#and just start watching hoping to find something credible

[cowboyslikedean]

just saw someone say “try tiktok” as a good place to research economics and like. girl please don’t i will GIVE you my jstor log in im begging you. i’ll summarise any article u like. please.

#not all jstor articles are written in terrible illegible academic prose i promise #it’s just so much easier to vet the authors and their institutions and get an idea of the biases behind the info ur getting #lucys ramblings #there IS good info on tiktok but u have to know where to look it’s not exactly a foolproof plan to just stick a term in the search bar #and just start watching hoping to find something credible

[makingqueerhistory]

One thing that is relevant to my work in Making Queer History is the fact that I never went to university. To be honest, I used to be really ashamed of that. Because of that shame, I often give alternative narratives around queer history a bit more grace, assuming that the person spouting them has more experience than I do. I have been working in queer history for eight years now, but I'm well aware that I haven't seen even a fraction of what is out there to find.

For a while I forced myself to watch James Somerton videos because he spoke about history in a way I had never heard before. I assumed that meant he knew something I didn't. Eventually, he crossed a line with sexist critiques that were borderline nonsensical, so I stopped watching. But there was still that persistent feeling of unease. Like maybe I just wasn't educated enough to understand him.

To be frank, James Somerton is a cisgender gay man with a degree, so I gave his words more leeway than I should have. That's a character flaw I need to work on. But the bigger picture is that there is an image a lot of people have around expertise. We are lucky that someone of similar standing in that regard spoke out. But let's not pretend that people hadn't already pulled the alarm. In the video that stripped away Somerton's reputation bit by bit (and outside of it), there were many moments of queer women and trans people pointing out problems with his work. I would go so far as to say that it's likely that even more queer women and trans people who felt something wrong but didn't say anything. Like I didn't. Because, at best, you start drama against someone who is well-respected. At worst, you lose your own credibility.

I have had cisgender people explain trans history to me, and I let them. I have had uneducated people tell me that Greece was the pinnacle of queer history, and I let them. I have had James Somerton spout nonsense at me, and I let him. I would hope that through this, I learn to be cognizant of when the image of expertise overwhelms the reality of it.

#queer history #james somerton #I usually dont talk drama #but I felt like the dust had settled enough on this one

[comicaurora]

I watched Castlevania: Nocturne the otger day and liked it a lot less than you seemed to, so I want to hear a more detailed opinion if you have one. Am I in the wrong to think it was more shounen and less "deep" in some way?

I'd say it's definitely more shounen. Introducing the "Richter can't do magic because unresolved trauma" thing right from the jump meant a Believing In Yourself powerup was pretty much inevitable, but I liked the execution of that scene enough that I didn't mind much.

It doesn't quite have the backbone of the original Castlevania, which was grounded so strongly in Dracula's apocalyptic grief - a motivation the audience is directed to find deeply understandable from minute one - that it gave the characters a solid thematic core to play off of. This let the writing stay pretty tight by letting Trevor serve as a foiling mirror for Dracula in their mutual disgust with the failures of human kindness, Sypha for Lisa in their altruistic use of their knowledge and their vilification for "witchcraft", and Alucard in the middle torn between worlds.

Nocturne is more loose and character-driven, but it still has a core theme - the argument over "the natural order" and how that plays into a fear of change from those currently on top. However, Richter doesn't really have a horse in that race, since his motivation starts and ends at Kill Vampires while everyone around him is more complex, trying to overthrow the aristocracy and free the enslaved and such. I think this makes Richter feel a little less important than Trevor was, narratively, because he sort of stands apart from the core philosophical debate at play. It took me a few episodes to get what his deal was and start caring about his self-actualization, and I think he's definitely got further to go. Possibly Alucard's presence in season 2 will give him more to play off of.

