#these look like if they were 2 different files but they're not

[victoria-grimesss]

2 ideas!

One, I loved your soap w secretary girlfriend! What about something similar for ghost and konig?

Two, what about a COD fic where the lights go out and you are stuck in the dark together? 😘 any character you want!

masterlist

->Paring: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Fem!Reader & König x Fem!Reader

->Words: 0.8k

->A/N: MDNI! These are so fun to write!!! Also adding that wonderful 'idea of the stuck in the dark' fic to the list ;)

Sure, Ghost and König are both big strong military men. They're intimidating and stoic. Tall and broad but they both love their secretary girlfriend differently.

Ghost:

He's a brute. Large and broad and dark. How you became accustomed to him was more comical than anything. One complaint report landed on your desk for him to pick up, which he never did. His training methods were.. less than desirable.. which you can imagine just looking at him and how he just stands and stares, barking commands.

34 total complaint reports from the newest training group landed on your desk, making a rather annoying pile. None of the complaints would ever be resolved, Ghost's training method is foolproof. So, you walked down the hallway, papers in hand and a scowl on your face straight to that man. You slam the door open to the training yard your heels sounding extra loud. Your stocking covered legs and short skirt is the view of the century out here.

"Lieutenant Riley, your complaint papers have occupied an annoyingly large space on my desk. Please be better about picking them up from now on." You shoved the papers into his chest and storm away. Simon was putty in your hand from then on.

--

He would stand arms crossed in your doorway as you helped the others. Waiting patiently, his stare dark and unwavering.

He loves to watch you work. Your soft hands filing the papers expertly you know every little place where everything goes. He sees how the guy you're helping out checks out your ass as you stand. He shoulder checks him on his way out and then he stands at the front and center of your desk, and you look up through your lashes at him.

"Can I help you Simon?" You ask him in a sultry voice as you reapply your lipstick.

"Yea. I can think of a couple things."

--

Your panties are around one ankle, your heels barely hanging on to your feet as your legs are wrapped around his hips and he's ruthless with his thrusts. You're on lunch and he took you to the file room, you're on a dusty old desk that's only used for storage. All the contents thrown to the ground as Simon couldn't wait any longer to be inside you.

"Fuck, you love this yea? Fuckin you right here panties round your ankle you can hardly focus on me."

He's right your head has been long spinning and your eyes struggle to stay focused. He drives himself into your wet heat so hard and rough your hair has become a half up half down mess in the process.

"Grippin me so fuckin tight love, maybe I start coming down every day, feed you my cock on your break. Would you like that, look at me when I'm talking to you."

Simon frequently rips your stockings when he's gripping your thighs, especially when he cums.

"Fuckin hell love you're a fucking mess dripping on me like this, going to cum deep inside you then you'll go back and sit all pretty at your desk with me dripping out of you. You want that love? Yea you do."

Simon is a ruthless lover, he can be sweet too. When he's not confined by a 30-minute lunch break window of course.

--

König:

König is top dog, the big guy on the ground. So you see him often. You'll keep track of his appointments and meetings, bring him food and coffee when he works late nights and eventually, he invites you to share a meal with him. After that he keeps calling you back to his office.

König is an older guy and his knees aren't all that good honey so be a doll and help him out. You'll get down on yours and wrap those pretty lipstick coated lips around him and his mouth is watering just watching you take as much as you can.

He's found that he has a certain fixation for the lipstick you wear and sometimes requests you wear certain colors for him when you go down on him. He loves the way it leaves rings around his cock and he'll stroke your hair as he speaks to you.

"Taking me so well mein liebling, you see that last ring of lipstick you left on me? Let's try to get even lower this time, you're a good girl I believe in you."

You'll take as much as you can, and when he finally trains his little secretary to take all of him he cums as soon as your lips meet the base of him leaving red lip marks on his skin.

And when he's feeling especially needy he'll call you into his office and have you straddle him. He'll kiss your neck as he takes off your heels, he knows how expensive they are, I mean he did buy them for you, so he undoes the little straps with care and sets them on the floor.

He'll caress you with his big hands and have you ride his thigh hiking your skirt up your hips so he can rest his hands behind his head and watch you moan and sob on top of him.

"You look so beautiful like this mein liebling, you're leaving quite the wet spot on me this time. How many times should I make you cum like this before I let you ride me."

He's cruel when he wants to be but it's all in good fun. He's spoil you afterwards.

#cod fanfic #cod mw2 #cod mwii #cod smut #konig x reader #konig x you #könig #könig x reader #könig mw2 #konig fanfiction #könig smut #könig headcanons #cod headcanons #mw2 headcanons #ghost headcanons #ghost x reader #simon riley smut #simon riley x reader #simon riley #simon ghost riley x female reader #könig x fem reader #simon ghost riley #simon ghost riley smut #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost x reader #simon ghost x you

[pollen]

ok! ok ok 

#i just spoke with the director of ops and he and the controller spent a few days looking into solutions and ways forward #because oregon's FMLA is different than california's and i technically work in california although i live in oregon #but what i can do is request reasonable accommodation or submit a request for leave if it's gonna be like 2 months #BUT i can also file for temporary disability if i am going to need longer. i just might lose my health insurance #and in that case i can get insurance through the state. oregon's pretty good about that #but honestly like i wouldnt mind continuing to do some work. it'd just need to be a lot better structured #and i don't really want to be on the clock. like if i could just do contract work with them for awhile i'd be happy to keep doing some work #like idk i'm the authority on voice and content for one of our biggest clients and i like doing work for them #because i'm the one who developed their tone and messaging. like that's my brand. i am this brand. i don't even have to try #right now i'm working on a few blog posts for them about social media marketing as a medicare agent #and i'm just chillin. just having a good time. if i were only working on this account i think i'd feel so much more mellow #i also don't wanna do like. nothing. while i'm in recovery #of course there are things i want to do for like. hobbies. and i don't want my day to revolve around work like it does right now #but it would be nice to still be able to pitch in at work when i feel able to. i could even do proofs for our biggest client #since i'm the [redacted] expert and we have so much work for them right now because they're absorbing a lot of smaller groups #but i'd need advance notice instead of having something thrown at me to proof within the hour. like just gimme a day or two #so i can plan for it and not feel completely out of control over my time #i think that'd be a good precedent to set moving forward for even when i can return to work full time #like um i need to set some boundaries if im gonna continue to have this job

[murfeelee]

Murf's Top 50 Mods - Part 3 (2020 - 2023 Edition)

I made a Top 50 list (Pt 1 and Pt2) back in 2016, talking about mods that I've used & love. But with all the goated content that the amazing TS3 community continues to churn out, I NEEDED to update my list! This one in no way diminishes or negates the other mods I've already listed--like, I shouldn't have to sit here and explain how NRAAS continues to carry TS3 on its freaking shoulders, ok. This is just MORE mods, the Top 50 most RECENT ones I've tried out since, like, quarantine.

I am a VERY niche simmer--I love fantasy gameplay, so my fave mods are the ones that not only offer general quality of life improvements, but also add new abilities and interactive objects inspired by different cultures, time periods, or genres. So y'all already KNOW which ones have earned my top spots. They're not based on which mods are "better," just which ones I personally have been using the most.

1: Smooth Patch, LazyDuchess

I've already gushed about this mod, but oh well. Like--I use an EFFTON of CC. My Live Mode gameplay itself doesn't tend to lag so much as my game's slow to LOAD, slow to save, CAS is a nightmare, I can do my taxes waiting for the Misc Decor section to open, etc etc. But the Smooth Patch loads everything so much quicker for me! 😭

One thing is that on the EA App version (curse you, EA) the Master Controller package didn't work on my end, so I took it out, but everything else has been great!

2: Search Mod, LazyDuchess

Speaking of the Misc Decor section -- HOW LONG did we ask EA for a Search function y'all? Only to be ignored. Then the second TS4 is released, it ain't got a effing thing in it, but it's got a Search function??? 🤔 ISTG it's like the simgurus were told to take all of the TS3 community's best suggestions, and poach them for TS4 (like vampire coffins--NO I'm not over it!). WHY do modders have to do your frikkin job for you, EA?! I call EA lazy all the time cuz EA you suck, so it's the most ironic thing ever that LazyDuchess is out here KILLING IT.

My ONLY "complaint" about the Search mod is the position of the icon. I use A LOT of Collection Files, and I noticed that the Search icon actually covers the Delete button when in the Collection viewer. So I can't delete items in collections with the Search icon in the way.

But this is a MINOR nitpick--I almost never delete items, it's just something I noticed is all.

3 - 8: OCCULT MODS: EVERYTHING by @puddingface1902

Y'all already know the Enhanced Witches mod is my favorite mod ever made. But PF1902 also made cool enhancements to the Fairies, Genies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Mermaids too! My sims are usually Nraas hybrids (e.g.: Sakura is a faery, witch & plantsim; Magnus Bane is a witch & genie; etc.), so it's FANTASTIC having so many new abilities for my magical occults. 😍

9 - 11: OCCULT MODS by xantak22

Even more occult mods at MTS are for enhanced Plantsims, Ghosts, and Mummies! I was dying for more Plantsim abilities, omg, they're my 3rd fave occult after Witches & Fae.

12: Sim Control Tools by Knight

Sooooo many quality of life mods have come out! ^0^

I've been ABUSING the Teleport To Me function, to quickly get sims off of lots & where I need them to be. It also lets sims unlock more Social/Romantic interactions. (Now all we need is a way to interact with sims from EA's useless thumbnails.)

13 - 18: @anitmb's mods

There are SOOOO many--most I've yet to even try. But so far newer ones I've been using are the Deck of Cards (FINALLY something other than EA's bulky AF poker table!), Farm Mod (look at all these CHICKENS!), and Hunting mod so my 8000 archer sims can actually hunt! (Ofc I've also used the Woodcutter and Anvil mods in my older gameplay posts, too.) And @mspoodle1's edit of the Cup of Tea mod is so pretty.

19: @mspoodle1's Poker table

Another excellent cards mod is this medieval style poker table I use a lot now, too.

20: @omedapixel's Wildflowers DR

I like EA's default wildflowers from SSNS, but Omeda's are just sooooo much nicer. (I haven't gotten around to trying out their Harvestable Plant DR yet.)

21: Swordfighting mod by CyrusBanefort

En garde! This mod is so freaking epic!

One thing I've noticed is that the game lags while it waits for the mod to boot up (a message has to first pop up saying it's running when you first launch your saves). But other than that this mod is excellent.

22 - 24: Yoga rugs

I've long been using the yoga rugs by Kitabalibar and the edited one from @mspoodle1. But now there's the newest one by @twinsimming, with brand new animations & features. The more the merrier I say, LOL. What's especially neat is the kids wobbling around as they try to do yoga! :3

25 - 30: TheSweetSimmer's mods--so cute! :3

Omg so frikkin many, I can't even catch up! The interactions are so freaking precious, like from the More Toddler Interactions (cuddle, look at, etc) & Biggest Little Mod (hug legs), I've never had so much fun playing with kids! <3 And I LOVE that they can Catch Butterflies and Pick Flowers--you'd think plantsim children would be able to do this by default, EA! Honestly, just grab everything by TSS, your kid sims will thank you!

31 - 33: @spheresims Medieval/Nature/Tribal mods

Y'all know I'm crazy about the Functional Fireplaces mod (the cauldrons, baby! 😈), but the One with Nature and Wildlife Hunting mods are great too, perfectly complimenting the off-the-grid realness.

34: @olomayasims/Cmomoney Smoking Mod Overhaul

The original smoking mod was on my first Top 50 list, so it's awesome seeing it get new upgrades, interactions & animations.

I've never smoked IRL, but sooooo many of my sims just puff-puff away; I'm such an enabler. U_U Now all we need is cigars and pipes!

35 - 38: Callia-Evergreen/Camkitty's CAS CC for animal hybrids at MTS

Not a "mod" per se, but whatever--my list my rules! I love ALL of their CC, but I get SO MUCH use out of animal-themed CC like the digitigrade sliders, wolf feet, lizard tails, and fae wings. Do check them out if you like to play with horror and monster-sims!

39: @greenplumbboblover's Sheep

EASILY one of the most incredible mods I've ever seen. Like....HOW? (Once @omedapixel's Goats are done I'm gonna start screaming someone do llamas pleeeeeaaaaase!!!)

