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sanguineterrain · 19 days

Note

Hi Sanne! I'm not sure if requests are open, but if you're up to it I'd like to request red hood x reporter! Maybe reporter reader is getting too close to a case and is starting to become a target and hood takes her protection into his own hands? ((Including lots of midnight rendezvous and rooftop bump ins))

i love this prompt sm! i've been thinking about a reporter reader ever since i read task force z :) thanks for requesting!

jason todd x gn!reporter!reader. tw: reader is attacked (but they're okay), guns, violence, fighting, jason being both a force to be reckoned with and a big softie. 2.5k words

****

"I don't need protection."

The Red Hood crosses his arms. You cross yours right back.

"Yes, you do," he says.

"No, I don't. I've lived in Gotham my whole life. I can take care of myself."

"Living around and being in the thick of violence are very different. You're already chasing this story; they will come after you."

And what a story it is. The story of the decade, at the very least. A task force of formerly-dead Arkham patients wielded against Gotham by a mysterious benefactor.

It's terrifying. It's dangerous. It's sure to win you your first Pulitzer.

And it all means absolutely nothing if the Red Hood keeps wrapping you in red tape.

Your jaw ticks. "This is my story, Hood. You can't turn it in, so I will. And I won't be scared off by some slimeball."

"Oh, please. You wouldn't even have known about this story if it wasn't for me, smarty."

Smarty. His favorite moniker for you because, according to him, you think you know everything.

Working with the Red Hood has been an unfortunate side effect of chasing your prize-winning story. Not only is he wanted in twenty-six countries (you Googled it) and is a ruthless crime lord (supposedly formerly, but you're doubtful), but worst of all, he's got an attitude to match yours.

He's also built like a tank, which is why you can't just. Outrun him.

"I can't just not publish the story," you say.

"I don't want to stop you from publishing the story. Hence the protection."

"I can't afford a bodyguard."

"Well, it's a good thing I already paid my rent this month."

You scoff. "The Gotham Gazette has a strict 'no armed and dangerous' policy. I'm afraid we all have to leave our gun-toting vigilantes at home."

You open the driver's door of your car, ready to end the conversation here and now. Hood calmly closes the door with his hip and leans.

You glare. "Get off of my car."

"Fact." He holds up a finger. "These kinds of people always strike before the story comes out. They know you're scared and stressed, and they wanna do it before the story gets out. Otherwise, it's obvious who killed who."

"And where did you read this fact? Crime Lord's Digest? We don't even know if they know I'm the reporter who broke into the lab."

"Listen, smarty, I've been in this game a lot longer than you. I know how they operate," he says, finally getting off of your car, only to lean on the hood. Jerk. "It's only a matter of time before whoever's behind this snuffs you out."

"I am not letting a wanted criminal nest in my apartment!"

"That's why I'd be there."

"I was talking about you, Hood."

"Funny."

"I'm not joking. Look, I appreciate your... help." You try not to show your exasperation. "But there's no way I'm inviting you over to my apartment. That'll set off more alarms. If anything happens, I'll call you. Until then, stay away. Deal?"

Hood looks you over.

"Hm. You're awfully comfortable with giving me orders, smarty."

Your adrenaline spikes for a second. But it quickly calms. You've worked with Hood for a month now. Sure, you were petrified the first week, but it quickly dissipated. You've fallen into an odd camaraderie with him.

It's actually kind of nice, having him on your side. No one at the Gazette gives you the time of day. You've become used to having a partner. Not that you'd ever tell him that.

"You take orders so well, I can't help but dole them out," you say, only a little smirky.

"Watch it," Hood rumbles, only half-serious. Probably.

You beam and wrench open your car door, sliding into the seat.

"See?" you say, turning the ignition. "No snipers waiting to take me out. I'll be fine."

He shakes his head and slides off the hood. "Ten bucks says they'll try by the end of the week."

You close your door. "You're on."

****

As it turns out, Hood doesn't need the end of the week to earn his tenner. Trouble breaks down your door the very same night.

You're on your couch with some well-earned Lebanese takeout when your door is ripped off of your hinges. You shoot up from the couch, chest immediately tight.

Your assailant is masked and isn't that typical, giving masked men everywhere a bad name.

You run to the kitchen, hoping you can grab a knife. But you're grabbed before you can get there. You slip on the carpet and trip further into your assailant's arms.

"Keep still so I won't make a mess," is all he says.

You start screaming. He covers your mouth and you bite his hand. That earns you a thump on your cheek, so hard your vision blurs.

Bang!

You freeze, expecting the warm drip of blood and the excruciating pain to accompany it. Instead, your assailant falls to the floor, clutching his ribs. You stumble backwards and see Hood at your door, gun still aimed. He stalks over and kicks the assailant in the chest as he does. The assailant groans.

"You okay?"

You're still staring at the man who very nearly killed you a minute ago. Blood roars in your ears. You think you might be close to fainting.

"Hey." Big, gloved hands hold your face. You flinch and hold the owner's wrists. Hood comes into view once more.

"Are you okay?" he asks firmly. "Look at me, look at me, sweet. Breathe. 'S okay. Does anything hurt? Did he—"

Hood cuts himself off as he touches your cheek, where you were hit. He lightly runs a thumb over what is probably a budding bruise.

Hood lets you go and whirls onto your attacker. He hauls him up and presses a gun to his stomach.

"Go ahead, shoot me!" the attacker shouts.

"If I shoot you, it won't be out of mercy. You won't get a quick death. You don't deserve it," Hood snarls, and you suddenly remember all of your good reasons for fearing the Red Hood.

"I ain't telling ya shit!"

"I don't expect you to," Hood says, and fires again.

The man crumples to the ground, but he's clearly still breathing. Still alive. Hood drags him to the door by his collar.

"You go back to your boss. And you tell 'em that they're fucking with the Red Hood now. And, in case I'm not being perfectly fucking clear through all that blood loss—" Hood grabs the man by his hair and wrenches his head back. "If you come for my reporter again, you'll wish I was kind enough to put a bullet in your head."

Hood hauls your attacker outside. You hear a car start a minute later, and it tears down the street.

You look at your guardian angel, spattered in blood.

Not nearly as much blood as I expected, you think manically.

Your body aches and shakes with adrenaline. You can't even get enough control to move to the couch.

"How–how did you get here so fast?" you ask, staring at your now cracked coffee table.

"I've been monitoring your apartment since you got home. One of the traffic cameras picked up a stolen vehicle turning onto your block, so I came here."

You look at Hood. He seems very collected, all things considered.

"You—how did you find my apartment? Have you been stalking me?"

"Please. Lend me a little credit, smarty. I don't need to stalk you to find where you live," he says, holstering his gun.

