff like brush her teeth and everything and also knows she can’t be trusted to remember her meds in the morning so she has to set those out by her bed for herself in the morning. Then she gets a plushie to snuggle up with dbdjdnd.

Sleeping habits

For some reason I feel like Kasumi’s bed is covered in pillows and she just gets comfy and sleeps in a big pile of them with pillows against different spots of her so she’s nice and cozy dhdjfj and she tosses and turns a little in her sleep so she always has to gather them in the morning.

First thing in the morning

I think after taking her meds and such, she has a big breakfast. It’s important for her to have energy for the day, and I think she probably really loves breakfast foods too, so that helps. I think she’s kind of a morning person too so she loves getting to thoroughly enjoy that time before the day properly starts.

Favorite locations

Like all the Thieves I think she’s come to view LeBlanc as basically a second home dhdjfn. But on top of that, I think she likes parks! A good place to go jogging and just to hang out in general and experience the world, people watch and relax. I think she probably likes to have lunch in the park on her days off of school when she can, and starts bringing Sumire along once they’re reunited because she could definitely use some of that herself! They have a lot of fun. Sometimes Sumire points out people and makes rude jokes about them and Kasumi laughs while telling her to shush dhdjfj.

#meme response #daxieoclock #persona 5 #kasumi yoshizawa #rambles

[stxrsfxte]

🥝 : does my muse have any ‘ unusual ’ habits, interests, and / or talents? do they hide it, or are they proud of it? 🍉 : which of the four seasons suits my muse best, and why? 🍌 : is my muse inclined to help others, or will they only do it when it benefits them, if at all? what makes them this way? has it ever gotten them into trouble, or inconvenienced them? {For Ophelia!}

Fruity Headcanon Meme - Accepting! | Thank you!

🥝 : does my muse have any ‘ unusual ’ habits, interests, and / or talents? do they hide it, or are they proud of it?

Considering they come from a relatively well off family, and their work offers them enough money & resources that they don't ever have to go scavenging, that is probably one of their unusual habits. Ophelia likes to look through all the discarded resources and things to see if there is anything that can still be used, often using recycled material in their projects - turning the most rusted, once worthless piece of metal into something useful or beautiful is not only something they've put a lot of time and effort into learning how to do, but also something they actually pride themself on being able to do. They did use to hide this because of their family, but nowadays it's still not brought up often, but that's because it's become normal for them, rather than something they feel they have to hide.

They do have a somewhat hidden talent for music as well. Though they were encouraged to practice all sorts of "elegant" skills growing up, they didn't actually give practicing music much thought until much much later, a couple years after they had moved out, when they decided to start making music boxes due to a customer commissioning them for one. While many of the tunes used for the music boxes are classic pieces, they are a few (mostly the ones that they keep in their workshop) that play songs they came up with themself.

Also they have a love of birds and one day hope to make beautifully ornate mechanical ones (in HSR, this is in part because they want to help Belabog feel a bit more vibrant and full of life, even if it is mechanical life).

🍉 : which of the four seasons suits my muse best, and why?

Spring. The indomitable nature of life to always seek the chance to grow anew, even after a harsh winter, is very similar to how quietly dedicated, if still hesitant and cautious, Ophelia is when it comes to growing into themself as a person without their family's direct influence on them. There is still the trauma they have to work through, but they remind me of soft spring showers when the sun is still out and it feels as if the universe itself is encouraging things to start growing once again. The idea that there is always a chance for renewal / revival / a chance to start again is both very close to Ophelia as a character, and something they hold closely in their heart.

🍌 : is my muse inclined to help others, or will they only do it when it benefits them, if at all? what makes them this way? has it ever gotten them into trouble, or inconvenienced them?

Very much so, they are always willing to lend a hand to anyone who asks (they do quite a lot of work with Wildfire in Belabog / with the Adventure's Guild in Fontaine), and they have straight up refused compensation at times. This is especially true if they're helping kids, or anyone that just seems to be down on their luck. While they can be a bit stubborn on receiving proper compensation from specific clients (usually rich folk who can more than afford to compensate them for their work / help), they are also perfectly fine with accepting favors instead of money from said people. This in large part due to how they saw their parents interact with people - they refuse to perpetuate a cycle of cruelty caused by apathy and the believe that all work must be paid for in some way. They choose to believe in the good that comes from simply helping others because they want to, or because they don't want someone to end up in a worse position if they refuse to offer a hand. Not to mention, being a mechanic has given them the skills to fix many problems, of course they want to be available to help people solve other problems

This has definitely gotten them into trouble before (never enough for it to be like... a problem, as they've always managed to avoid getting into any trouble with the law that was more than a warning), especially because they sometimes don't pay attention to their own limits when offering to help others. They have especially gotten in trouble with the people who care about them because of pushing themself too hard and giving too much of themself to help other people without taking a break when they need to. This is especially true as Ophelia sometimes forgets to ask for help from others when they need it.

#about ophelia. #ophelia headcanons. #ooc || out of stars #// i love them so much #long post.

[kierzenanika]

Hello Everyone! I’m Anika Martinez

Welcome to Anika's Tumbler Account where you will get to know her more with a brave personallity. Join and support her thoughts and amazing stories based from her experiences as she freely express everything here for an eye opener and recommendations for a wonderlful phase in enjoying teenage life to adulting. Anika Kierzen L. Martinez at a young age of 16, has already experienced being an independent beautiful young lady as she had overcome her responsibilities independently as a hardworking student, a loving daughter and a caring sister to her siblings. She' a lovely lady, born on 13th of November 2006 in the City of Manila.