40: Arsil's musical instruments mod

I used the sax most recently in my IWTV gameplay, and it was excellent, perfect for the NOLA vibes! However, although I use the flute A LOT more (for my Untamed gameplay--it's been such a GODSEND!), I really wish the hands were positioned better, preferably using the poses from Chisims' flute poseset. (But I don't eff with poses/animations, otherwise I'd do it myself. U_U) Ah well, it's still one of my fave mods though.

41 - 42: Flower Arranging mod by zoe22 + @mspoodle1's Florist Collection

Guys, I've been wanting this mod since FOREVER! ^0^ (I swear, the best thing about TS4 is all the 4t3 conversions, LMAO!) I just wish Teens could Dabble and use it, too--all they can do is stock the table.

43: Just Sit/Nap Anywhere by FloTheory

Sometimes you just want sims to fall asleep anywhere, DANG, EA!

44: @sweetdevil-sims' Toddler Food DR

Cuz EA's food is UUUUUUUUGLY~! I kept forgetting to install it, only to be rudely reminded every time I had to look at my toddler sims eating MUD.

45 - 46: @mspoodle1's mail pen quill DR and @omedapixel's pencil quill DR

I looooove quill pens IRL (ballpoint pens, not the fountain pens--I'm way too messy), so having mods that let my sims use them too is 👌

47: Fireflies Enhanced! by Canibal_MLO

I love anything that enhances the wildlife and collectibles/harvestables to be more dynamic and interactive. And I was JUST about to do a firefly catching scene for my IWTV insp. gameplay, so this came right on time! The falling leaves effect is delightful, but I kinda wish it was falling flower petals instead, cuz ofc I do. 🌸

48: Unicorn Aurora DR by Canibal_MLO

GORGEOUS. This mod replaces the unicorn mist with northern lights, like.... I love the genius ideas simmers have.

49: Custom Plumbbob Color tool by CrossTheMersey

What a neat idea! Although the default Maxis colors are ingrained in my psyche, with the iconic green plumbbob, as soon as I saw this mod I knew I wanted to at least try something different and play around with it.

50: @aa6x7's Teru Teru Bozu + other edits [Honorable Mention]

I rave about Cmomoney's Time/Weather Mod all the time, I use it constantly. AA6x7's Teru Teru Bozu (Japanese "Sunshine Monk" charms) is kinda like a simpler version of it, as it just resets bad weather back to Sunny. But it's such a cute idea and perfect for my gameplay. Plus, AA6x7 makes all kinds of neat edits/mods to EA's bulky AF meshes, so if you haven't checked them out already, DO!

And that's all the mods I've managed to try out recently!

I don't have anywhere near the kind of free time that I used to, so my simming has been put on the backburner and I've missed all kinds of cool and exciting releases. But trust: I am taking note, so that I know what to try once I have time.

All my deepest & sincerest gratitude & love to the entire sims community, for keeping The Sims 3 going--this year was the 14th anniversary! Here's to 14 more! 🥳 Happy Simming!

#simblr #sims 3 mods #sims 3 content list #the sims 3 #sims 3 medieval #sims 3 fantasy #sims 3 supernatural #EA you suck

[nervoussagittarius]

20191009 I Like Her

matt sturniolo x reader

summary: y/n shows matt a song that explains the way he's been feeling

warnings: none just fluff

"matt, have you ever listened to mac demarco? " you ask as you lay on his bed. there's been a comfortable silence between the two of you as you search for new music and matt sits at his desk playing around with his computer settings.

somehow you had come across one of your old playlists that focused primarily on the album "2" by mac demarco.

while he was one of your favorite artists growing up, you never got the chance to listen to his newer music. matt looked at you for a second and held up a finger signaling that he'd answer you shortly, after he finished changing his desktop files around.

matt was trying to play it cool. he had been having these weird feelings towards you for the past couple days. he didn't know how they developed or what they meant. what he did know is that he didn't want to come off strong or seem overly interested in you even though his mind was screaming at him to say how he's been feeling.

truth be told, he didn't really know how he felt. he had only known you for a couple of months and you started coming around the house more because you were close with nick. though, as time went on you formed a bond with matt that was comfortable and safe. matt was always able to tell when he started liking a girl, but it was harder to find the words to explain how he felt about you.

matt felt the need to keep any relationship between you two strictly platonic. you were nick's friend first, and while he didn't think nick would care he didn't want to lose the trust that he had built with his brother. he vowed to himself that nothing romantic could happen between you two, but as days went on that thought flew further to the back of his head.

"mac demarco," matt asks, he looked at you again. "is he the one who sings salad days'"

"yeah and he has a lot of other good music, but i just found his newest album and there's one hundred and ninety nine songs on it"

you pressed shuffle on the album. it was intriguing that a majority of the songs just had numbers for titles,and no vocals to them, just melodys.

"this song is '20200821 cowboy shit' its different" you said as you both laughed listening to the lyrics.

"it's definitely something" matt replied still not taking his eyes off of you. he admired the way your eyes sparkled as you flicked through the songs. he noticed how your lips turned up in a twinge of a smile when you heard a lyric you liked. he loved moments with you like this. he could sit here with you forever.

"y/n" matt said as the next song started playing. he was nervous to ask the next question. he wanted to know if you could put a name to the emotions he was feeling. you had always been better with this kind of stuff. you knew how to communicate how you felt, and you were always an open book with him. "do you think it's possible for us to like each other as more than friends? i don't really know how to explain it but i've been having these thoughts recently and i cant tell if they're just plationic"

you stared at him in shock of what he was saying. you've had feelings for matt for a few weeks now, but you didn't want to make things weird by saying something.

the words to '20191009 i like her' played in the background as you two just looked at each other. you kept replaying matts question in your head to think of the best way to answer, while matt was focused intently on the lyrics to the song to try to distract himself from the tension that had begun to rise in his room.

i'd give the world to her

as long as my heart's still beating

as long as she's next to me

as long as this love still fleeting

because i like her

matt thought you looked beautiful even though it felt like he could see the wheels turning in your head as you tried to answer his question.

listening to the lyrics, he felt this thought clear, and he knew in this moment that he couldn't say his feeling were just friendly anymore. sensing this, you made your way over to him. he looked at you warily, almost expecting you to yell at him and tell him that that he was crazy.

there was another beat of silence. "i like you y/n, a lot. i would do anything for you. will you please give me a chance?"

without second thought, you cupped his face in your hands and kissed the boy that you had quickly come to like.

could it be make believe?

am i just walking through a dream?

haven't felt this way in

such a long time, i do believe

that i like her

an: i've never written anything like this before so please tell me if you liked it or if you think i should change something. i'm always open to receiving feedback. i really appreciate you guys being here and if i could give each of you a forehead kiss i would

#matt sturniolo x reader #chris sturniolo x reader #nick sturniolo #chris sturniolo smut #matt sturniolo fluff #matt sturniolo smut #chris sturniolo #matt sturniolo imagine #matt x reader #sturniolo fanfic #matt sturniolo fanfic #matt sturniolo #Spotify

[tossawary]

Overall, in the live-action "One Piece", I liked the way that they did Mihawk visiting the Baratie. I still prefer the manga/anime (Zoro SEES Mihawk fuck up an armada and this wonderful idiot is like, "Yeah, I'm gonna fight him next,"), but I understand why they shifted the Don Kriegs around in order to fit the arc they had created for their limited number of episodes for the East Blue Arc, and I think it was probably the right choice even if it changing the Don Kriegs does give us less of the Baratie crew. All of the arcs were filed down and I can just go back to the manga to see all the East Blue minor characters properly.

I like the fact that OPLA has such a different feel. I think it's fun when adaptations embrace the fact that they're inherently different. I really liked Nami and Zoro's little drinking and questions game. And I thought Usopp getting super drunk at the bar and Mihawk being RIGHT THERE listening to him talk was SO FUNNY. Like, yeah, that gives off the vibe that this warlord does just casually visit bars as he travels, in between fighting armies for funsies, and now I get to also imagine Mihawk casually shopping at specialty goth clothing stores and buying bottles of wine to go as he travels. (And now I have to wonder what would have happened if Zoro had run into Mihawk somewhere like Funky Bar (the bar he mentions to Kuro, which yeah, they did kind of make it sound like a gay bar).)

I like Usopp/Kaya, but now I also like to imagine for a second that Usopp could have accidentally (or on purpose! If you're not going for Usopp/Kaya) HIT ON Mihawk at the Baratie. Maybe he was just trying to compliment the guy's fit or remark on his beautiful eyes or something, because Mihawk definitely has an aesthetic going on, and these words came out a little too flirty? Maybe it was a random bout of drunken courage sure to collapse quickly?

And, in this silly OPLA AU, I like to imagine Mihawk leaning into this at least for intelligence-gathering, like, "Let me buy you a drink. Tell me more." (Side note: Mihawk doesn't really seem like a bar hookup guy to me, like, in general, but counterpoint: SHANKS sure does!)

So, Nami, across the bar, can be like, "Whoa, Usopp's actually pulling some guy." (Mentally, she is evaluating Mihawk as, like, a sugar daddy robbery target. It's like second nature to her at this point. Are they going to have to interfere? Usopp is REALLY drunk. Can she swipe Mihawk's wallet if they interfere?) And Zoro turns around to look and he pauses for a really long time before saying, "...That's Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman."

So, things proceed pretty much the same way from there, Zoro challenges a warlord and nearly dies, but now Nami and Zoro can hold "flirting with a warlord at a bar" over Usopp's head as an embarrassing story FOREVER. (I think if Usopp tried to own this misunderstanding to lessen the embarrassment, his lying would take over, and this would somehow lead to widespread rumors that someone on the Strawhats is secretly MARRIED to Mihawk or something, because Usopp's luck is terrible. The Navy has to reach out to Mihawk like, "ARE YOU IN LEAGUE WITH THE STRAWHATS THROUGH MARRIAGE?! CONFIRM OR DENY." And Mihawk thinks it's so fucking stupid that he refuses to answer at all.)

After the timeskip, the first thing that Zoro ends up saying to Usopp after 2 years is something like: "Mihawk says hey."

Usopp: (⁠･⁠o⁠･⁠;⁠)

Did Mihawk really say hey? Does he remember Usopp at all? Is Zoro just fucking with Usopp? Usopp will never know. (Maybe Mihawk said something like, "My regards to your crew," but Zoro is totally just fucking with Usopp.)

#tossawary one piece #usopp #roronoa zoro #dracule mihawk #fic ideas #spoilers

[kiyoomi-levin]

No Sense (Sakusa Kiyoomi x F!Reader)

summary::: sakusa has never encountered a clean object, much less a clean human being. so why is it that you, the first-year new manager of Itachiyama's volleyball club is? word count::: 3.4k music rec::: love 119 - riize warning?::: sakusa's kind of an ass & can't communicate

This really isn't like him. It really isn't like the one and only Sakusa Kiyoomi to find someone attractive at first sight. More alarmingly, it really isn’t like him to find someone clean. 

He's always known he was different. While other kids chased each other and rolled around the dirt pavement of the playground, Sakusa refused to step into the sandbox or touch the playset. It was disgusting. Couldn't they see? It was only when he entered elementary school that he learned he was the only one with this ability: being able to physically see germs.

The dirtier something was--and unfortunately, most things in this universe are really fucking dirty-- the darker the glow around them became. The subway seats, the door handle to his classroom, the reusable utensils from restaurants were all surrounded by darkness, so dark he felt sick. His backpack, the clock hanging above the chalkboard, and Motoya Komori, his closest friend and cousin, all classified as semi-dirty, with a light gray surrounding them. In his life, he's only seen two things without a ring of germs. His body after a nice, long, 40 minute shower and… you.

It doesn't make sense. Even newly bought scissors still inside their packaging are slightly dirty (from being exposed to the particles of the factory they're from, duh). So why? Why is it that a random first-year didn't have that dark glow around her? New people (whose hygiene habits were a mystery) were always especially dirty, surrounded by a shadow composed of gray and black.

It just doesn't make sense.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, they're introducing the new manager today!" Ito Asahi, the 2nd-year outsider hitter, calls out as Sakusa and Komori walks in. 

Sakusa takes a glance around the gym. Today, it’s especially clean, uplifting his sour mood from being touched intentionally by some girl from class 2-B. Komori notices and smiles playfully.

"Looks like you can forgive and forget Nakamura now, right?" He murmurs. 

"Who?"

Komori sighs, feeling sorry for the short-haired girl in love with his brainless cousin. 

"Never mind."

"We're welcoming our new manager. She just transferred," Iizuna, Itachiyama’s captain, says as he rolls out the volleyball cart from the closet.