"Are you insane?!" you burst. "That is such a gross invasion of privacy! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Hood looks at you.

"What's wrong with me is I just saved your life," he says evenly. "And on that note, you owe me ten bucks. Maybe even fifteen, considering it took less than a day for them to do exactly what I said they would."

Your lip wobbles. You don't know what triggers it; maybe it's your scratched up door or torn sofa or the fact that the Red Hood is in your living room right now with blood on his suit.

The tears form quickly. You can't stop them.

You cover your face but a sob claws out of your throat. Soon, you fall into big, heaving cries.

"Whoa, hey." The floorboards creak under Hood's unsure footsteps. "Hey, I didn't mean that. Shit. I was just kidding about the bet part. Aw, don't cry, smarty."

A hand lightly touches your shoulder. You lean in, but don't dare to initiate more contact. So Hood eases you into a side hug, awkwardly patting your other arm. He's extremely warm and solid with muscle, but his chest is soft enough to rest your head on. He unclips his holster so it doesn't dig into your body.

"I was just kidding," Hood says quietly in your ear. He rubs your arm. "'M sorry. Didn't mean to make y'cry."

You sniff and shake your head. "No, it–it's not that, I'm just—God, I'm t-terrified, Hood. What the fuck am I supposed to do now? They're gonna kill me! I'm gonna die before I win my first Pulitzer!"

You try to suck in deep breath but it's not working. Hood leads your unsteady feet to the couch. You sit, fingers gripping his jacket. Hood carefully loosens your grip.

"They're not gonna kill ya, smarty. I won't let 'em. C'mon, let's have a seat. Where's your kitchen?"

You point, lashes still thick with tears. Hood leaves and returns shortly. A glass of water is held to your lips. You drink it, breathing stilted.

"'S okay. Take it easy. Breathe. That's right."

You swallow half of the water, and he sets the glass down on the coffee table. Hood hands you a wad of tissues.

"This is pathetic," you say, wiping your tears. "Can't believe I'm being nursed by the Red Hood."

"I think nursed is a strong word. But it's more than I usually do for my informants. Then again, they don't usually burst into tears."

"Don't make fun of me. I'm fragile."

"I wasn't making fun of you," Hood says, gentler than you've ever heard him. He puts the tissues aside and rests a hand on your shoulder. You turn into it, appreciative of the weight. "You handled this better than most people would. You didn't even pass out. Hell, I've passed out."

You're sure that Hood is leaving out important details behind that anecdote, like fighting off a hundred men or being swallowed by a whale beforehand. You're grateful nonetheless.

You turn to him, fresh tears in your eyes. "They're gonna kill me, Red."

He shakes his head. "No. Listen to me. Nobody is gonna do anything to you, okay? I'm not gonna let 'em hurt you, smarty pie."

"That's an impossible promise," you say. "One of these days, something will happen. You can't be everywhere at once. Especially not while I'm at home."

Hood tilts his head. "Well..."

"Well, what?"

He rubs his throat. An old injury, he'd once told you. The pain flares up sometimes.

"I could call in a favor. Get you into a safehouse."

"You would do that for me?" you ask. You probably shouldn't ask. Shouldn't look a generous vigilante in the mouth. But you can't help it.

"I can't very well publish the story myself, can I?"

You shrug. "I doubt that. You have your ways. Once you have the evidence, you don't need me."

"That's not true," Hood says fiercely. "I do need you."

Your eyes widen. Hood fumbles for a moment.

"That—I mean for the case. Obviously. I don't have any journalistic links besides you. And I wouldn't want the story to fall into the wrong hands."

"Oh." You have a strong urge to wrap your arms around him. Weird. "Well, um, thank you. I appreciate it."

"Don't thank me yet. It'll take me a few days to get the safehouse," he says.

You deflate. "Oh. So I have to stay here until then?"

Hood is quiet for a long time. So long, you briefly revisit your original theory that the Red Hood is actually an AI remotely controlled by a billionaire.

"Hood?"

You reach to touch him. He flinches, a tiny movement. You immediately draw back.

Nope. Still a man.

"Sorry," he says, hand slipping from your shoulder. "I was, uh, going over options. No, your place is toast until we find whoever's behind this. But, um, it would be possible for you to—if you want to, 'cause if you don't, y'know, I understand, but I—it would be doable for you to, uh, stay with me. Until I get the safehouse."

"Stay... in your apartment?"

"'S not far from here. And it's a hell of a lot better protected than your place. And, y'know, I'd be there most of the time, so like..." Hood clears his throat. "Uh, yeah. It'd be safe. I promise."

"I wouldn't want to impose," you say, nervously scratching your arm.

"Mm. If you're scared of staying with me, y'can just say so. I won't take it personal."

He does kind of sound like he's taking it personally.

"No, Hood, it's not that. I don't... I'm not afraid of you. That, uh, went away a while back," you say. "I just... I don't want to burden you. After all, it's your space."

He makes a sound that tells you he's rolling his eyes behind his helmet.

"Saving your life is important, smarty. Why you don't think so, I'll never know."

You make a soft, pleased sound. "Got a real bleeding heart there, Red."

He sighs. "Yeah. I'm working on it."

You grin. "Thank you for rescuing me."

"Part of the job. If you don't wanna stay with me, I could..." Hood hesitates. "With your permission... I could get the Bats involved. Ask one of them to house you."

"You mean Batman?"

Hood grunts. "Preferably anyone but him, but yeah, if it comes to that. He'll probably get involved anyway. Fuckin' busybody."

"The Bats would protect me? But they don't know me."

"Don't matter. If I asked them to, they would. If that's something you want."

You think. Is it something you want?

Sure, any reasonable person would prefer Nightwing or Batman to protect them.

"I don't want to stay with them," you say. "I'd rather stay with you."

He jerks like you've told him the sky is falling.

"You do?" he asks.

"Well, yeah. I know you, Red. And I know you'll keep me safe."

"At any cost," he says.

That simultaneously frightens and thrills you.

"Then I'd like to go home with you," you say. "If you'll have me."

"'Course, smarty. Anything to keep you safe. Go pack some stuff. I'll be out here. You're okay?"

"I'm okay." You stand and turn before he can see what he does to you.

Yes, it's an odd thing, being partners with the Red Hood.

You're starting to fear that you can't have it any other way.

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junosmindpalace · 4 months

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Hello! I absolutely love all your Dr Stone works!! Especially about Senku, so now I want to make a request. Can you do Senku fluff alphabet? Senku and reader are in relationship. I am not fluent in English, I hope you understood everything, thank you!!

hi there! thank you for your request! i’ve never done a fluff alphabet omg this was so fun. these are pretty much the same everywhere i looked but i specifically took questions from @ arlertdarling !

synopsis: your relationship with senku from a-z.