I think Nocturne has several independently interesting villains instead of one really good villain, which is a complaint I also saw about Castlevania season 4 - I liked Death just fine, but he really didn't work for everyone, and the secondary villains like Saint Germaine were much more interesting and complex. Nocturne does, however, pull off something Castlevania didn't as much, which is most of the characters acting on their own internal consistent motivation without cleanly falling into the "good guy" or "bad guy" box, causing them to slide into and out of conflicts and alliances depending on the circumstances.

I feel like Bathory is kind of a weak core villain with almost no human-level motivations or ideas beyond General Villainy, and the extent of her development being a darkest hour shonen villain powerup/frieza transformation doesn't help much, which is why I'm kind of holding out hope that they just bite the bullet and bring back Dracula. He's the nemesis from the Castlevania games, and while they gave him and Lisa a happy ending in Castlevania season 4, I don't think they need to keep him on the bench forever. It's been 300 years, Lisa is almost certainly long dead again and Dracula doesn't need to be full Mad With Vengeance Burn Down The World to still be a credible problem in need of a little Belmonting.

I had fun with season 1 of Nocturne with the understanding that the first four-episode "season" of Castlevania wasn't representative of the final shape of the story either. Sypha's character, for instance, was very flat before she and the gang went on their season 2 bonding adventure, not much more than some banter and infodumps. I think Nocturne did solid setup of the cast and the theme they'll be unpacking, and it has lots of room to explore these characters in interesting ways once they energy-ball-tennis Bathory out of the way first.

#asks #not aurora #media recs

[artiststarme]

What If Steve Were To Leave Hawkins? Part 11

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

I'm glad so many people liked the happy part in Chicago! Now, back to the angst. Hope you guys like it, what do you think I should do for the next part?

~*~*~*~

When all of the younger teens of the Party reached the Wheeler’s basement, the space exploded into vengeful bickering. Each of the kids, bar El and Will who were watching the display with gazes of concerned worry, had their own opinion and placed the blame of Eddie and Steve leaving on someone else. Lucas and Max placed the blame on Mike and Dustin, the two that decided Steve needed space in the first place. Mike placed full accountability on Steve, as per usual, for leaving and causing such a fuss. Taking Eddie was just a bonus that exposed Steve further to Mike’s contempt. Meanwhile, Dustin blamed Eddie for driving Steve away and himself for not doing more to keep them both in town. 

He had never felt more panicked and guilt-ridden than he did at this very moment, a feat in itself because he’d been through a lot of shit. But he had now caused both of his older male friends to flee Hawkins and he couldn’t really imagine anything worse. What, was Robin going to leave next? Perhaps Nancy or Jonathon? He thought that this summer would be the best ever. The Upside Down was gone for good, the town had begrudgingly accepted Eddie’s innocence, and the Byerses were back from California. However, this summer sucked and he felt naive for thinking something in his life could go right for once. 

“Shut up, Max! You don’t even know what you’re talking about. You didn’t notice Steve’s car outside your trailer all night, how can we trust you to tell us if Eddie was coerced to get in or not?” Dustin tuned back into the conversation around him when Mike brazenly questioned Max’s credibility. 

Lucas quickly jumped to her defense and pointed a finger in Mike’s face, “Don’t talk to her like that! Why wouldn’t we trust her? She’s the one that saw them in the first place. And Eddie knows Steve, he wouldn’t have to be coerced into his car. They’re friends!”

“Don’t talk for me, Lucas! I can speak for myself,” Max said before turning to Mike. “Listen mouthbreather, I know you have a weird crush slash stalker obsession with him but Eddie chose to leave with Steve. Probably because Toothless over there hurt his feelings by telling him everything he’s ever been afraid of. Nice going, now we lost another friend.”

Will jumped in then with a hand on Mike’s shoulder when he saw the fury ignite in his eyes. “Ok but why are we all freaking out? I thought we were worried about whether Steve was alright or not. We know that he’s fine and Eddie’s with him. Can’t we just wait for them to come back?”

All he received were matching looks of disappointment before Dustin turned to Eleven. “El! Can you go look for them in the void to make sure they’re okay?”