"Be nice,” he says, glaring at the club’s center.

Sakusa frowns under his mask, forehead wrinkling.

"You're the reason why Azuma-san quit. I'll be watching you." 

Sakusa grimaces harder. Nothing escapes Iizuna's line of sight, unfortunately. It pays off during matches, but outside the court it’s nothing but a hindrance.

Besides, it wasn't his fault that the grubby-handed manager had repeatedly mixed his jersey with everyone else's, loaned his water bottle to the new first-year players, and, worst of all, used his phone to make a call.

The final straw was when the 3rd-year girl had handed him a used towel. Less than 30 seconds after the exchange, Sakusa had her pressed against the wall and whispered some not-so-kind, germ related insults that led to her filing for her retirement the next morning.

"Who is it?" Komori asks, flopping onto the floor and beginning his stretches. Iizuna grins, rolling a ball in his hands. Iizuna knew you well as a distant family friend, and knows you'll fit in well.

"She's a first-year with a ton of experience as the former manager of Ushimi Middle School," Haga, the backup setter, cuts in, leaning over to help Komori reach his toes. 

Iizuna’s response fades out as Sakusa's mental encyclopedia goes to work.

"Ushimi Middle. Bokuto Kotaro," He says, taking off his mask. Haga smirks, knowing the wing spiker had memorized the magazine introducing the top Japanese high school players.

"Yeah, she's close with Bokuto. They apparently dated," Hirota chimes in, emerging from the stands. Hirota, never one to shy away from gossip, watches as Sakusa raises his eyebrows.

Disgusting. You dated that energetic, owl-freak who looks like someone who doesn't wash their hands after eating? You must be at his level of contamination. Internally groaning, Sakusa can only hope you'd wear gloves around him.

"Relax," Komori says, “we don’t know if that’s true.”

"That means she likes older guys, huh... think I have a chance?" Asahi says, promptly being slapped on the back of the head by Iizuna.

"Group up!" A shout from their coach, Hirata-sensei, gets the boys to line up in three rows. Aces and third years at the front, first years at the back. Iizuna walks next to the coach, holding a new manager jacket.

It's silent for a moment, and the door swings open as Sakusa picks at his thin cotton shirt. Why is there lint on it? He should get a new lint roller, this brand wasn't cutting it. And switching detergent brands was also a mistake, this new one makes his skin itch…

The first years begin murmuring behind him.

Sakusa refuses to look up, though. He's not ready to see the grime surrounding you.

"Hello," a voice calls out. "I'm l/n y/n. I'm a first year, and I transferred this semester. I previously was manager of Ushimi Middle. I'll try my best... If you have any concerns or special requests, please don't be shy to talk to me."

Cheers, and Sakusa hears Iizuna welcoming you and passing you the jacket. Coach suddenly calls him out.

"This is Sakusa Kiyoomi, our ace. Be wary as you approach him and his belongings." 

Sakusa looks up to glare at his coach and the newbie.

He blinks. Once. Twice. Three times just in case.

You're clean. Clean. There's no ring of germs floating around you. It's what he sees after getting out of the shower. It's not possible.

"Kiyoomi?" Coach says. Sakusa blinks. What?

"Uh. I'm Sakusa Kiyoomi." He hears his teammates behind him whispering and giggling, no doubt misunderstanding his shock.

You smile, and he feels his gut twisting.

"I've heard a lot about you, Sakusa. I look forward to working with you! I'll take care of your things."

You're kind of cute. He doesn't know how else to describe you, he's never examined a girl. He's seen many girls in his life, more than a dozen have approached him in just this past year-- all quickly rebuked. He's not a virgin (thinking about his past experiences makes him gag), but something makes him feel like a shy boy experiencing his first love.

Your eyes are bright and your smile is almost blinding. When has he gotten so cheesy?

As coach introduces the other aces, Sakusa can't take his eyes off of you as you giggle at Komori's stupid introduction (he suddenly feels a surge of anger towards his innocent cousin). 

It doesn't make sense.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's been almost a month since you've begun your duties as manager, and it's going great! You couldn't have asked for a better group of players. 

And yet, despite the easy-going attitude of the overall team, one thing (yes, he doesn't even qualify as a human) always messes with you.

Sakusa Kiyoomi.

The only student who you were not able to warm up to. Everyone else on the team was incredibly friendly, requesting you call them by their first names. Tsukasa takes good care of you, Motoya purchases the always-sold-out cafeteria sandwiches for you, and Asahi helps you prepare for exams. But Sakusa refuses to even look your way and snaps when you touch his towel or water bottle (even with the disposable gloves you purchased at the mini-mart). 

It hurts, being shunned by someone who you admire so much. You've known about him and his skills since middle school, and when you were accepted into Itachiyama, you were thrilled at the prospect of supporting someone so dedicated to his passion. But this player (who you curse internally) glares at you, watching as you head towards the benches.

I won't touch your stuff, relax, you think to yourself as you pick up Haga's bag. What more could you do? You've tried different methods to approach him, washing your hands more often than usual, using hand sanitizer as you approach him, and even changing your shampoo and body wash to a brand he prefers (thanks to Motoya’s intel). 

And yet, he still stares at you like you’re a freak.

“Hey, be careful.” You jump as Sakusa presses up behind you, staring at his sports tape in your gloved hand. You frown. For a germaphobe who despises you, he sure gets close sometimes.

“I am!” You snap, and despite your anger, you gently place the tape into his bag. With that, you turn away quickly, running off to refill his water.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yeah, you’re an asshole.” Komori says, sighing. “You’re acting like a fucking first grader, Kiyoomi, one of those kids who teases the girl they like.”

Sakusa nearly drops his sandwich. 

Really? Is that how he comes across? 

“Is it obvious?” 

Komori’s mouth drops. He had simply been teasing. Who had replaced his cold and calculated cousin with this honest and socially-conscious Kiyoomi?

“Wait, really? You really like her?” Komori leans in. 

Ugh. Sakusa pulls away quickly, packing up his belongings as the bell rings. 

No. He’s just interested in why you’re clean. 

That’s the only reason. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“y/n!” Sakusa barks. You flinch. He’s in an especially prickly mood thanks to the upcoming practice match with Nekoma. 

Without hesitation, you begin to sanitize your hands as you rush over to where he’s sitting.

“Wipe my face for me,” he demands, much to your shock as you near him. His gorgeous face (sculpted by God himself, no doubt) is covered in a light layer of sweat.

You gape, eyeing the towel folded perfectly on top of his bag. Never in the past three months have you seen anyone touching Sakusa, not even with gloves on. Even Sakusa himself rarely touches his own face, only to put on and take off his mask. 

“Hurry up,” Sakusa breathes impatiently, placing his bottle on the floor. 

Wait, are you really allowed to touch him? What’s going on? Are you in an alternate universe?

“Uh–” you fumble as your scattered mind tries to collect itself. “Let me get my glov-”

“Shut up. Just wipe it off,” he says, closing his eyes and bowing his head. 

“Idiot,” he murmurs. That snaps you back, and a rush of adrenaline fills your body as you gulp.

Time’s moving in slow motion. 

You carefully pick up his towel, a soft, red item that always smells of Sakusa’s laundry detergent and is free of lint. 

You reach up, gently patting his face. Starting from his chin, then above his thin lips, the sides of his nose, his forehead where those adorable two moles lie. 

“Done,” you whisper, taking a step back. You let out a huge sigh of relief, realizing you’ve been holding your breath this whole time. 

Sakusa’s eyes slide open and he peers down directly into yours.

Again, time stops. 

As he wordlessly turns away, you feel your stomach fluttering. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why does he treat you different?

Your friends can only think of a few logical explanations to his strange behavior over this past month. 

“He’s warmed up to you,” one of your friends proposes. 

Another one scoffs. 

“He probably got scolded by the coach for being rude to you.”

Your best friend, Yuyuka, has the most realistic theory. 

“He was replaced by aliens.”

Yes, that must be it. Because wiping his sweat for him, refilling his water bottle gloveless, and handling his club jacket and jersey has become your responsibility. 

You so badly want to ask Sakusa–no, Kiyoomi, which he casually demanded you to refer to him as, why. 

Why does he let you do these things? Why does he allow you to use his precious phone to make emergency calls? Why do the corners of his eyes crinkle as he smiles at the sight of you scrubbing his favorite volleyball clean? 

Why did he hug you secretly after the team’s victory against Aoba Johsai last week?

You still can’t forget the way his slightly damp body held you for one, two, three seconds behind the gym before he gently shoved you away.

 “What could it be, Komori…” you breathe aloud, head clouded with thoughts of Kiyoomi and his gorgeous face. 

Your trusty informant, Komori, internally gags. While he loves you and Kiyoomi, it sure is irritating to have you gush about Kiyoomi to him in one ear and Kiyoomi ranting about you in the other. 

Could you two just confess already? Komori thinks, sighing. 

“Honestly? You’re basically dating already,” Komori retorts, glancing through the door to make sure his gossip-hungry teammates are out of range.

“Just ask him out. I swear it’ll go well.”

Your head snaps up towards the talented libero. 

“No! I mean, I just can’t be sure… It’s just so weird! Like he hates me and sometimes he’s nice, but then he just pushes me away…” 

Komori rubs his temples. That stupid ass tsundere. 

“Oh! By the way… y/n, are you also… a germaphobe?” You frown. 

“Of course not. Why? Has he asked? Does he ask about me?” You ask, eyes brightening. Komori shakes his head. 

“It’s just weird. I mean, Kiyoomi said that you’re clean.” Your eyebrows furrow. 

What does that mean?

As if reading your thoughts, Komori begins to explain. 

“That guy… he can see germs. It’s weird. I mean, he thinks even I’m dirty, but he said from the start that you’re–”

“Komori!” A furious Sakusa shouts from the court. “Break’s been over for 29 seconds!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Listen, I’ve figured it out,” Yuyuka says in a whisper. The two of you are hiding at the top of the stairwell, plotting the ‘ultimate Sakusa Kiyoomi x l/n y/n plan.’

“Men… they require a push-and-pull. You’ve always been at his mercy, right? Since the beginning you’ve always admired him.” You nod intently. 

“Exactly! So now you’re gonna ignore him.”

You squeeze your hands together. Could you really do that, though? Wouldn’t that just irritate him? But more importantly, you didn’t want to do anything to hinder his athletic performance on court–

“Stop overthinking!” Yuyuka scolds as you pout. 

“But…” 

“You got this! I swear, this’ll work. If he likes you, he’ll ask you directly what the problem is.”

As you head down the stairs and towards the volleyball gymnasium, you can’t help but wonder why, despite her romantic wisdom, Yuyuka has never been in a relationship. 

–-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two weeks. That’s how long it’s been since you’ve talked to Sakusa, touched his face, handled his water bottle and ball and had your hands on his sports tape. 

Since you’ve begun this ignore-Kiyoomi-until-he-confesses nothing has happened, other than him glaring at you from across the court every moment you’re in his sight.

Yuyuka’s words ring in your mind. See, he doesn’t like you. You’re always the one to initiate! He doesn’t care about you, girl. Just let him go. 

You feel tears welling in your eyes as you mop. Seriously, why are you even this upset over a situationship? Pathetic. He never liked you in the first place. It was just a one-sided misunderstanding. Even when you had walked home together, after all, it was at Komori’s insistence. 

But then why had he purchased a Christmas gift for you?

Wait, it couldn’t have been that he had just received those chocolates from other girls and pawned them off to you, right? That sounds like something he'd do.

Fucking asshole. 

“I can find someone else,” you mutter to yourself. “Yeah… I can find anyone else, stupid Kiyoomi…”

Lost in your thoughts, you envision yourself dumping him into a pit of mud. That makes you smile.

“Watch out!” 

You don’t get the chance to react as a blue volleyball flies towards you at what looks like 500 mph. 

“Oof!”

The ball collides with your left shoulder, sending you backwards. You stumble and fall on your butt, humiliated and in pain. 

Stupid Kiyoomi!

Now you know he really hates you– no one on the team hits this hard!

“y/n!” The team is rushing towards you as you clench your shoulder. 

“I’ll take you–” Iizuna calls out, but he reaches you first. 

“Kiyoomi.” You whimper.

Sakusa’s panting, and bright red, but without hesitation, leans down and sweeps you into his arms, bridal-carry style.  

“Here we go,” he mumbles as he takes you away, towards the back of the gym. 