( A ) AFFECTION — how affectionate are they? how do they show affection?

senku’s biggest and most prominent love language is very obviously acts of service, and even then they can be seemingly indirect or misleading. he typically frames the things he does as doing them for his own benefit, but they obviously benefit you as well. he’s a little more open with doing you favors or kind acts for no particular reason other than to help you or make you smile just because you two are so close and know each other so well.

perhaps if you’ve been together for a while, he’ll allow some physical affection from you, but typically never initiates it himself outside of gently tugging your hand to lead you somewhere or grabbing your shoulder(s), placing a hand on your lower back or what not to guide you elsewhere. he also tends to get more physical if you are/were in danger for obvious reasons. it's more so reassurance for him that you’re alright and being right there to help immediately in case something is wrong.

words of affirmation is a close second in terms of love languages. he can be really encouraging with his words when you need a pick me up, and really moving when you just need some reassurance when things feel too hectic.

( B ) BEST FRIEND — what would they be like as a best friend? how would the friendship start?

your friendship developed from your occasional bump ins when he’d be in the middle of an experiment. you’d always look on at him in awe, and eventually invited yourself to sit and watch and ask him questions, which he had no qualms at all with answering. from there you would watch and help out with his experiments more regularly.

he’s not a friend that's too high maintenance. whether you come to visit him in the science club room every day or once every couple of weeks, senku doesn’t treat you any less like a friend, or at the very least a well acquainted schoolmate. he’s fun to be around, however. someone you can go to if you’re bored and will always encourage you in your own hobbies. it’s your mutual dedication and passion for the things you love that make you two so close.

( C ) CUDDLES — do they like to cuddle? how would they cuddle?

not a big cuddler, but he can get a little clingy when he’s sleeping. he tends to curl in on himself, but if you happen to be in the vicinity, he might subconsciously reach for you. at best, he feels comfortable enough to lay his head on your thighs or stomach with an arm wrapped loosely around your waist or on top of your stomach. you make sure to avert any sort of conversation related to this when he wakes up, subtly maneuvering him off your lap as he sits up with a drowsy look on his face as to avoid embarrassing him or making him uncomfortable. you can tell he sometimes realizes what happened, but never outwardly says so--and never tells you to push him away, either.

( D ) DOMESTIC — do they want to settle down? how are they at cooking and cleaning?

not an incredibly prevalent thought. at best its fleeting if hes thinking about it at all. he’s probably very indifferent to the idea of marriage and having children, and even simply living a simple existence just isn’t his style.

in terms of chores, he probably does them fairly well, except it would probably take him a couple of reminders and has a bad habit of leaving messes from all the time he spent alone preoccupied with his experiments. however the fact that he managed his home by himself a lot probably means he’s good at doing them, but like any person, it’s probably a pain for him.

( E ) ENDING — if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?

probably finds a suitable time to talk to you somewhere private and flat out tells you he wants to end things. it seems harsh, but there’s no reason to beat around the bush. his tone of voice and expression are far from emotionless, however. he keeps himself composed and steady for the most part, but you can see that it also pains him from the slight waver and strain in his voice, and from the creases in between his brows and lines on his forehead. he makes sure to do his best to let you down as gently as he thinks he can and doesn’t judge you for any sort of emotions you feel or express toward him.

( F ) FIANCÉ — how do they feel about commitment? how quick would they want to get married?

again, marriage is probably a very fleeting thought for senku and something he’s for the most part indifferent toward. he doesn’t feel commitment needs to be cemented through a ceremony or new marriages titles or a piece of paper; he cares about you and loves you, and doesn’t need a ring on his finger to remind him to be unwaveringly loyal. maybe would make fun of some wedding and marriage traditions, but even though he himself would probably never suggest marriage, if it means something to you, he doesn’t see the big deal in going through with it--though he probably wouldn’t be all for a ceremony or anything too grand.

( G ) GENTLE — how gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?

it really depends on the circumstances. sometimes senku can come off somewhat harsh to a person who isn’t all that familiar with him, but it typically isnt his intention, especially not with you. for the most part your relationship is mostly comprised of teasing and playful banter, but when you tend to get more personal and sensitive, the gruffness in his voice quiets down and becomes a lot gentler.

this also goes with physical touch. he sometimes tends to just randomly pull at you to follow him certain places, and of course if you’re in any potential danger, but his touch can also be super soft and reassuring, typically when you’re expressing insecurity or hard feelings of some kind.

( H ) HUGS — do they like hugs? how often do they do it? what are their hugs like?

like said with cuddling, not a big hugger. grand pda is just not his thing, but he won’t always refuse it. if its you, he’s probably a little more willing to be touchy, but it doesn’t happen all too often. most of the time its you initiating the hug, whether its draping over him mid experiment or hugging him from behind as he takes note of something, and usually he doesnt comment on it or move away, simply letting himself exist in your arms as he does whatever he’s doing and continuing your conversation normally. he might sometimes rub his hand over yours or place his arm under your elbow when he turns around to face you with a fond gaze even despite his smirk and teasing tone.

( I ) I LOVE YOU — how fast do they say the L-word?

he has yet to say it outright as a single phrase, but its obvious that he says it in more indirect ways. in the kind things he does for you, in the concern he expresses when you feel low about something or might be in danger, in the ways he motivates you when you feel hopeless and insecure. and when you teasingly call him out for all of these kind things, he scoffs and rolls his eyes and will occasionally say things along the lines of “i love when you ____”. still, it’s rare even if he says this, and he’s usually very nonchalant when he does, but you can take notice of the slight shyness in his voice from the way it quiets just a slight bit and his eyes hold a softer expression.

still, it takes him a bit to get to this point. a lot of familiarizing yourselves with one another, getting more personal and proving yourself over and over as someone reliable and admirable makes it easier and easier for senku to express these feelings for you. and though he doesn’t say the L word out loud, he definitely thinks it with every impressive feat you manage to accomplish or witty remark you make that only solidify his reasoning as to why he’s with you in the first place.

( J ) JEALOUSY — how jealous do they get? what do they do when they’re jealous?

not incredibly often, but it’s not unheard of. it’s mostly when hes already overwhelmed with a lot on his plate, and seeing someone chatting you up, even if there wasn’t any flirty intention behind their words or actions, just irritates senku, and he’ll usually break it up by yelling at them to focus up on their work or guiding you away to help him with something else, calling over his shoulder “shouldn’t you be doing ____? how about getting on that instead of distracting our crew?”

it can be subtle, but it can also be very obvious, which leads to people making some teasing remarks toward him for it, but he mostly ignores them. same with classmates, he’ll just redirect their attentions away from you and swoop in to show you something of his own.