A passionate girl who does not have any fear of exploring other things to collect a lot of achievements. An amazing person that never doubts her strength to prove everyone that she's a perfectly imperfect graduating student of Perpetual Help College Of Manila who will do her best to graduate with honors and great achievements for her family to be proud of. Here are some of her achievements:

* Grade 3 (Top 3)

* Grade 4 (Top 2)

* Grade 5 (Best in Filipino)

* Grade 6 (Top 1)

* Grade 6 (Best in Math)

* Grade 7 (Student Achiever)

* Grade 8 (Top 10)

* Grade 8 (Student Achiever)

* Grade 8 (3rd Place Dance Contest)

#Anika’sAcademicAchievements🏅

In her world she loves listening to music to chill her mind and heart, Music is her way to escape reality and stress. Since she was in sixth grade, dancing is her favorite thing to do whenever she was sad to express her emotion and thoughts, she never knew she loves dancing until she start doing it and became her hobby. Anika also attempted playing a Volleyball but could not maintain it. She finds inspiration in make ups that can help her to stop for being insecure in her looks and became her inspirations to continue with her beautiful world.

Hobbies are great distractions from the worries and troubles that plague daily living. Also, the key to unleashing our inner passions and creativity.

#Anika’sHobbies🎊

[veritasforward]

Why CPAs Can't Quit Smoking

By Eric Runge, Advanced Planning Lead Introduction CPAs seeking to build their revenue often have trouble saying "no" to bringing on new clients, even if they don't have capacity to take them in. This is an admirable dedication to client acquisition, but can come at a high cost. CPAs who can't say "no" are a little like smokers who know the habit is bad for them, but can't quit. In this article, we'll discuss the problem and reveal a groundbreaking solution that can help CPAs break free from the stress and overwhelm, and lead a life with more peace and freedom.

The Perils of Overload: Smokers generally know the risks, but continue the habit. CPAs often do not see the risks of never saying "no" to the wrong type of client, and as such very often (in my experience) find themselves trapped in their own cycle of perpetual client acquisition. "One more won't hurt," never does hurt that same day, but the cumulative effect does. The constant pursuit of new clients creates massive overload and time issues, and CPAs end up drowning in endless hours of work as a result. This overwhelming workload can jeopardize their physical health, relationships, and mental well-being, but is also deadly to real business growth.

The Consequences: This is because the traditional hourly CPA model is a silent assassin. Limited hours in the day means there is a low limit on the amount that can ultimately be billed. The model also places stress and pressure upon the CPA, creating a race against time. We have actually known tax professionals who have died at their desk during tax season. I personally have not known a single CPA who was not stressed out during tax season and in need of staff. For most CPAs, their greatest problem is either "time" or "bandwidth." So what kind of lives are CPAs living, and what kind of businesses are they building?

A Closer Look at the Parallels: Given all this, why can't CPAs quit smoking? To truly appreciate the striking resemblance, one must dissect the underlying motivations. Both groups tend to persist in practices that they know are detrimental, but they're seeking to gain something. CPAs want to build their practice and reach their goals, undergirding a deeper desire for fulfillment and success, and a life well lived, helping the most amount of people possible. However, CPAs who are overloaded are not able to do the best job possible for the client-there are numerous strategies and ways to significantly deepen client tax savings, protect estates, improve clients' businesses, and more. CPAs who must get the return out the door and move on to the next client are doing their clients a disservice.

The Solution: Just as a smoker who sees the problem and wants to quit, CPAs too must realize how unhelpful to their goals their lifestyle actually is, and embrace the highly effective solution-the CPA-Team Based Model. This innovative approach empowers CPAs to transcend the revenue and time limitations of the traditional model, allowing them to not only survive but thrive. Growth minded CPAs usually tend to want to 2x their business, and that is why they can't quit smoking-their goals are just big enough for them to think that doing more of the same will get them to where they want to be. The Team-Based Model teaches CPAs that the only way to leave behind their habit is to set 10x goals-the kind that will force them out of their old habits and make their life better. Achieving these big goals are actually easier, as author Benjamin Hardy points out in his book "10x is easier than 2x."

Kicking the Habit: Delivering Value to A-Level Clients: The heart of this transformative model lies in providing deeper, more comprehensive and holistic planning to A-level clients. By working with a team of Virtual Family Office professionals who specialize in advanced planning, the forward-minded CPA will elevate their service offerings and instantly make themselves much bigger, allowing them to deliver the type of unparalleled value that other similar-sized CPA firms can't even touch. This strategic shift enables CPAs to focus their energy on clients who truly appreciate them and will benefit from these levels of expertise, while gradually shedding the burden of C&D clients.

Benefits Beyond Measure: The CPA-Team Based Model is not just a lifeline; it's a game-changer. By embracing this innovative approach, CPAs can reclaim their time, lower their stress, and finally be able to do the things in life that matter the most to them. Not to mention increasing their revenue substantially. The newfound balance allows CPAs to excel in their profession and feel that they're making a real impact for clients, but without sacrificing their own well-being.

Conclusion: Just as smokers can break free from their addiction, CPAs can liberate themselves from the chains of always seeking new clients. The CPA-Team Based Model offers not only a fresh start but a path to lasting success and fulfillment. Now is the time to take that first step towards a healthier, more prosperous future. Embrace the change, and watch as your practice flourishes. It's not going to be easy-in some ways it will be harder, but CPAs can break free from the chains of the hourly model and perpetual client gathering, and step into a future of maximizing their freedom and your potential. It takes the right CPA to work within this model. To find out if you might be a fit, schedule with me here.

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