You close your eyes, burying your head in your hands, shoulder throbbing. God! Anyone but Kiyoomi would have been fine, why’d it have to be him, and why’d they all have to see you being wiped out by a single ball, so embarrassing…

“You’re a dumbass, huh,” Sakusa says as he lowers you onto the bench. Your eyes burn. It’s his fault, and he’s degrading you? 

“Seriously. How many times have we told you not to fucking stand there, it’s dangerous, and watch your positioning on court–” 

“It’s your fault!” You shout at him. The loud gym awkwardly goes quiet.

Sakusa’s eyes widen, but you just can’t stop yourself. 

“You hit it! Why’s it my fault? You’ve been ignoring me!”

Now tears are really streaming down your face. 

Your bottom lip is quivering, and Sakusa hates himself that even in your vulnerable state, he’s only consumed with thoughts of biting it. 

“But it wasn’t– I didn’t–” Panicked, he looks around wildly, making eye contact with his cousin, who shakes his head as he ushers the rest of the team out of the gym. 

Now, in silence, it feels like for the first time, Sakusa can really see you. Not as just the strangely clean manager, but as a confused and heartbroken girl. 

“Sorry.”

You take in a small inhale, wiping your eyes. Sakusa reaches forward, grasping your hands. He gently taps your tears away with the sleeve of his sweater. In a shift motion, you suddenly find yourself in his lap, to your surprise. 

“Kiyoomi! I’m not clean,” you mumble, “I fell on the floor of the gym, in a spot where I haven’t mopped yet–”

“I don’t care.”

You sit here awkwardly, relishing the feeling of the body heat radiating from his chest. 

“Um… ” you start, squeezing your hands into fists.

“I like you. Sorry. I’ve– well, I’m an asshole. I know. And I’ve tried really hard to be more open. But it’s really hard. Not that that’s an excuse, Komori already chewed me out, so I know already. I fucked up, but since the start–” 

You can’t help it, you’re pressing your lips against his. 

“Wait, y/n, I–” You lean in again, twisting your body carefully so you’re sitting sideways.

You reach up, taking his face into your hands. His curly hair is even softer than you anticipated, no doubt thanks to his carefully selected conditioner. 

Sakusa takes a deep breath, looking into your clear eyes. It’s like you’re seeing into him, through him, at the real him– a socially restricted germaphobe riddled with flaws. 

But it’s as if you don’t care. 

He’ll tell you about his problems later, but for now, he closes his eyes and lets you steal his lips again. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ooh, it’s so loud,” You whisper to your boyfriend, grasping his hand tightly. As you glance over, you can’t help but smile as you study Sakusa masked up and wrapped up in his hoodie. 

It’s the Spring Tournament opening ceremony, meaning that there’s a hell ton of dirty, dirty people. He feels like throwing up, typically he stands in the corner, away from the masses of excited athletes and viewers, but he just doesn’t want to leave your side, especially because who he knows is here– the team’s first opponent, Fukurodani, that boasts a dirty simpleton who also happens to be your ex. 

“y/n, I feel sick,” he groans, slumping against you. You giggle, massaging the top of his head with your fingertips. 

“y/nnn!” A loud shout rings down the hallway. A familiar silhouette– 

“Kotaro!” A grin spreads across your face as your ex and trusty partner in crime, Bokuto Kotaro, skips down the hall towards where you’re standing with Sakusa. 

“Aw, it’s been so long, y/n, I’ve missed you!” Bokuto shouts, excitable as ever, inching closer. “Seriously, why’d you have to switch districts? Lemme get a hug!” 

You’re shaking off your boyfriend’s arm when Sakusa suddenly shifts, creating a barrier between you and the owl-headed athlete. 

“Gross.” 

Bokuto looks taken aback, frowning as he identifies the grumpy man on your shoulder. 

“Sure, sure, I’ll go wash my hands before touching her,” he grumbles, spinning on his heels. 

“No need,” Sakusa says, pulling you closer as Bokuto marches away, arms folded. 

“You can ask for a hug when she has to console your loss.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a/n urgh i give up. sorry this is so shit. i give up. i've been working on this for so fucking long and it's just so bad. so cringe. but hope you liked or this helped you pass your time LOL this is probably the worst thing i've ever written

*i hate this so much i just skimmed thru it in my final read-through so there may be errors if there are just lemme know pls*

#haikyuu fic #haikyuu x reader #sakusa kiyoomi #sakusa kiyoomi x you #sakusa x reader #hq kiyoomi #haikyuu kiyoomi #kiyoomi sakusa x reader #kiyoomi x reader #haikyuu fluff #hq fluff #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu x you

[foursaints]

saints I was fighting off sleep last night to write down questions I had about your OCs I would be honored if you’d indulge me in answering a few of them-

1. How did Theo and Freddie meet? Was it before/after their angel/devil entanglements?

2. What’s the magnetizing force(s) behind their friendship/situationship? What makes them feral about one another?

3. I can’t remember if you’d mentioned this before but how tall are they respectively?

I’m here to learn 📝 🥰

this is saints foursaints dot tumblr… you KNOW there has to be a size difference (^their morning routine)

i can’t believe you were thinking about them.. that is so crazy to me. just know that me & oz are having a meltdown every time you guys send an ask like this..... um. they're deeply unserious characters and we smack them around like barbie dolls

in any given au, they always meet at a halloween party :,).. in this one, they're dressed as each other's respective mystic entanglements. theo (avoiding socializing by going upstairs to quietly look at the diff. bedrooms & get sentimental about the lives of strangers) found freddie (super plastered & spilling tequila everywhere & in a sequin halter top & actively stealing family photographs as part of an elaborate revenge plan after the host insulted his haircut once several weeks ago) and they spend the rest of the night locked in the upstairs bathroom together. theo takes him home but they don't sleep together and that surprises freddie. freddie sleeps in theo's bed & likes how it smells & falls asleep with his hand dangling off the bed, holding theo's where he sleeps on the floor.

it's because they cannot STAND each other lol.. but also bc they are also more alike than they realize. freddie is a caterwauling diva who cannot tolerate not being Taken Extremely Seriously and theo is addicted to riling him up & making him blush & curse him out. theo cannot handle being proven Wrong and yet freddie is always on some 5d chess machiavellian mind-game shit & a few steps ahead of him. but it is punctuated by these rare & random moments that are disconcertingly tender (like halloween) and it freaks both of them out + they have a lil thing wherein they're immune to each other. theo has a bit of a halo effect on people & freddie tends to always get his way BUT because of their own situations it doesn't work on each other. but they're unaware of each other's situations. so they are both hysterically like WTF IS WRONG WITH HIM? I NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS. <- excuse 2 see each other

3. freddie is 5’10 & theo is 6’3. if u see me exaggerating the height difference.. Hush..

IM SORRY FOR THE MUCHO TEXTO IM LITERALLY INSANE ABOUT THEM. but I suppose I am this long-winded with rosekiller as well so that might just be my personality. im not on my ipad rn but i will give you some ancient teddies that are in my laptop files

^ this one is literally from ?? 2020?? I think?? but it makes me laugh

#a #i promise i just have a lot of these laying around. i have not been drawing that much lately sgdhdhdj. i wish it were so #hee hee i got so many asks about them… guys i’m :3 making this facial expression #but I literally get shy... what if my cool mutuals see. cool mutuals look away please . #freddie & theo #saintsocs #foursaints art tag

[human-for-tonight]

the thing about watcher is I think buzzfeed unsolved fucked them over. both in terms of numbers but also in terms of output. if you go to buzzfeed unsolved network and sort by popular, you have to scroll past 84 videos before you get below 10mil views. and a lot of those are 5-7 years old, so those are numbers they would've been looking at when deciding to break off from buzzfeed (the first watcher video was posted 4 years ago). they thought they could get big numbers without constantly churning out videos, because that's what they'd gotten with buzzfeed unsolved. and I'm sure they adjusted their projected numbers to account for people not following over to the new channel, but I doubt they predicted their top videos would be in the 8mil views range (which is still a lot, but not what they had pulled in the past).

so they aren't getting old buzzfeed unsolved numbers, but that's okay! look at the try guys - they aren't putting up millions of views every video and they're able to have a company with a decent amount of employees. and this is where the output issue comes in. between their main channel and their various podcasts, try guys is putting out 5 videos a week, with 2 being main channel videos. watcher is putting out 3 with 1 being a main channel video. plenty of people who have been making videos for a while have talked about the youtube grind and the algorithm - there's a reason daily vlogs and content houses got so big. and watcher didn't want to do that grind. from the beginning they've said they want to do seasons of shows. which is feasible! again, this is something try guys does with without a recipe. but the difference is try guys has quick and cheap videos they can put out in between and concurrently with those big shows that help support them. eat the menu is their best example of this because it gets big numbers. watcher doesn't really have filler videos.

to further the try guys comparison, buzzfeed unsolved limited the type of content fans were looking for in a way try guys was never limited because trying new things is a really fucking broad category. try guys was always more about the people than the specific thing they were trying. obviously a lot of fans of watcher like ryan and shane (and to a lesser extent steven, based on how many people are blaming him specifically for this). but I'm sure there were also people only watching because they liked true crime and/or ghost hunting content, which makes it harder to branch out and retain ghost files numbers on their other shows.

overall, they thought they could be buzzfeed with just unsolved, and that's not how youtube works and now it's fucking them over that they got too ambitious too fast

#watcher #apologies for how long and ramble this got i hope it makes any sense #i think watcher should've tried to enter some aort of partnership with try guys mythical etc aka a youtube production company #with a bit more experience that is also more stable #exposing myself as a trypod listener because everyone is (reasonably) comparing watcher to dropout #but i think try guys is a better comparison of where watcher is going wrong #also if you are only criticizing steven please reflect on why only him #i obviously dont know the finances but i would imagine him shane and ryan are getting paid similar amounts #he is not evil just because he decided to spend it on a tesla #and he did not make this decision on his own and force everyone else to go along with it

[wander-wren]

every once in a while i like to poke my head into "anti [x]" tags just to see what the other side thinks. recently i was looking through "anti ao3" and found a really funny post claiming that ao3 is not anticapitalist, but actually the Definition Of Capitalism, bc it relies on volunteer labor while supposedly having the money to pay a staff.

oh, honey.

but i am not going to make unsubstantiated claims on the internet, no, and this gives me an excuse to look at ao3's whole budget myself, which i've been meaning to do for a while. these numbers are taken from the 2022 budget post and budget spreadsheet.

ao3's total income for 2022, from the two donation drives, regular donations, donation matching programs, interest, and royalties was $1,012,543.42. less than $300 of that was from interest and royalties, so it's almost all donations. and that's a lot, right? surely an organization making a million dollars a year can afford to pay some staff, right?

well, let's look at expenses. first of all, they lose almost $37,000 to transaction fees right away. ao3 and fanlore (~$341k and ~$18k, respectively) take up the biggest chunks of the budget by far. that money pays for, to quote the 2022 budget post, "server expenses—both new purchases and ongoing colocation and maintenance—website performance monitoring tools, and various systems-related licenses."

in some years, otw also pays external contractors to perform audits for security issues, and for more servers to handle the growing userbase. servers are expensive as hell, guys. in 2022, new server costs alone were $203k.

each of their other programs only cost around $3,000 or less, and otw paid around $78k for fundraising and development. wait, how do you lose so much money on your fundraising?? from the 2022 budget post: "Our fundraising and development expenses consist of transaction fees charged by our third-party payment processors for each donation, thank-you gift purchases and shipping, and the tools used to host the OTW’s membership database and track communications with donors and potential donors."

then the otw paid an additional $74k in administration expenses, which covers "hosting for our website, trademarks, domains, insurance, tax filing, and annual financial statement audits, as well as communication, management, and accounting tools."

in case you weren't following all of that math, the total expenses for 2022 come out to $518,978.48. woah! that's a lot! but it's still only a little over half of their net revenue. weird. i wonder what they do with that extra $494k?

well, $400k of it goes to the reserves, which i'll get to in a second. the last $93k, near as i can tell, gets rolled over to the next year. i'll admit this part i'm a little unsure about, as it's not clear on the spreadsheet, but that's the only thing that makes sense.

the reserves, though are clear. the most recent post i could find on the otw site about it were in the board meeting minutes from april 2, 2022: "We’re holding about $1million in operating cash that is about twice the amount of our annual operating costs. There is another $1million in reserves due to highly successful fundraisers in the past. The current plan for the reserves is to hold the money for paid staff in the future. It’s been talked about before in the past and we’re still working out the details, but it’s a rather expensive undertaking that will result in large annual expenses in addition to the initial cost of implementation."