( K ) KISSES — what are their kisses like? where do they like to kiss you? where do they like to be kissed?

like hugs, he’s not the biggest kisser, and he’s not the one initiating them. he’s sort of (very) awkward when it comes to kissing in the early stages of your relationship, and it takes a good amount of time before he eventually stops stiffening as much over a kiss on the cheek.

of course you don’t force him into anything he’s uncomfortable with, and have no problem not kissing him, but you can tell from the way he’s more relaxed when you lean over to give him a quick peck when he has a smirk or a pout on the lips that he’s grown to like them just a slight bit on occasion.

if he had to decide on a favorite spot to receive kisses, he’d maybe say his temple. if he were to ever initiate a kiss for you, it would be somewhere less noticeable and in private, such as on your inner wrist or knuckles.

( L ) LITTLE ONES — how are they around children?

so good. he’s stupidly good with them. he doesn’t even do anything consciously to try to appeal to them for the most part; they’re just drawn to his experiments and funny words, and of course senku for the most part indulges them, so he becomes popular pretty quickly.

it’s incredibly endearing to see him interact and form a relationship with the children of ishigami village, watching their curious heads peek from behind his shoulder or back at his experiments and petting their hair when they crowd around him, eagerly asking to play or show them more cool modern inventions.

sometimes he might whisper in their ears to go over to you to watch you do whatever it is you’re most skilled at, and you know immediately whose responsible for the sudden eager crowd of little people around you when your gaze meets senku’s and he shoots you a smirk, with you rolling your eyes in retaliation.

( M ) MORNING — how are mornings spent with them?

maaaaybe slightly controversial take but i think it takes him a bit to properly wake himself up. he’s pretty groggy in the mornings and isn’t fully ready to start the day until an hour or two after he wakes up. however, i can see the sleepiness fading from his system a lot quicker than it does for most people, so if you were to see him at school in the mornings or in a classroom, he’s annoyedly outgoing and cheerful for your taste. still, if you were to spend your mornings together even before all that, you’re usually spending them in silence or having quiet and short conversation.

( N ) NIGHT — how are nights spent with them?

arguably worse than mornings, but this time he’s keeping you awake. he doesn’t go to bed till probably around midnight, and most of his studying time is probably spent in the evenings. if either of you are sleeping over, usually senku has his nose in a book till his eyes get too heavy and he puts it down to rest. he either joins you already curled into bed passed out, or you sit beside him doing whatever you do in the evenings as he sleeps. nights are not all that eventful for you personally, it’s mostly just being in each others’ presence while doing your own things, with occasional conversation here and there.

( O ) OPEN — when would they start revealing things about themselves? do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly.

the more personal details about himself probably come later. definitely not an all at once person, and most of the time you just have to let him come to revealing stuff on his own terms. when he does, it’s during a time you’re being very sensitive and personal with each other, and it sort of slips out. either then or at another random time where he reveals something new about himself or his background very nonchalantly. you don’t usually call it out, but you’ll try to ask some questions to get him to expand and tuck the knowledge away.

again, he’s not the emotional type, so when it comes to himself and his more personal aspects, it can take a little longer to get information out of him compared to other stuff, such as his passion for and knowledge of science.

( P ) PATIENCE — how easily angered are they?

senku himself has said (if i remember correctly), that he gets irritated and is just good at disguising it. for him to be genuinely angry, however, i think would take quite a bit. he can be over the top in how he reacts when he’s annoyed, but it doesn’t come from a place of genuine rage.

i think in order to anger him, you’d have to insult something he deeply cares about repeatedly, or threaten it. and even then he’s usually good at not letting himself go crazy over it.

he’s rarely ever angry with you, if not at all. you’re both familiar with your banter and teasing, and you know what lines not to cross or not to take certain comments too personally.

( Q ) QUIZZES — how much would they remember about you? do they remember every little detail you mention in passing or do they kind of forget everything?

generally very good at remembering things about you. you don’t expect him to remember every slight off hand comment you make, but he often manages to surprise you when he brings up details that even you forgot you ever shared with him.

he cares about you a lot, and though he’s already pretty attentive, it only enhances when it comes to you discussing aspects about yourself. he’s interested in learning about you, from your hobbies to your fondest memory. whatever it may be, he usually is able to recall it.

( R ) REMEMBER — what is their favourite moment in your relationship?

he likes any sort of moment where he’s spending time with you working on an experiment or discussing something science related. working on the thing he’s most passionate about with the person he loves and cares for the most? those are his favorite times, especially since you’re always so enthusiastic about them, asking him question after question and helping him complete the experiment.

he also likes being able to indulge, and you encouraging him and taking an interest yourself is something he really appreciates. he also thinks it’s incredibly endearing to see you so passionate and curious, and very attractive when you explain your own research and demonstrate your own knowledge and skill. he never forgets how much you contribute to his own growth because of this.

( S ) SECURITY — how protective are they? how would they protect you? how would they like to be protected?

not overly protective unless you were in some sort of danger. even if there was potential for you to get hurt, he still isn’t the most overbearing in his concern. of course, he still likes to do whatever he can to prevent any danger (though he knows you’re capable of handling yourself, it’s more so for his own peace of mind and he just can’t admit to it), and so he does insist you wear protective gear and gives you tools to help you do your job more efficiently in the stone world.

he wouldn’t want you to step in and prevent him from doing anything, but the best way you could protect him is in the same way he protects you—by having his back. being there to provide him with the resources and support he needs in any given situation, especially dangerous ones or endeavors he very passionate about.

( T ) TRY — how much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?

unless you’re a person who doesn’t really like to celebrate relationship milestone or events, senku will make at least some sort of effort to commemorate the moments somehow. again, it’s through more subtle and indirect means, but eventually you’re able to piece together why he seems to be a little nicer and more sentimental on those kinds of days.

gifts are also not always the most straightforward and are usually practical and science related, hand crafted by senku himself, which makes you appreciate them all the more. sometimes they can be too straightforward and basic, however. but if he knows there’s something specific you’ve been indecisive about getting, or a certain place you’ve been meaning to visit, he might surprise you with a trip or take that push to make that purchase for you.

he goes about his everyday tasks outside of science like any other person—or any other teen. he does well in school and helps out around the household with chores.

( U ) UGLY — what would be some bad habits of theirs?

can maybe get a little too distanced from his emotions. he has a bad habit of breaking intimate moments in favour of teasing, but it mostly stems from his own discomfort toward that sort of stuff. he gets better at handling it further into your relationship, but it’s a habit he still has trouble completely breaking down.

he also has a habit of getting too caught up in his experiments. there are certain days where all he wants to do is work, and sometimes that means making the people around him join in and help him. once he’s got his mind on something he’s determined to see it through, and this typically happened often where he wouldn’t pull away from the experiment or project until he gave himself a designated break or was forced to stop due to external factors.

( V ) VANITY — how concerned are they with their looks?

next to not at all. senku can understand wanting to look presentable, but the last thing on his mind is whether or not he should cut his hair a certain way or wear his shirt in a certain style (he’s never expressed a problem with his cowlicks).

he’s probably never stressed out that much about the way he’s perceived in terms of personality either. perhaps only when it came to testing his physical limits or dressing up in clothes that aren’t his own personal style (as seen in the wardrobe montage). but overall he’s not hyperfiaxfing on it, not even to try to impress you (he naturally cleans up well).

his close friends might tell you that he tends to subconsciously adjust his clothes or straighten his back when you walk into a room, however.

( W ) WHOLE — would they feel incomplete without you?

i don’t think so. senku has his own passions and goals and many other people who share them and that he’s close with. he definitely doesn’t need one specific person to make him feel like himself, and that’s one thing you greatly admired about him.

still, just because he thinks he can get by without you doesn’t mean he wants to. he’s always trying to include you in aspects of his life, and you’ve become such a big part of it that it would take him a long time to actually heal from not having you around.

he can’t deny that though it doesn’t feel soul crushing to be apart from you for so long, he can feel a more comfortable and reassuring feeling when he’s by your side.

( X ) XTRA — a random headcanon for them!

he’s really good at impressions thanks to his dad. it’s one of those habits that he really didn’t like but ended up rubbing off on him from how often byakuya did them, and every time he catches himself doing an impression or talking to himself in another voice, he physically stops whatever he’s doing and groans about how he “sounds just like my old man” or “is turning into my old man”.

it makes you laugh though, so he doesn’t feel as embarrassed doing them when he’s voicing a hypothetical situation of some sorts when he’s explaining something to do. if anything, your laughter only encourages him.

( Y ) YUCK — what are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?

a person who lacks ambition and curiosity. he doesn’t get how he could relate to a person like that at all, let alone spend the rest of his life with them. his partner doesn’t need to be as fiercely passionate about science as he is, but he wouldn’t want a partner that has absolutely no big interests hobbies or skills. those kinds of people seem like the ones he’d be least compatible with.

( Z ) ZZZ — what are their sleep habits?

most of the time tries to get at least 8 hours of sleep, but sometimes tends to get a little less. it’s important for him to have a healthy sleeping cycle/schedule so his brain and body can work to their full capacity. he can still function without a lot of it, but it’s harder on his mental and physical strength, so it’s even more important that he gets enough to keep him going throughout the day.

very rarely pulls an all nighter. has definitely pulled a couple, but it’s not often enough to have his body adjust to simply two hours of sleep without any side effects.

like i said before, he tends to cuddle in on himself, wrapping the blanket over his shoulders so he’s completely covered. cannot sleep well in the heat, so he’d rather be freezing at night. adjusts himself maybe a couple of times throughout the night, from curling against your leg to turning his back toward you.

#wrote something to make up for all the writing i HAVENT been doing #as always life has been busy.#bjt i miss m’y boy #dr stone x reader #dr stone oneshot #dr stone fluff #drst x reader #drst oneshot #drst fluff #senku ishigami x reader #senku ishigami fluff #senku ishigami oneshot

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netherworldpost · 8 months

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Hey, how do you figure out the best shipping for your items? I don’t mean like package size, but more like how do you decide what’s worth going in the package and packaging aside from The Item Itself? I know some shops just put some nice tissue/packing paper and a business card but other shops add like a ton of extra fun stuff from stickers to full-on extra goodies and wrapped with glitter paper and fancy ribbon or what-have-you with fancy print boxes and I’ve genuinely been so stressed trying to decide if I want to invest money in extra bits because I’m scared people will think my packages feel cheap (in a negative sense) without some polish and flair

Fancy, customized packaging is great in the following situations:

You are regularly sending out A LOT of orders. It is profitable to have custom-sized packaging made because it lowers weight which lowers postage. These savings outweigh the cost of premium packaging. At this scale, it's super cheap to print anyway, you might as well. Some form of "producing custom packaging is cheaper than stock packaging for a variety of reasons."

You are a luxury brand. Specifically high-end for whatever you are doing. Your retail pricing should reflect this market so you can afford the packaging cost bump anyway.

Unboxing social media is your top marketing channel. Be it influencers or hashtag-your-company-name, almost certainly both, new customers find you because someone is showing off your products. Existing customers see someone opening a box and thinks "I want that."

Pack-ins are great for the following:

We are gauging the interest in x-y-z. We produced a sample run of a few pieces. Some of it is in the store. Over a time period of X months, do people return to buy the pack in?

We have extra x-y-z and we need to make space. It's an alternate to the clearance isle. Sometimes you do both! Be careful and watch that inventory gauge.

We produced x-y-z as a test and it was a pain in the ass and it doesn't make sense to list it because we don't want to risk people asking for it when we have run out.

For a-b-c reason it will increase future sales by X%. Admittedly this is a variant of the first item. It is listed here because sometimes you can say "we sell widgets and put a whatchamacolit in here in hopes of getting people to buy a thingamabob." It's a complex and risky strategy.

"Buy $X and get a free Y-Thing!" as a way to increase average shopping cart average. Extremely common, frequently profitable, regularly works great for both shop + customer. May not count if we look at a pure definition of a pack-in, something the customer didn't know they were getting.

Ultimately, if you have concerns over it, then I would skip it.

I strive to keep products very affordable, shipping cheap-to-free, and my company profitable so we have a better-than-not chance of existing in the future.

None of this is a judgement, just "how I do business versus how others do."

Time for some brutality :-)

From your ask, it is obvious you are either running a shop or want to run a shop in a larger capacity than a hobby.

If it's a hobby, then to hell with all the above, add pack-ins and fancy packaging to the limit you can afford and how fun it is! Hobbies are great! Shops can be hobbies!

If you are running this as a business then you have to think like a business.

This doesn't mean you have to be a bastard, it does mean you have to think critically about every penny spent.

This doesn't mean you have to be cheap, it means every expense must perform above what you spent on it.

This doesn't mean you cannot experiment, you should be experimenting, it means you should be measuring results. If the data comes back inconclusive, you need to rework your experiment.

Maybe it's just me.

All of this should be taken with an extremely large grain of salt.

I am not a fancy person. I am extremely aware of my personal tastes, none of the layers are expensive.