woah....they're PLANNING to have paid staff eventually! wild!

so let's assume, for easy numbers, that the otw currently has $1.5 million in reserves. before we even get to how to use that money, let's look at the issues with implementing paid staff:

deciding which positions are going to be paid, because it can't be all of them

deciding how much to pay them, bc minimum wage sure as hell isn't enough, and cost of living is different everywhere, and volunteers come from all over the world

hiring staff and implementing new systems/tools to handle things like payroll and accounting

making sure you continue to earn enough money both to pay all of the staff and have some in reserves for emergencies or leaner donation drives

probably even more stuff than that! i don't run a nonprofit, that's just what i can think of off the top of my head.

okay, okay, okay. for the sake of argument, let's assume there is a best-case scenario where the otw starts paying some staff tomorrow. how much should they be paid? i'm picking $15 an hour, since that's what we fought for the minimum wage to be. by now, it should be closer to $20 or $25, but i'm trying to give "ao3 is capitalism" the fairest shot it can get here, okay?

ideally, if someone is being paid to help run ao3, they shouldn't need a second job. every job should pay enough to live off of. and running a nonprofit is hard work that leads to a lot of burnout--two board members JUST resigned before their terms were up. what i'm saying is, i'm going to assume a paid otw staff is getting paid for 40 hours of work a week, minimum. that's $31,200.

at $400,000 per year, the otw can afford to pay 12 people. that's WITHOUT taking into account the new systems, tools, software, etc they would have to pay for, any kind of fees, etc, etc.

oh, and btw, if you're an american you're still making barely enough to survive in most places, AND you don't have universal healthcare, vision, or dental. want otw to give people insurance, too? the number of people they can pay goes down.

it's. not. possible.

a million dollars is a lot of money on the face of it, but once you realize how MUCH goes into running something like the otw, it goes away fast.

just for reference, wikipedia also has donation drives every year. wikipedia, as of 2021, has $86.8 million in cash reserves and $137.4 million in investments. sure, wikipedia and ao3 are very different entities, but that disparity is massive. and i should note that if you give $10 to wikipedia they don't give you voting rights, i'm just saying.

by the way, you may have noticed that i didn't mention legal costs at all here. isn't one of otw's big Things about how they do legal advocacy?

yes, it is. they have a whole page about that work. and i can't for the life of me find a source on otw's website (and i'm running out of time to write this post, i'll look harder later), but i am 90% sure i learned before that most, if not all, of otw's legal work/advice/etc is done pro bono. i've also seen an anti-ao3 person claim their legal budget is only $5k or so, but they didn't have a source. but keep in mind that if they don't have a legal budget, all the numbers above stay the same, and if they do, there is even less money available for paid staff.

you can criticize ao3 and the otw all you want! there are many valid reasons to criticize them, and i do not think they're perfect either. but if you're going to do so, you should at least make sure you can back up your claims, bc otherwise you just look silly.

#ao3 #otw #anti ao3 #bc i want them to see this #otw board #ao3 discourse #ao3 donations #wren wrambles #that post was so unserious i died #if it was more recent (its from mid-july) i wouldve replied directly maybe #but i didnt want to drag the body of a 6-note post into the light OR attack the op directly so #also! if i misunderstood something pls let me know im doing my best

[jungkookstatts]

I love university superstar you are so talented I was picturing a drabble of Jungkook with the yn students maybe teaching them how to play lacrosse would be so cute 🥹

University Superstar Drabble 1

[Summary]: You’ve invited Jungkook to substitute teach for your kindergarteners gym class. Watching your boyfriend teach your students the art of his favorite sport makes you swoon. It also makes you forget that you’re not supposed to let the younger ones know that you two are dating.

[Theme]: Jock!Jk, LacrossePlayer!JK x TeacherIntern!Y/N, Lovers!AU, UniversitySuperstar!AU UniversitySuperstarCouple!AU

[Rating]: fluff

[Word Count]: 1,469

[A/n to Anon]: Omg? This is crazy bc I was literally just about to ask if y'all would like to send University Superstar requests for drabbles?? This confirms my hunch. Anyways, I am so glad you liked University Superstar! I honestly did not expect it to get so popular and I feel so grateful that it's gotten such positive feedback.

Your drabble request has been written, and I have turned to dust at the pure cuteness of this situation.

[Masterlist] [Drabble (2), (3)]

Your students are going absolutely ape shit. They're screaming and jumping and breaking crayons and tripping over their 2-foot high desk chairs. It's absolute chaos.

"Guys!" you yell, trying your best not to laugh at the little humans sprawling around your classroom. "Jungkook isn't going to show up during gym class if you don't behave and form a single-file line," you warn them. It's a total lie, but things like that work all the time with Kindergartners.

Your students look at you as if they just saw a ghost, some of them already running towards the door to form a line.

You press your hand to the back of some of your students, politely motioning them towards the almost formed single-filed line.

"Okay," you clap your hands together, a giant smile forming on your face. "Are you guys ready to learn how to play lacrosse?"

Some of your students nearly fall to the ground in excitement, all of them nodding their heads or verbally telling you that, yes, they are so fucking ready to play lacrosse.

Opening your art-covered door to your kindergarten classroom, you file them out as you guide them toward the gym. There's a pep in your step as you walk over. You can't lie that you're maybe just as excited as your students. Seeing your boyfriend and watching him teach? Please. Talk about a fantasy turning into reality.

The doors to the gym are heavy as you open them, the immediate smell of rubber and floor cleaner hitting your nostrils as you enter the gym.

In the middle stands your god of a boyfriend, Jeon Jungkook. He's wearing his jersey, showing off the famous number "07” he claimed when he made the team. One of his hands twists his lacrosse stick in his palm, the other coming up to run his fingers through his messy locks.

Jungkook flashes you a smile, his chest filling with excitement from seeing you at work. I mean, he's seen you at work, but not in this kind of way. Most of his visits to your workplace consist of him barging into your office and stealing all the candy on your desk.

But this is different. He's seeing you actually deal with the faces of those projects he accidentally destroyed not too long ago. He's seeing you conduct and guide and care for them as if they were your own. It's something he didn't know if he could ever really prepare for. But his heart nearly explodes as the crowd of children you brought behind you runs up to him, arms wide, engulfing him in a million tiny hugs.

"Woah!" Jungkook chuckles as they tackle him. "You guys are pros at defense."

You laugh before clapping your hands three times. Like little minions, they all stop their actions, repeating your three claps.

"Okay, everyone," you smile, coming next to Jungkook. "Criss-cross-apple-sauce against the bleachers, please."

"You're hot when you're working," Jungkook mumbles low to you. You smirk, jabbing at his side in warning to be careful with his mouth.

"I'm sure you all know who this is, yes?" you ask your students as you clap Jungkook's shoulder. They all nod, the verbal energy they had completely gone as they stare up at their idol. It's funny because they're all blushing, their little cheeks all red and eyes wide. It makes you smile knowing that Jungkook's completely won everyone's heart over...as well as your own.

"Okay, Jungkook is going to teach you, but I expect nothing but fair game and practicing safety rules, alright?" you warn them, mainly directing your words toward Jungkook, though. You've never seen him train or teach bodies under 5'11. This is just your little warning to him that if he dares to hurt a single hair on their head, he will burn in the 8th most painful ring of hell for the rest of his life. "I will be on the bleachers if anyone needs me," you smile, leaving Jungkook to the kids.

Jungkook gulps as you leave his side. This is more nerve-wracking than he thought. They're so tiny; their hands the size of his pinky. But they look up at him in complete infatuation as they wait for his instruction.

Jungkook clears his throat. "I'm gonna explain the rules, and whichever team wins gets to wear my jersey."

Your kindergarteners almost piss their pants out of excitement, impatiently waiting to be divided into teams to compete for the amazing prize. You flash a smile at Jungkook as he gives each kid either a number 1 or a number 2 as an assignment to either Team 1 or Team 2. Jungkook blushes as you wave at him from the bleachers.

You can feel the slight nervousness scrolling through his body. You wish you could go up to him and tell him he has nothing to worry about, that he's already won the hearts of your students a long time ago. But you stick with your distanced non-verbal communication until he's ready to teach them the rules of his beloved game.

----

The rest of the class is spent with a 'competitive' game that was scored at about 0-0 for nearly 45 minutes. Lacrosse is tricky, and Jungkook's explanations also suck. But given that he explains like a kindergartner, they eventually get it and the game ends with Team 2 scoring 2-3.

Your Team 2 students are berzerk, all of them running up to Jungkook like titans, waiting for him to give them the most 'valuable' prize they could ever receive.

Meanwhile, your Team 1 students are sobbing on the floor where they lost. You watch as Jungkook's concern immediately turns to the upset students, feeling bad for their loss. He's about to make his way over toward them, but you're already on your way. You nod at him, telling him that you've got it and that he should focus his attention on the group pulling at his sleeves.

"K-Kookie doesn't li-like me," one of your students, SeoYeon, screams into your chest after kneeling down to console her. You fight the urge to plug your ears as she wails into your embrace. A little something did catch your attention in her midst of a temper tantrum, however. Has your class started calling him Kookie?

Your thoughts are confirmed as DongHyun, another Team 1 contestant, comes to you and tugs at your shirt. His eyes are teary, but you want to squish his cheeks at the fact that he's trying hard not to let any of them fall. However, his nose gives his hurt away, as a big line of snot flows from his nostril to his upper lip.

DongHyung sniffs his obnoxiously long booger back into his nose as he speaks, "Ms. L/n? D-Do you think Kookie will let us wear his jersey? E-Even though we...lost?"

You want to explode at the fact that your students started calling him Kookie. Can this day get any cuter?

"Of course, DongHyun," you smile, wiping a tear from his eye. "Don't be upset. Kookie is a really fair person. He will give you a turn. You just have to be patient, okay?"

DongHyun nods before shaking his head aggressively, shaking away the tears filling his eyes. He then waddles off to comfort his other wailing friends, probably telling them exactly what you told him.

You let go of SeoYeon, telling her to go take a drink of water before making your way over to Jungkook. The man delicately places his jersey over the figures of your student's small bodies, taking a picture of each student as they pose in its oversized glory.

"I thought it would be a good idea to capture it so that they could remember this day in the future," he smiles, crouching down to take another picture of one of your students in his large jersey.

Your heart has done enough exploding today. But this? This made your heart burst into a million pieces out of pure endearment. The goal of the "What I Love About Me" project was for them to capture what they love about themselves as kindergarteners so that they can be reminded of their infatuation in the future. Jungkook creating a moment of the same intention pulls on your heartstrings to such a great extent, you find yourself pressing a small kiss to the crown of his head.

And then you realized you completely indulged. Jungkook's actions made you forget that he's not supposed to be your boyfriend in front of your students. You're stunned, and so is Jungkook.

Suddenly, the room is silent. There's no wailing, there's no cheering, there is nothing. For the next few seconds, all you hear is silence until one of your students points at you and screams,

"Ms. Y/n is dating Kookie!"