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setaflow · 5 months

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Fuck it Thanksgiving liveblog

- We at the Flow family enjoy breaking into the traditional gender stereotypes of Thanksgiving where the woman cook and the men sit around and do nothing. This year, the boys have actually stepped up their game and taken initiative, meaning they’ve gone out to play golf instead.

- At a proud 26 years of age my mother has finally taught me the ins and outs of her mother’s thanksgiving stuffing. It takes a week to make and is probably the only part of the meal I actually enjoy.

- I gutted the Turkey (who is now named Claude btw) and pulled out the slimy long appendage inside. His neck is now sitting in a Cool Whip container on my countertop. Whether or not I throw it at my brother when he returns home is up in the air.

- My favorite part of the day has already come and gone: listening to Savannah Gunthrie try to explain the plot of Dragon Ball Z to Al Roker when the Goku balloon passes by in the Macy’s parade.

- I’ve already proposed wine. It is 10:35.

#seta speaks

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anangelwhodidntfall · 11 months

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Intimacy Challenge: Day (13)

30 Day Intimacy Challenge

word count: 1.3k

Day 13: — sometimes called marriage meetings, relationship check-ups, or couples check-ins — is a designated time for couples to talk about the state of their relationship. What makes check-ins different from other conversations you have with your partner is that they are solely focused on the relationship; this means if you have any delicate issue you may want to discuss, this is the ideal time to say it when both of you have each other's full attention.

Tsu'tey:

Tsu'tey actually enjoyed implementing the two-week check in's for ya'lls relationship, you had both noticed a huge improvement in your relationship since these had started. Tonight you were having one, you guys had prepared some food to snack on while you two talked about the last two weeks in your relationship.

"How do you think we communicated in the past two weeks?" He asked you.

"I thought we communicated really well the past two weeks, given everything that was going on. How do you feel we communicated?" You asked him.

"I thought we had communicated really well the past two weeks, I was worried because usually when we have stressful stuff like this going on, my communication isn't the best." He said as you squeezed his hand.

"You've really been doing great about communicating with me lately, and I appreciate that so much." You said pressing a kiss on his lips.

"Well, that kind of answers my next question on what we think is going well in our relationship the last two weeks." He said with a smile.

"Okay, how do you feel about intimacy the last two weeks?" You asked him.

"I feel pretty good about it, I wished I had more time with you last week but that's nothing we can't fix. How do you feel about it?" He asked you.

"I agree with you, I think I just want more time with you after you were gone so much last week." You said to him.

"I can definitely make some time for you yawne." He said placing a kiss on your lips as you deepened it.

Z-dog:

Alicia was still getting used to expressing her feelings, being in the military made her hard and not want to share how she was feeling but she wanted to be a better partner for you. You two were currently doing your two-week check-in, you both felt like a month was way too long to wait to do a check-in.

"Are there any issues that we didn't resolve in the past two weeks?" She asked you even though she had a feeling there was one.

"Yes there. Uh, we had gotten a fight a few days ago about the dinner plans we had for the last Tuesday and we never really got to resolve them because you had gotten called away for a meeting or something." You said.

"I know and I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to intentionally forget about our dinner plans for Tuesday, I knew we had dinner plans, but I couldn't remember if we had set a date or not and I'm sorry for not coming to you for clarification." She said holding your hand.

"It's alright, thank you for apologizing and listening to me." You said squeezing her hand.

"We did a negative one, so let's do a positive one, what's something working well in our relationship these last two weeks?" She asked you.

"Our intimacy. I think that has been really well despite the issues we had, don't you think?" You asked her.

"I definitely agreed, I fully prepared to go back to sleep in the bunks with the rejects after our fight." She said making you laugh.

Neteyam:

He knew how important these checks in's were since having your daughter, because now if there was an issue or conflict then your daughter would be affected as well. So you two decided that you would do a two-week check-in with each other to make sure nothing gets left unsaid or unresolved. You two were doing your two-week check-in with one another while your daughter slept, so far it had been going which didn't surprise either of you because you two were pretty good at communicating.

"Is there anything you like to be appreciated or acknowledged for?" You asked him.

"No not that I can think of, you're really good at appreciating me my flower." He said.

"Well, I would like to acknowledge the fact that you always get up to take care of our daughter in the middle of the night, no matter how tired you are. I know I don't always say it but that is a big help for me." You said to him.

"My flower, you don't have to thank me for that. I don't mind taking care of her so you can get some rest." He said placing a kiss on your forehead.

"I would like to acknowledge how you always listen to me and let me just rant about whatever is on my mind or happening without judgment." He said as you smile at him.

"Thank you, ma 'Teyam." You said to him.

Tarsem:

He knew how important these checks in's were for your relationship. So you two decided that you would do a two-week check-in with each other to make sure nothing gets left unsaid or unresolved. You two were doing your two-week check-in with one another while you ate dinner and had each other's undivided attention.

"How do you think we communicated in the past two weeks?" You asked him.

"I thought we communicated pretty well, though there were a few times I had wished we had communicated better." He said.

"Really? Can you explain?" You asked him.

"Yeah it was a few days ago, you came home after a rough day and I was trying to talk to you, and you kinda ignored me which I get you weren't ready to talk, but I would've rather you told me instead of ignoring me." He said as you nodded your head.

"I get that and I'm sorry for acting that way, I'll try to work on my communication." You said to him.

"It's okay as long as you try, that's all I ask." He said placing a kiss on your lips.

Jake

Jake actually enjoyed implementing the two-week check in's for ya'lls relationship, you had both noticed a huge improvement in your relationship since these had started. Tonight you were having one, you guys had prepared some food to snack on while you two talked about the last two weeks in your relationship.

"How do you think we communicated in the past two weeks?" He asked you.

"It was good for the most part, there were a few times I wished we had communicated better." You said to him.

"Can you explain sweetheart?" He asked you as you nodded your head.

"Yeah, you kinda snapped at me a few days ago over something that was your fault and it hurt my feelings." You said as realization hit Jake.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart, I didn't mean to. I'll try to work on keeping my emotions in check, this is still new to me." He said squeezing your hand.

"That's all I ask is for you to try, ma Jake." You said to him.

#jake sully #jake sully x reader #jake sully x you #neteyam x reader #neteyam imagines #tsu'tey x reader #tsu'tey fluff #recom zdog x reader #zdog x reader #tarsem x you #tarsem x y/n #30 day initmacy challenge

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rainbowdaisy13 · 4 months

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Is Kaleigh this era’s Todrick? I don’t get how she pops these people in and allows them to absolutely use her for social media likes and attention. I mean this fandom laughed at toe as a z list , I don’t even think KT is any list. I actually shouldn’t even compare her to Todrick bc I don’t think kt even intends to pursue work off the popularity increase.