----

[End. Do not copy. Original work of @jungkookstatts , 2023]

#jk #jeon jungkook #jungkook #jeon #jeongguk #jungkook x reader #jungkookxreader #jungkook fanfiction #jungkookfanfiction #jungkook fanfic #jungkookfanfic #jungkook x y/n #jungkookxy/n #jungkook x female reader #jungkookxfemalereader #jungkook imagine #jungkookimagine #jungkook oneshot #jungkookoneshot #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #btsfanfic #bts imagine #btsimagine #university superstar #university superstar drabble #university superstar drabble 1

[ectonuritez]

Part 2 of my work for @edgeofhopezine! This comic was intended to be longer, but due to time constraints on my end had to be cut short. I hope to someday have the time to sit down and give it the ending it deserves! Script by caitlinscomics (IG) and @waylaed

ID: Two comic pages, in muted yellow and blue tones. The first page has 7 panels. P1: A younger Hermann Gottlieb walks across the J-tech floor, carrying a stack of papers. Captions in Newt's handwriting read: "Herms, (you will allow me one ‘Herms’ today. I guess two) I’ve finally got my assignment today. Kodiak Island, of course, where else? The best part, they moved my ship out up a month! Fair warning, I’m a hugger. Just thought you should know." P2: A younger Newt Geizsler in his mostly packed-up apartment, tying his boots as he sits on his stripped bed. Captions in Hermann's handwriting read: "Newton, Please refrain from future uses of that ‘nickname.’ They make every recruit do sparring exercises. Of which I have a year’s worth more experience than you. Another asinine rule. Waving a stick around has nothing to do with plotting the topography of the Breach. I appreciate the warning. I’ll keep it in mind." P3: Newton is standing at a boarding gate, looking up at the news broadcasting Knifehead's fight with Lady Danger. Hermann's writing reads: "... It’s a challenge at first, gaining your bearings, learning how to operate in such a bizarre setting, but I promise you it’s all very worthwhile. If we’re going to do anything about this crisis, it starts here. I eagerly await your arrival." P4: Hermann is hunched over his dormitory desk late at night, tiredly reading Newt's latest letter. It reads: "I’m about to take off. For the first flight. Of three. Then there’s a boat ride. And another one. You said it’s going to be hard to get used to the way things are up there. Good. I don’t intend to get comfortable. We’re going to do what we said we’re going to do. Change the world, change the system, show them what they’re doing wrong, how to fix it." P5: Newt stands alone at Kodiak's dock, alone. His writing reads: "If we’re going to survive this, we’re going to have to change. Change starts there. And it’s us who are going to do it. One way or another." P6/7: Lots of officers are gathered in a different part of the Proving Grounds, watching a simulated battle. Hermann is among them, looking up anticipatorily and almost hopeful at the training sequence. The second page has 7 panels. P1: Newt is alone in the mess hall, pouring over files and papers with intense focus. P2: POV of the battle simulation. The Jaeger pilots sling a mean left hook at a simulated Axehead, victorious in the training exercise. Text reads: SIMULATION SUCCESSFUL. P3: The simulation room erupts into cheers, Hermann among those celebrating. P4: Newt is arguing with a superior officer, a stern-looking woman in a crisp PPDC uniform. He holds a folder in his left hand. NEWT: --If we intercept the kaiju far enough away from populated areas, there’s no reason why we need to beat them to a pulp, or leave them there to pollute the area... SUPERIOR: While I appreciate your suggestion-- NEWT: You could do a lot more than appreciate it, sir. SUPERIOR: --That’s not the way we do things here, Officer Geiszler. If you don’t like it, leave. P5: Newt walks through the mess hall, clutching the folder and angrily muttering to himself. NEWT: Good for nothing-- Fascist... Wouldn't know a scientific breakthrough if it bit her on the-- P6: Hermann enters the mess hall with a bunch of the other officers and cadets who were viewing the simulation. They're all talking and laughing with one another, including Hermann. P7: Two silhouettes of Newt and Hermann stand at opposite ends of the panel, staring at each other as they meet face-to-face for the first time. A sine wave moves between them. Text between them reads: "Constructive Interference. Noun. When two waves of equal frequency and phase are combined, the resultant wave is bigger than either of the two original." End ID.

#long post #pacific rim #hermann gottlieb #newt geiszler #newmann #artists on tumblr #artist described #zines #comic

[toiletwipes]

to prove myself to you | mafia!wilbur

~1.8k words / back at it again! this time with a mafia au! The hoes were talking about him and when they brought up this gem of an idea- I couldn't help myself. Again. Lmao. Anyway! Tagging these hoes @consequencesbylovejoy @lillylvjy @drop-of-void @tr1ental1s-boreal1s

[Wilbur is tasked with getting information from a rat from their local rivals. You, being the bartender, happen to be the rat. Try not to get killed.]

Title from Demolition Lovers by My Chemical Romance

I'll be doing a part 2 when I get home <3

~~~

He's fresh out of a job, blood staining the better part of his shirt but his blazer covers what the dimmed lights don't. He usually doesn't come in here, especially with the way he can feel eyes being trained on him.

It's not his territory, this club. However, Phil put him on this job- and the job calls for him to be here. At this club. That belongs to one special, sicko. Luckily, if the rumors are true, he doesn't come down from his office.

Still. Right now, even with the music pumping through his veins and the bass vibrating through his chest, he's got to stay focused. Find the girl. Get the info. Get out. That's all it is. And if that's all he's got to do after removing various body parts from the other sad fucks in the underbelly of this godforsaken town, then that's what he'll fucking do.

So, with the lights dimmed, and with other lights flashing and creating a dizzy sight, he heads straight to the bar, his sights set on the person tending it. Weaving his way through the crowd, he doesn't mind the additional jab to his ribs and stuff. Hisses at the contact but moves on. He's on thin ice being here, he's not about to get himself killed getting some information.

With the lights both dim and bright somehow, he only has one thought when it comes to the bartender, reaching one of the free spots up front. The bartender is quiet. Aside from sliding the drinks to the patrons, flashing a smile, all they're doing is making drinks as fast as they can. Wearing a black button up, sleeves rolled up and the top three buttons undone, showing off skin covered in a light sheen of sweat. And when they notice him, quiet as they are, they don't stop, but their eyes never leave him.

"Can I get you anything?" Their voice breaks through the pulsating music, eyes trailing down his face, down his shirt and past the blood that peaks from his collar.

"Looking for Lionel, have you seen him?" The phrase he was given to use, to make sure nobody gets any ideas that somebody is trading industry secrets in their fucking house.

And it's then, he knows it's you. You're the informant, your body stops moving so fast, eyes locked permanently on him. "He's not here, can I offer you something on tap?" There it was, your hand lands on the slick surface, so close to his and if he didn't know you, or need the information you have on these people, he'd slam the knife that sits delicately in the inside, jacket pocket, straight through your hand, through the tendons and bones and tissues and right into the bar.

He doesn’t do that, especially when your eyes are as lit up as yours, biting on your lip like that. He's on a job and this is an act, a cover for your ass, specifically. And he'd do well to make sure the cover works. Especially for someone as… appealing as you.

(He's not immune to a pretty face. He can hold himself back from indulging in a night of fun, but this is a mission that can turn sour very quickly. And if this wasn't as delicate as it was, tonight would turn out very differently.)

"Nothing on tap, you have something light?" His hand twitches from beside yours, as he waits for something, anything. Phil told him he could get a file, whether that's a USB or a literal manilla file, or it's just a slip of paper. But the information is crucial, vital enough it could take their order down if the information is handled properly. And Wilbur is nothing but a proper handler.

Your lips twitch up into a smile, "I just might have something, yeah." Pulling bottles down, cups here and there, portioning it out, you slide a drink his way on a napkin. "If you don't mind waiting, I get out in five." Your expression reads flirty but when you slide your hand down his bare arm, your skin is not only cold but tense.

Definitely the informant.

So, turning around, he eyes the crowd that weaves and bobs like water, bouncing and moving and crashing to the beat of the music. It's a cesspool of life and crime, waiting to pounce in the folds of these clubs. He's all too aware of it.

"Wilbur, didn't expect to see you here." He hears his name and he almost loses his cool. Some guy, Jared, he used to know. Until he became a rat and joined someone else's ranks. He didn't matter the moment they found out.

He matters now, though.

"I'd say it's good to see you, Jared, but ah, it's not." He flashes a quick, all teeth, smile, a glare coming down fast after.

"Look, it was nothing personal. And besides, that's all in the past." Jared waves off the threat like it's nothing. Like Wilbur couldn't kill him and get away with it, in here. On someone else's turf. But, sure, nothing personal. "Have you met Baby?" Jared turns toward the bartender and this could not possibly have gone worse.

When Jared and him are turned back towards you, you send them a confused smile, "Jared? I thought you were out of the city?" He can see the panic underneath the mask you wear, see the anxiety budding underneath your fingers.

A beer almost slips from your hands as you hand it over to Jared, and he sees the irritated, angry skin on your forearm. Bad habit of scratching, especially under stress. This doesn't spell good news for you, maybe him if Jared doesn't leave before you.

"They called me back, said they needed me to take care of an infestation. You know how it is." And Jared takes a swing, and in the second his eyes close, your mask slips and you're begging him for help. Fucking christ.

"Sounds like you shouldn't be drinking on the job." Wilbur says, pulling Jared's eyes away from you. He sees the relief in your mask but he keeps his gaze focused on the man in front of him. Jared shrugs, turning away from them entirely, sighing through his teeth.

"I just got back in tonight, they said I can start tomorrow. So, if you'll excuse me," he turns fully back to him, pulling out a fist full of crumpled notes, slapping them on the bar. "Tonight's on me, hope we can forget about our grievances." His eyes flit to you, mindlessly wiping glasses. "Take care, Baby."

When he leaves, Wilbur scoffs, sipping from the glass. Grievances. Like he didn't get his entire family almost killed.

Finishing the drink, he stares down the glass for a second before placing it down, watching you take that and the money too. He waits two more minutes before you untie the apron around your waist, shoving it in a cubby under the bar and barreling through the door beside the wall of liquor. He doesn't hesitate, finding his way out of the club, more eyes than ever fixated him. At least five more heads than before. He breathes in the stuffy club air before pushing the door with a little more punch than necessary, it bangs against the wall outside and the line of people give him dirty looks. He holds up a hand, half apologizing and walking away. Heading to the other side of the club. He walks three blocks before making it to his car, and in the back seat, he finds you.

"How did you know?" He asks, turning the key in the ignition.

"Jared complained about your car all the time when he first came around. Couldn't get him to shut up about you. Did you two have a thing going on?" Your eyes light up with mirth, one of your hands reaching down and lightly scratches at the skin of your forearm.

"He was a close friend before we knew he was a rat." And the silence that overcomes the cab of the car is nearly deafening. "So, what-" he wipes under his nose, pulling out from beside the curb, "-do you have?"

"Rufus has a son, nobody knows who it is. But he's planning on celebrating the kid's birthday with only a handful of his most entrusted members. Here's the location, blue prints, the fucking schedule. All of it. Everybody you need gone? They'll be there. Two days from now."

Wilbur watched as you pulled out a folded band of papers, watched as your hands shook holding them out and watched your hand scratch as he took them from you. He places them neatly in the passenger seat. He continues to drive. "Thank you." If they get the details sorted out within the hour, their rivals will be nothing but a memory this time next week.

"What about your side of the deal?"

"My side?" He repeats, eyes flickering to the rear view mirror and he finds yours in a desperate squint.

"Phil said if I gave you the information, you'd get me out of here." He lays a foot made of lead on the brakes and the car, thankfully miles away from the club and anybody that mattered, screeches to a stop. He hears you curse as you latch onto the headrests before he turns around. You're panting as your eyes lift up to his. "What the fuck?" You gasp and he doesn't say anything. Not yet.

"My job was to take the information and get it to Phil. Now, considering you're probably known as Baby, and not just Jared referring to you in a sick, sort of pet name, you're not just some bartender. Are you?"

He can hear your teeth grind as you growl out in frustration.

"Even if I was some bartender, if they found out I was telling you this, they'd kill me."

"But you're not some bartender." You're trying so hard to maintain eye contact but in the end you bite the bullet and turn your eyes down.

Your voice is small, shaking, "are you gonna take me somewhere safe or not?"

"Are you going to tell me the truth?"

You laugh wetly, turning in your seat to look out the back of the cab. Wiping your eyes before you spoke, "the truth is Rufus… owns me. He finds out I ratted him out- he'll-" your choke on your tears, gasping for air as you think harder on a fate worse than death.

He faces the front. He taps the wheel before cursing under his breath.

"Fine. I'll get you somewhere safe." They only had one place safe enough where you could make it out alive by the end of this. He takes you to his house. "If you rat us out-" he begins, parking the car in a spacious garage but you shake your head.

"I promise I won't." A promise didn't mean much from a rat, but from someone who's desperate to get out? He turns the car off and turns in his seat again, your face streaked with tears and a shuddering breath.

"Okay. Let's go."

He couldn't resist a pretty face in the end, after all.

#wilbur soot #c: wilbur soot #wilbur soot x y/n #wilbur soot x you #wilbur soot x reader #au: mafia #tw: violence #<- i think it mentions it more than actual violence #my bad #this is kinda iffy but i wanted to do something for these lovely people

[ecoamerica]

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[useless-catalanfacts]

I assume you heard of what the Real Madrid twitter account posted, how Franco was a supported of Barça? Amazing historical revisionism, as if Catalans weren't tortured or murdered for daring to speak their language, or how even one of the directors of Barça was murdered after being accused of defending the independence of Catalonia.

I'm sure they are aware they're lying, I don't believe someone would be so ignorant to make up something like that and somehow convince themselves of it.

Basically, if someone's not aware of what happened, Real Madrid published a video saying that FC Barcelona (Barça) was favoured by the Spanish fascist dictator Franco, which is false. The team that has always been associated with Francoist beliefs is Real Madrid, so I assume they want to distance themselves from that by accusing their main rival (Barça), who also happens to be a symbol of a minority (Catalans) that was one of the main groups targeted by Spanish fascism.

Some actual historical information about Franco and Barça:

1. In 1939, all football clubs that were federated in the Catalan Federation were banned from playing. All the players' contracts were cancelled. That includes Barça. Some months later, they were reformed and could continue existing with a completely different directors/administration board accepted by the regime. (Women are banned from this position, when Barça had la Sagi.) Copying the model of Mussolini's Italy, the Francoist dictatorship gave control of sports to the Falange (the fascist party, the only party allowed) who controlled everything from the Delegación Nacional de Deportes (National Sports Delegation).

2. For the previous resolution, all of Barça's administratives are ceases and their names and files are given to the military police to control them. The board and administration of all the club was purged.

3. The regime sentenced to death and killed the president of Barça at the time (Josep Sunyol i Garriga) for being pro-Catalan.

The president of Real Madrid (Antonio Ortega) was also killed for being a communist. The difference is that nowadays, since the end of the dictatorship, Barça honours Josep Sunyol, while Madrid acts as if Antonio Ortega had never existed and doesn't have any space dedicated to him. Not only that, but if you look at Real Madrid's website, they leave an empty spot during the years that Antonio Ortega was president (1936-1939), pretending he never was and there simply was no president during those years.

All the opposite, Real Madrid honours Santiago Bernabéu (the team's stadium is named after him), who worked to bring Real Madrid closer to the dictatorship. Even before Franco gained power, in the 1920s, he said that Real Madrid defends "the Spanish pride and cause". He later enlisted in the Spanish army and joined the fascists in their coup d'etat that led to the Spanish Civil War.

4. Barça had to change their entrance tickets and their name to Spanish following Franco's illegalization of the Catalan language. It stoped being called "Futbol Club Barcelona" (Catalan) and had to be called "Club de Fútbol Barcelona" (Spanish). Consequently, the letters in the club's shield were consequently changed from F.C.B. to C.F.B. The club wouldn't get their original Catalan name back until 1973.

5. Removed the Catalan flag from Barça's shield. They had to have 2 red bars instead of the 4 bars of the Catalan flag. Later they could get it back because Barça's shield is based on the shield of the city of Barcelona, so they alleged it's just a symbol of the city.

6. Instrumentalized Barça and Athletic de Bilbao against Catalan and Basque people, since the regime identified Barça and Athletic de Bilbao as the teams that symbolise these two minority nations and their independentism. Their first match after the war was scheduled by the regime, a Barça vs Athletic de Bilbao where the whole stadium was wrapped in huge Spanish flags and were various fascist gave speeches in favour of Franco and Spanish unity, including the general Álvarez-Arenas who talked about the purges by saying he praised Barça for "having thrown away forever the anti-Spanish seed, exposing their idea of what sport entities must be patriotically, the true healthy sport to educate the masses" ("que ha sabido arrojar para siempre la semilla de los antiespañoles, exponiendo su idea de lo que patrióticamente han de ser las entidades deportivas, el verdadero n del deporte sano y educativo de multitudes").

7. The regime abolished the Catalonia League, where Barça played.

8. More purges in Barça followed after that first one. The dictatorship carried out in-depth investigations into Barça's directives and members to find people who fought for Catalan rights. Some people were accused for being in the Barça directive. Here's some extracts from the letter where the leader of the fascist police in Barcelona, Luis Martí Olivares, sent to order the arrest of some Barça directives and to order them to be taken to Madrid for trial:

In front of the statue of Casanovas, they used to celebrate acts of separatist affirmation [...]. All the directives, players and members [of Futbol Club Barcelona] have always attended it with flower crowns, offerings with the shield of the "F.C. BARCELONA"

Another one by him:

It's publicly known that the "F.C. BARCELONA" has always been political, at the beginning pro-Catalan and since a long time ago frankly separatist and for this reason they have exploited their rivalry with R.C.D. ESPAÑOL, which has been precisely the only Football Club in Catalonia that has signified themselves as a true pro-Spanish. In the matches between these two Clubs, the Barcelona fans considered the Spanishists to be foreigners, because they spoke in Spanish.

After the purges, the new dictatorship-approved directive board of Barça was made (for the 1st time in the club's history) of people who were not even members of the club. Many of them were fervent Espanyol fans, not Barça fans.

Most of their first decisions were political, including the fact that they removed the club's founder Joan Gamper as honorary president and declared the new honorary president to be the Spanish fascist general Múgica.

They also made the players taka a flower crown to the founder of Spanish fascism José Antonio Primo de Rivera, which had the Spanish flag and the Barça flag and inscription "F.C. Barcelona to José Antonio".

One of Barça's directors during the dictatorship was actually a paying Espanyol member during his time as Barça president, another director was an army general that was appointed directed by the higher spheres of the dictatorship and who openly said he was directing Barça simply because "as soldier with discipline I'm following orders".

9. Finally, in June 1946, the members of the Barça board who were actually Barça fans and cared for the club mass resigned and pressured the director to stop being a club under direct control of the dictatorship's government. Their protest resulted in the end of the regime's direct intervention, and after 10 years Barça could go back to having a new directive board, this time mostly made up of people who had always been Barça fans, though the regime still only allowed people who were officially approved.

So while Barça was directed by people who didn't care about the club and who were very badly coordinated and later was starting to re-order itself (still only with approved people), Real Madrid had its golden age, under the director Santiago Bernabéu (who was defined as "he's what Philip II was to Spain: its best king" and as we've explained before was a fascist) and a director board that had close ties to the fascist government.

The club that was most favoured by the regime during its first years was Atlético de Madrid (at the time called Atlético Aviación) which was related to the Army. But the president of Real Madrid Santiago Bernabéu got the club closer to the dictatorship and made it become the regime's favourite from the late 1950s on. Real Madrid played a very important role in fascist Spain's public relations, because that's the historical period that ended the autarchy and when fascist Spain was accepted in the UN and kept the dictatorship with the agreement of the other countries. Real Madrid acted as a political and cultural ambassador of fascist Spain in other countries. In return it received favours from the dictatorship. For example, the regime changed the sports clubs' status so that Madrid could hire Alfredo Di Stefano instead of Barça in 1953. Barça had already closed the case and the club and the player were ready to sign, but the dictatorship's direct intervention stopped it.

10. Since speaking Catalan was banned, some Catalan traditions were banned, even some Catalan songs were banned, and everyone was forced to be Spanish and a Spanish nationalist, with the National-Catholic morale imposed in every aspect of life, Barça became the place to express Catalanity. People used to go cheer for Barça as the "allowed"/hidden way of cheering against Francoism and in favour of Catalonia. This sentiment was well represented by the song "Botifarra de pagès" by the Catalan humour band La Trinca, which they released in 1974:

If you don't speak Catalan, the whole song is about how Catalans cheer for Barça as a representation of cheering for Catalan rights and link how well Barça is doing at the time with Catalanism ("l'any que ve no farem riure, visca Catalunya ------" = "next year we [Barça] won't be laughable, long live free Catalonia!" with a peeeeeep over where the word "free" woul have been) with cultural references. For example, they sing the tempo of sardanes with the name Cruyff, and change the famous quote "som i serem gent catalana, tant si es vol com si no es vol" (we are and we will be Catalan people, wether they want it or not) from the song La santa espina (song forbidden during Franco's dictatorship) with "som i serem socis del Barça, tan si es vol com si no es vol" (we are and we will be Barça fans, wether they want it or not).

11. Regardless of the club's significance to the population (because, let's be honest, everyone knew what Barça meant), it was still a club that existed under a fascist dictatorship. During the dictatorship, only approved or appointed people held office and had the power to take decisions. And if you were in that position were you had been approved, even if you had your secret political beliefs and actions, there was only so much you could do in public before getting fired, arrested, banned for life from your job, get you and your family on a watchlist and likely get tortured.

One of the "unwritten rules" during the dictatorship was that anyone who created a prize or medal had to give the 1st to Franco. Barça did that too, but they have later addressed it and taken it back.