It’s funny because I see it the opposite way—she uses them as stand ins and props for her scheming and hints and bait and switches. I always wonder if they are the ones that feel used and forgotten after they stop being seen together publicly

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destinyc1020 · 5 months

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People running to internet spaces that don't exclusively cater to what they want, but demanding that said space that's not what they want to experience should change. Will never not cease to amaze me. Like WTF ARE YOU DOING HERE.

BTW box office/tv success raises your star power way more than awards. Studios want to make money and have bottoms in seats at cinema and tuning in on streaming. Tom's achieved both. Leo is a great example for that, the man pulled $40mil for his last project and he severely lacks awards for how long he's been on the business.

And anon Tom doesn't owe any of us his schedule, if he wants to take it ine thing announced at a time, then let him do that. Go to your beloved JE whose next 10 projects we know of. People did the same with Z with Sydney and her 4-6wk filming projects.

I just want some of you to admit that you're living vicariously though Tom and you've forgotten that it's his life not yours you're projecting all these things towards. Go outside get a hobby. And Social media isn't a measure of how big a person's Fandom is. The success of Uncharted and TRC streaming top 3 every week while it was on, means there's clearly those offline interested in Tom and what he does.

Amen 🙏🏾

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not-so-rosyyy · 1 year

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Yeah, with TZ you have to go with the flow and not have a lot of preconceived notions. They have very busy careers and they have families that live thousands of miles apart so they often can't celebrate important dates together. But they are committed to make up for it in other ways (not being able to be together on V-Day but then going to a hockey game wearing jerseys with each other's names; being in separate cities during Tom's bday but having 2 bday celebrations for him the weekend before and the weekend after; not being able to be with Z during the Emmys, but Z uses her first post-award interview to use the word "boyfriend" to refer to her romantic partner; they have a romantic weekend in Paris; they go to a Dead Sea when Z has a few days off of Dune; they celebrate Christmas with their respective families but the week before Z takes him to her former school and other landmarks of her childhood, and then they have the long tropical vacation in which they disappear for a whole month). The only thing that we can predict about them is that they will make the best effort to spend quality time together and that they will be supportive of each other's professional endeavors

I mean we can have some light discourse, but some people just need to take everything less seriously esp if it’s about the ins and outs of their relationship because we truly are not privy on that. idk how many times I've said it but I personally am just here for the laughs and the "awww they're so cute I'm gonna throw up" and the "lord me when" so I'm never really worried about them or assume every single thing they do (that we know of) is a big enough deal to impact their relationship 😂

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captastra · 1 year

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Road Trip ‎AU + Zombie Apocalypse ‎AU + Felix/Rhea?

yess! I've actually had an idea for this one too, which actually is a road trip during a zombie apocalypse.

SO! I love Z Nation, great zombie show, can't recommend it enough (which really is zombie apocalypse and road trip story). BUT it got me thinking about Rhea and the crew stuck in a zombie apocalypse and ties back to these aus, I promise! Under the cut because its a bit long and I've never had a chance to talk about this idea :D

Story starts off with Rhea and Alex Hawthorne on the run from somewhere being chased by zombies. They end up at a commune that has been able to keep zombies out and internal strife low. Doesn't mean they aren't constantly wary of the dangers of zombies and humans alike, but so far they've been ok.

Rhea and Alex though show up and reveal that Rhea has the only cure running through her veins and she needs to get across country to a lab where a scientist by the name of Phineas Welles. At this compound, run by Junlei, we'd have a few other Groundbreaker people (we can call the town Groundbreaker!) as well as Felix, Max, and Ellie.

Everyone is weary of Rhea but do believe her words since Alex had been bit right in front of everyone and Rhea gave him the last vial that stopped him from turning. Due to being severely injured though, Alex has to stay behind and begs Junlei for someone to continue escorting Rhea to the lab.

Felix, already smitten after Rhea accidently elbows him in the face trying to save Alex, agrees, and so does Max and Ellie.

They continue on their path across country, running into various zombies and humans that they have to escape as well as people who find out that Rhea "has" the cure and want to take her for their own means. I would have them run into places similar to what is already established in The Outer Worlds, but also take liberties like in Z Nation.

The road trip aspect is them becoming friends, Parvati and Nyoka joining along the way, and Rhea and Felix of course falling in love. They have near misses of almost getting bit or dying but somehow make it to the lab where Phineas can create a cure.

I would definitely lean into the angst aspect of a zombie apocalypse, the loss of what was and what would happen if they even did find a cure.

Maybe have Hiram Blythe serve as the one who helps guide them across country (similar to Citizen Z in Z Nation). Sanjar, Zora, and Graham with their own conflict that Rhea and the gang both help and completely mess up at the same time. Rockwell of course is one of the main people trying to get his hands on Rhea so he can make a cure and be in control of its distribution. Sophia is one of the people who are continuously hunting after Rhea and has a few run ins throughout the story.

#thank you so much for asking!!#answered #the outer worlds

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atiny-for-life · 1 year

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Ateez's Full Storyline Explained - Update!

Y'all, I think I've figured out Pirate King and Treasure. Much like with my Fireworks update, I've updated the original post but will be copy-pasting it here as well for anyone who's interested:

Storyline Masterlist

Pirate King (Z-Dimension)

moving into the Treasure Era, the storyline gets more fuzzy and less clear - no diary entries, less storybeats in the MVs, etc. - but there's still a lot to go off of so let's go:

as we're moving on from the Fever series, Ateez's entire focus is currently on getting Yeosang back and nothing else and we can already see a hint of this in the beginning of the choreo where Yeosang looks distressed while the other members are trying to pull him back toward themselves

regarding the glitches, color- and outfit changes throughout the MV, I've got a theory: we're indicating a time shift - meaning what we see in black and white is the past, i.e. Yeosang's part in the beginning symbolized his rescue, and the outfit changes now mean we're switching between Ateez (the colorful fits) and the Black Pirates (in all white for a change) who have been freed alongside Yeosang (see: Say My Name)

looking at the lyrics, we also already see hints about taking us to a "brilliant place" which is what they now refer to as the New World

we of course also establish the pirate theme we'll be rolling with this Era, as well as Hongjoong's role as the captain but that's about it!