12. In the semifinals of 1942-1943 season, Barça won against Real Madrid by 3-0. On the return match, the dictatorship's police went down to the dressing rooms to intimidate the Barça players so they would let Madrid win. The result was 11-1 (Madrid victory), which effectively gave victory of the league to Real Madrid.

13. Dictator Franco, personally, was a follower of Real Madrid. It's known that he used to comment the lineups with his officers.

---------

Since Real Madrid published that video some days ago, so many Spanish newspapers, magazines and TV channels have talked at length about how Barça actually helped Franco. They use as excuse the fact that the Barça under the dictatorship's control (because remember that the dictatorship chose who would lead the team, even when these people weren't Barça fans it only mattered that they were fascists) gave condecorations to the regime officials. This is worth remembering and worth criticizing, but this says more about the dictatorship than it says about Barça, especially if they want it to represent nowadays Barça. Because the thing is that this is no secret, and Barça has already addressed it in the past: in 2019, Barça officially withdrew all the medals given to Franco officials. Real Madrid still honours fascists and erases their antifascist director, and knows that they're a symbol of Spanish nationalism.

However, it seems like the people who so quickly want to run to talk shit about anything that has to do with Catalonia don't usually keep the same energy to criticize the dictatorship itself and how it intervened every aspect of life, crushing dissidence and national minorities in everything, even their hobbies, nor to make the same criticisms of Real Madrid, because it's not just about Barça but a way to attack Catalan society.

#ask #anonymous #futbol #història #barça #esports #futbol club barcelona #fc barcelona #barca #football #european football #la liga #history #sports history #francoism #1940s #20th century history #spain #barcelona

[mortal-kombat-1]

Because I've done blocked a few since my last 2 Janet Cage edits, I'm gonna make myself PERFECTLY clear:

I don't give a fuck if you like her or not. My blog. I promise, I won't miss you or even notice.

"I hate the name Janet. It sounds so generic!" So fucking what, so is Johnny and I ain't seen you all complaining about that.

"She's so annoying. I hate her hair and she's manly looking!" She's built, what happened to the we support all women no matter what they look like on this hellsite? Only when you find them attractive? Wanna share a picture of your face? Also, guess who else is annoying? That's right, Johnny. Who she's literally based on...

"Ew, gender swapped..." It's an alternative timeline where Johnny was born female, something that's not even remotely new in media. Are you 12? Wait, I take that back, I'm sure a majority of 12 year olds have more common sense than those complaining right now.

You don't have to use her in the game -- like all kameo's she's optional.

"She's a wasted slot!" Again, you don't have to use her AT ALL. I could say the same about a lot of the characters but then again, I play because I enjoy the games. If a character I like isn't included, I go back to one of the games they're in and play that game instead of bitching until one day, they end up back in any future games.

"It should've been so and so!" There are more characters being released; files in the game points towards a few -- to avoid spoilers for those who don't wanna know, I won't mention who.

My only peeve with her is they didn't give her the nose. Other than that, I enjoy seeing new characters being added -- that doesn't include guest characters, my opinion differs there, but I still don't cry about it.

"We were promised Johnny Cage!" He's already in the base game, and you all would still cry there's too much Johnny. My guy, I've had to sit through every MK game before 10 and 11 and see everyone else get all this attention, etc. When he's the original MK character; like the very first one. He's earned his time. Shut up. And guess what, I'm more than ok with him not being a kameo. Hell, if they decide to sit him out in the next game, I'm also cool with that because as I said, I can go back to the games he's already in.

#It's just a game -- pixels... get a better hobby #Heck if you're so hellbent on being that miserable get a job and be sad there like the rest of us

[tumble-tv]

Ghostbusters brainrot, because I can't stop thinking about it

This is just me talking about all the different units that make up the Ghostbusters business because I have zero self control. Long post, so there's more below the cut.

SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

There's the motorcycle unit, which is pretty self-explanatory. They're mainly used for small busts or quotes since they can't carry a lot of equipment on them, really just a downsized proton pack and one, maybe two traps depending on the model of the bike.

Then we have the Ecto units, from Ecto-1 to Ecto-3. Ecto-1 is retired due to it's age and how hard it is to repair and update to the times, so there's actually only two Ectomobiles available. All Ectos have top notch technology, but are still 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteors. They are custom made for the Ghostbusters so that they can keep their iconic car model but still be functional in modern times. They have a gunner seat (as much as the mayor hates it), pull out rack for the proton packs (fits up to four packs), proton cannon, folding ramp for the remote trap vehicle, and drone trap. The Ectomobiles can fit one gunner, one driver, one front passenger, and three back passengers. These units are used for pretty much any busts.

After the Ecomobiles, we have the humvees, which are really just Ectomobiles but bigger, scarier, faster, and tougher. They also have a Super Slammer Muon Trap on top, and instead of the gunner seat being on the side, they're on the top like a regular gunner seat on any other humvee. They can fit one driver, one front passenger, one gunner, and two back passengers. They are known as Ghost-1, Ghost-2, and Ghost-3. There is a compartment in the back seat that carries four proton packs.

After the Busters we have the Cleaners, who arrive after the Busters do their thing and clean up after them. Sometimes all they have to do it take samples of whatever the ghost left behind, and other times it's a full on biohazard cleanup. The Slimer would've been a biohazard level cleanup for example, as well as the Pink Slime, but a spot in the middle of your hallway that created a sense of dread and cold would be a sample level cleanup.

Of course we have the receptionists, because without them Ghostbusters would not exist. They mainly take calls and send out crews, but occasionally help out during major events like Gozer the Gozerian, the Pink Slime, and Garraka.

We have the Paranormal Research Center, where, with time, had been expanded into a full facility with different units for different types of research. They also have an actual functioning containment system, with hundreds of containment units. Each has a database of what ghosts are in each unit and their full file and date they were caught. Once a week a researcher heads down to the Ghostbusters headquarters to gather all of the traps that had been filled that week to empty them into their containment system. The only ghost currently held under headquarters is Garraka, as it's too dangerous to move that one. The basement is fully off limits without authorization due to its containment. The Paranormal Research Center also has their own emergency units available in case of a major event. This is also where the majority of training for new Ghostbusters is done.

There is an entire wall dedicated to their standard gear (flight suits, boots, gloves) in the truck bay. This wall is almost exactly what the turnout gear racks look like for firefighters. Each Ghostbuster has their own little cubby to hold their gear, as well as a shelf above to hold any extras they may need. This cubby also contains a specialized jacket for cold weather (the red jackets that are seen in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and are worn by Lucky and Lars) and a helmet (Pacific Helmets WR5, for example). We've seen the Ghostbusters get thrown around enough to have a concussion at least once, and Janine probably had them ordered after the second time the boys came back from a call with welts on the backs of their heads.

After years of being in that falling apart firehouse, they finally have it renovated to fit their needs (and definitely splurging on the fun stuff). Think a glorified firehouse. There's a bar (in Venkman's name), recreation room, kitchen, gym, ready room, and bunk room. An entire floor is dedicated to offices and conference rooms, although those conference rooms are usually used for Super Smash Bros tournaments and gaming because they have large TVs that are awesome for multiplayer games. The containment unit used for Garraka is never touched, and the floor it resides on is off limits without authorization, as stated above. Of course it was renovated in a way, but the unit itself is never touched.

This will definitely be reblogged with more as I come up with it, and feel free to add on!

#ghostbusters #ghostbusters: frozen empire #ghostbusters: afterlife #ghostbusters: apocalipsis fantasma #egon spengler #ray stantz #winston zeddemore #janine melnitz #peter venkman #frozen empire #gozer the gozerian #ghostbusters frozen empire #garraka #ghostbusters 2 #ghostbusters 1984 #ghostbusters fandom #ghostbusters afterlife #ghostbusters egon #headcanon #the brainrot is real

[annierosaart]

So I recently found your blog and you Exusiai theory and I'm in love with it, I really hope it becomes canon, is just so good and Exu is one of my fav charas I need more stuff with her on it on the main game.

Anyways, I've been playing on and off AK for the past yrs and I'm def lost when it comes to most of the story since it's a lot to catch up to, so can you explain more in-depth the Flammetta/Exusiai ship or at least relationship/parallelisms?

OH BOY CAN I

After the confirmation that Exusiai isn't connected to the other Sankta in Il Siracusano, it explained her entire character.

As I've explained in the post I made about her being disconnected originally, it always stood out to me how Exusiai specifically was treated differently from other Sankta in Laterano during her childhood and teenage years, despite the fact that she's supposedly a bog standard Sankta. From her being constantly mistreated and ditched not just by Mostima but by her sister also (see her Oprec 1),

To the fact she was constantly blamed for things that were legitimate accidents, the kind of stuff that happens on purpose in Laterano every single day, to the point where her word was doubted and she was accused of being a Sarkaz, it paints an extremely lonely and alienating picture of her.

It's especially odd that her own family and supposed childhood friend would do shit like that to her, given the fact that at the time, they should've known that it was upsetting for her to go through that, seeing as the Empathy would've made it hard for her to hide that. (oprec 1) And it'd be extremely out of character for Lemuen to do things like that, considering her intense love for her sister...

Combined with being grilled for lying by her superiors, which again, would be difficult for a Sankta connected to the Empathy... You see what I'm getting at?

She isn't connected to other Sankta. Never has been. From the start, her files and dialogue mention her being an exception amongst Sankta, unique, different. Guide Ahead showed us they're all similar to her in personality, however, so what exactly sets her apart? It's that.

Exusiai has multiple lines, in CoB, IL Siracusano, and her dialogues that show how deeply lonely she actually is, and how ACTUALLY empathetic she is; real empathy, not Sankta Empathy.

She threw herself into the Rat King's sandstorm for Mostima and Bison, she always remembered to keep an eye on him and keep him up to date, taking time to ease his worries and doubts. She always looks out for everyone else in PL, canonically being broke from doing so all the time. She risked her life to save a woman that was being harassed in IL Siracusano, despite not knowing her at all.

This isn't normal Sankta behavior. Sankta, even the ones at RI, are generally somewhat cold or indifferent to non Sankta. Arene, Ambriel, Executor... The only exception is Enforcer, who we know isn't connected as well.

Exusiai grew up socially and emotionally isolated, enough that no one ever gave her closure for the Andoain incident, despite the fact she has literal PTSD from it (oprec 1), no one ever got along with her really, to the point where her classmates celebrated her leaving to her face...

She hides it in front of others, but several lines show her actually being very tired, serious, and depressed, especially when they bring up a personality quirk of hers.

Promotion 2 - "Leader... No, savior, I pledge to this gun in my hand to protect you until the very end of this world." Talk after Trust Increase 2 - "If you ever run into an angel with black horns oozing ominous vibes, please tell her for me: I've never forgotten her." Idle - "...Lord, is this someone we gotta save too?"

All of which parallels stuff with Fiammetta:

From the offset, Fiammetta is by default isolated from her peers, being a Liberi in Laterano.

She grew up inherently different from a majority of people there, and as we see in Guide Ahead, though she tries to hide it, especially from other Liberi, she developed a complex over it.

It's especially evident when she snaps at Mostima, ranting about the Empathy between Sankta, complaining about how alienating it is to her, how it hurts her to not be understood. It's further elaborated on in her module's text, where we see her struggling to handle a gun that Sankta her age were already handling with ease, clearly frustrated enough by the fact that her mentor had to come and offer an alternative.

Beyond that, like Exusiai puts on a front but just wants people to tell her things for once, who's always been kept in the dark about not just events but also what other Sankta are feeling, Fiammetta is constantly isolated from her peers' feelings and motivations, ignored and brushed aside. It's constant in Guide Ahead, how her input and presence are secondary to whatever asinine conversation the Sankta are having, even in the middle of a crisis.

Her wants and needs are secondary, she's constantly forced to put up with titles she despises and finds humiliating, mockeries of her while she tries to do her job seriously...

Just like how Exusiai is consistently made fun of for any mistake she makes, even when others have a hand in that mistake. By PL itself no less. She laughs it off, but in exchanges with Bison, she clearly shows how bothered she is by being shrugged off or treated with a lack of care. She wants to be understood and taken seriously. But it never happens.

Fiammetta is exactly the same, constantly chasing a desire to be taken seriously as a member of the Notarial Hall, to have her feelings heard. But it never happens.

As a Liberi, she's inherently not a part of the connection all other Sankta have (with exceptions). They can't understand her. Nor do they bother to. It infuriates her, but what else can she do? What else is there to do? From birth, she was different from them, not the same as them, her weapons are a constant reminder... As is Exusiai's lack of connection to others an unconscious reminder to her.

And it all culminates in the Lock and Key incident. Both of them have been deeply traumatized by it, and whilst Fiammetta is at least more in the know than Exusiai, neither are ever offered the closure they need, the closure that would help them move on. Despite both being close to the people involved, they're kept in the dark.

Instead, they're made to stew in their feelings, made to feel left out on purpose one way or another, never allowed the proper right to live past that event. Both are obsessed with that day. Both desperately want to know what happened, what set it all off, WHY it happened.

But they never find out. They're forced to keep living in the dark while their friends and family are whiling, creating purpose beyond that day.

They're both women who were hurt by an incident that they were never allowed closure on, despite involving people they loved. They're both women who have been isolated and alienated from everyone else, becoming extremely lonely and distant all the while. Exusiai doesn't let anyone in, doesn't open up. Texas says as much.

Exusiai is my polar opposite. She seems to get along fine with anyone, but lets very few people close to her. —Texas

Fiammetta won't let anyone else in. Bottles her feelings until they explode. Because no one will hear anyway. No one will care. So why should she?

They're hurt. They're scarred and tired of being the only ones left out of the loop. Of the inside joke. Of the joy and folly every other Sankta is privy to.

They both value choices, independence, yet are bound to their past traumas. That they'll face one day. They both try to move on, but they can't. Exusiai still chases Mostima whenever she appears for answers she won't give, Fiammetta still chases Andoain for a revenge that won't quell her.

They're both obsessed with getting closure that the world's denied them.

And with Exusiai's surprisingly deeply kind nature, genuinely empathetic and sympathetic to others, to hear them out, and Fiammetta's insistence on confronting things head on, on not moving past them, and her deep down caring interior... They could heal a lot with each other. Love without compromise.

Beyond these thematic and story parallels, the two have a lot of miscellaneous ones too.

Their talents complement each other, Exusiai covers Fiammetta's health drain, allowing her to fight with more strength for longer.

Their physical scores are complementary, Exusiai covering Fiammetta's weakness in tactical acumen, and Fiammetta covering her lack of physical endurance respectively

Their descriptions are both about their dedication and willpower to see things through to the end.

Obsessions with protecting people (Exusiai's codename actually comes from Powers, the Angel class said to protect people and prevent evils from happening)

Hell, Exusiai's third skin replaces her blessing effects with a blue glow, complementary to Fia's red, and blue feathers. Sankta don't have feathers, so...

Their record medal descriptions match.

And finally...

Fiammetta is usually tolerant of Mostima's personality, even going along with it at times. But the moment Exusiai is involved, she becomes extremely impatient, and protective. Much more so than she logically should be at times.

With the context that she's been watching Mostima and essentially bugged her to hear in on her, she had to witness her leading Exusiai on all night, giving her false hope for an answer that wouldn't come.

Only for her to caress her sleeping and drunk form, as if they were still that close. With the knowledge they both parallel each other a ton, she might see herself in her...

Fiammetta's face shows way more contempt than expected, and her dialogue following this shows way less tolerance for Mostima, in spite of the fact that Exusiai is sound asleep and wouldn't hear them.

In Mostima's own record, Fia suddenly cares about Exusiai's feelings, about it being fair or not to her...

And firmly says she won't let Exusiai ever get wrapped up in the Lock and Key business, her face becoming more serious. Again, extremely protective of someone that at best, she knew as an acquaintance when they were both younger.

Fiammetta cares about Exusiai to an unnatural degree, hinting at either shared history that's not brought up, or that she relates to her, and she can't ignore that.

And if Exusiai talked to Fiammetta now, she'd likely find that same relatability, that same pain they've both been enduring, that they cope with in different ways.

Exusiai drowns herself in a carefree 'mask', drinks until she's blackout drunk often, is enough of a workaholic to fall asleep at PL's couch and compulsively spends money on others.

Fiammetta destroys herself with work, with fighting, burning herself out as she fires off attacks, obsessing and following Mostima around for the slimmest chance that Andoain might show up again...

They both need healing. Healing only the other could provide.

Fiammetta's friends/partners/exes are condescending towards her, don't try to truly get why this plagues her, even after Guide Ahead. PL can't help Exusiai, not only do they have their own problems, they can't relate at all; Texas has a mountain of baggage to work through herself.

They'd find solace, comfort in one another... Both things they desperately need.

#arknights #exusiai #exusiai arknights #arknights exusiai #fiammetta #fiammetta arknights #arknights fiammetta #fiaexu #meta post #my ramblings