Treasure (Z-Dimension)

we're picking up right after Pirate King, meaning we've got Yeosang back and the Black Pirates have gone their separate way

my theory here is that Ateez have been instructed to make as much noise as possible while pretending to be the Black Pirates in order to keep the Android Guardians distracted while the actual Black Pirates and Left Eye are keeping a low profile in the secret underground hideout and planning out the revolution

this would explain why we'll be seeing Ateez hop between dimensions, put on grand performances and then later join in and carry out this massive plan in Guerrilla which they clearly haven't thought up themselves, given their limited knowledge of the Z-Dimension's ins and outs

either way, we've got flags reminiscent of Thanxx and Wonderland already appearing here

Mingi talks about "my news on the front page" which could indicate their Wanted posters being plastered everywhere

they continue on by talking about heading for "that" place and "turn[ing] over the world" - the revolutionary theme is thus already being carried into the narrative

and on a side-note: we've got the babies of the dune buggy from Fireworks - very cute and fun

#ateez #ateez lore #hongjoong #seonghwa #yunho #yeosang #san #mingi #wooyoung #jongho #treasure #pirate king

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ofprincessesandqueens · 9 months

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In Kate's defence, if she hides her emotions or is more cautious, I don't blame her. William and men in general get away with so many things women don't. Being in this fandom has made me privy to so many male-female double standards I never could have concocted myself. The standards for married-ins are even worse. William can afford not to be poker-faced up but Kate can't or she may feel like she can't. In this way, I relate to her because I'm a woman in a space where it's not easy to be "the outsider". Not that being a woman anywhere is easy. So instead of seeing her as fake as a result, I can empathise with her and see the reasons why she might feel the need to hide behind a protective shell of poker face. A protective shell that William doesn't need. Also, not everyone is as expressive as others. It doesn't mean they're fake, it just means that they're a different kind of person. It might not even be a case of hiding but possibly not being as easily affected by things. But all of these are things that come with age anyway. I think their differences balance each other out because sometimes Kate's stoicism is very necessary in a way William could perhaps learn from which is why having both of them is helpful.

I get that, I like Kate. I'm just trying to see things from a different POV and trying to see what the GenZ sees of her to explain her numbers. The discussion for me is about why she is liked across all age groups up to the millenials but there is that sudden dip with the Gen Z. There is no need to defend her here, lol, and it's not like it seems they hate her either. It's more like they seem to not care about her at all and I think it's interesting.

#anonymous #anon #ask

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jessicafurseth · 1 year

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Reading List, Spring Sap double edition.

"You begin with what you know, and what you know changes." - Cheryl Strayed

[Image by Katie Benn]

"On the first day of spring I would forgive anything; the air ... smells like forgiveness wide-armed enough to raise up all of history’s beloved dead. No one who ever went outside on a spring afternoon could really believe that there aren’t second acts in everyone’s lives." Helena Fitzgerald

"Awe has always been available to us. It’s an artefact of our own attention, rather than a force that emanates from magnificent things. It is perpetually nearby, but we like to imagine that it’s far away, a place that we visit on once-in-a-lifetime holidays, rather than a practice that we can foster across a lifetime. I’ve tended to see it as a frippery, an unnecessary decoration on the edges of experience that I can safely afford to ignore most of the time. I no longer think that’s true. Instead, I think that those vulnerable, ground-shifting encounters like awe, wonder, fascination and mystery are crucial to our survival." [Katherine May, The Guardian]

"I now kindly understand that a world which tells me not to mark my own skin is the world where outside opinion is more important than my choice, and prejudice has been carelessly applied. I believe that a body cannot be deemed inappropriate." [Corrie Foreman]

The Indelible Marks Of Apo Whang-Od, still tattooing at age 106 [Audrey Carpio, Vogue Philippines] ... and her apprentice, Grace Palicas, on Instagram.

Tattoos are about change [Rachel Jepsen, The Cut]

"I agreed that something needed to give. I disagreed that the something needed to be my work." Excerpt from 'You Could Make This Place Beautiful' [Maggie Smith, The Cut] ... and in response, this incredible Twitter thread solicited by Isabel Kaplan, with stories of relationships which are the opposite.

Pet-Custody Agreements Are a Bad Idea [Ines Bellina, The Cut]

"I had sought permission my entire life to make choices; I had been well-behaved and studious as a youth, jumped through all the required hoops – academic, extracurricular and otherwise. But freedom was to be explored and exploited, I had now decided. These travels taught me that moving around wherever I liked was possible. And that I was always at home as long as I had a few necessary items: a journal, some blue jeans, a few ducats and, most of all, a sharp mind." Lessons from a life on the move [Jami Attenberg, The Guardian]

"'I think there’s probably a misconception that the more you plan, the less joy you get from something,' Johnson said. Sure, some of her favorite days are the unplanned ones, she said. But she’s found that those sorts of days can only be fully appreciated if you’re already created the space — and gotten the things done — to enjoy them." The case for planning your free time" (at least a little) [Madeleine Aggeler, The New York Times - this is a free link]

PSA: Some airlines will sell you a "couch" on long haul flights - that's three seats in a row in Economy at a price that's actually affordable, so you can sleep flat. This is potentially game-changing.

Why are we so fascinated by super-organised homes? [Amelia Tait, The Guardian]

“I don’t know what I think except that I don’t think any of us has to have a firm opinion about what it means to be a woman.” On a hysterectomy [Anna Holmes, The New Yorker]

To Accept My Chronic Condition, I Needed to Grieve the Life That Could Have Been [Carolyn Todd, SELF]

"Elements of my character I used to think of as my personality are gone: intense sentimentality, worrying about everything, moroseness. So what is personality, and what is symptom?" Who Am I Without My Depression? [Imogen West-Knights, Vogue]

Name and shame, a column by Emma Forrest [The Guardian]

Shades of grey in Bilbao [Juan Navarro, The London Review of Books]

The people who still use a London A-Z map [The Londonist]

"I always felt [Nemesis] was a missed opportunity to create a story and play a story line that had a fitting and proper conclusion to it. None of us knew that was going to be our last outing. So there was always, at least for me, a sense of a missed opportunity, something unfulfilled. That ship had sailed. Two decades have passed. I had long since given up on any hope of a conclusion as satisfying as this one is." - LeVar Burton ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Gets the ‘Next Generation’ Band Back Together [Sopan Deb, The New York Times]

Patrick Stewart will look great forever [Caity Weaver, GQ]

The peerless Natasha Lyonne on what surprises her, at 43: "The only surprise is how false the bill of goods is that we’re sold as young women. We’re supposed to be terrified of anything after 17 or 21. So it’s a revelation to discover what a lie that was. The truth of the matter is, it’s way better over here. I’m sure any woman in her 40s is gonna tell you, that’s when it all starts clicking, because you get to let go of so much concern about what other people think, and you get to focus on what you care about. And, of course, life being that funny karmic beast that it is, as soon as you let go of certain things, those are the very same things that come to you."

#reading list

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