She looked at Will for confirmation and raised an eyebrow, did they actually want her to look for Steve and Eddie? He sighed and nodded in resignation. It seemed that the others were going to keep hunting them down regardless of what they did. They might as well use El’s powers to take a look for safety purposes. She turned back to Dustin and nodded resolutely, “Yes, I can find them.”

Max and Lucas quickly turned the downstairs radio onto static while Mike hunted down an old blindfold. Dustin gently pushed her onto the couch and urged her to rush the process. After a moment of static and mind numbing darkness, El entered the void. She imagined Steve with his mother hen personality and sunflower yellow sweatshirt with Eddie in his black outfits and bitchin’ hair. A picture started to grow in front of her. 

She saw Steve and Eddie in a restaurant, a sports bar or pub it seemed. There was a long bar running along the left side of the building that faced a brick wall lined with booth seating and high top tables. 

“I see them.”

Mike squeezed her hand, “Are they hurt? Is Eddie okay?”

The man in question was scarfing down a Reuben with extra sauerkraut. His jaw practically unhinged as he shoved the huge sandwich, dripping with thousand island dressing and sauerkraut, into his mouth. Steve was watching him in disgusted fondness, pushing him away when he tried to lean closer into Steve’s personal space in an effort to escape the smell of vinegar on Eddie’s breath.

“He is eating a large sandwich.”

Max asked, “Is Steve okay?”

Steve placed his right hand on Eddie’s thigh out of view of the other patrons at the bar. He said something that made Eddie laugh so loudly, a few heads turned to look at the pair. When one woman’s eyes lingered longer than Eddie appreciated, he hissed at her and bared his teeth. The display was less intimidating than he expected due to the pieces of sauerkraut stuck between his teeth but it only made Steve look at him more fondly. 

“They are both happy. Eddie is laughing and Steve is looking at him like Dad looks at Joyce.” Unbeknownst to her, the kids glanced at each other in bewilderment. They would focus on that comparison later.

Moving on, Dustin asked her, “do you see any identifying information? Street signs, landmarks, anything?”

El did in fact see several things. She saw a Blackhawks jersey pinned above Eddie’s head, a team she recognized from watching Hockey with Hopper. And if that didn’t clue her into their location, she also noticed the Chicago flag situated on the wall behind the bar. However, she couldn’t bring herself to tell the others what she had found. Not when she noticed the way Steve was looking at Eddie, like he had finally discovered what happiness was.

“I will not say. They are happy, they do not need us to find them.”

Dustin almost screamed in indignance, “El! They need us and we need them back home! Tell us where they are!”

El took one last glance at the happy couple, Steve’s eyes were full of love while Eddie licked thousand island dressing off of his fingers and stole french fries off of Steve’s plate. They looked happier than she had ever seen them in Hawkins and she knew she could not disturb that. She removed the blindfold with blood dripping from her nose and a soft smile on her face. “They are home, we can not ruin that.” 

Dustin shook his head and jumped up from his spot on the armchair, “I can’t believe you’d be so unhelpful! But fine, I’ll find them without your help.”

He didn’t wait to hear El’s response or the defenses of the other kids made on her behalf. He made his way outside of Mike’s house and turned his bike to the trailer park. Without much of a plan and no idea which words he wanted to say, he knocked on the door of the Munson’s trailer. Dustin wasn’t sure what he was expecting but an annoyed Wayne probably came close. 

“What can I help ya with, kid?” The older man breathed out with irritation coating each syllable. 

“Hi Mr. Munson, I was wondering if you’d heard from Eddie? Max said she saw him leave this morning and I’m worried about him. Is he missing too?”

Wayne just released a bone weary sigh and ran a hand over his face as if Dustin’s questions themselves were aging him. “Look, Eddie went off for a while with that boy Steve. Y’all don’t need to worry about ‘im, there’s no one I would trust more with my boy. Alright? I think they both just need some distance from all of this. You kids, the town. They just want to be left alone for now.”

Dustin’s eyes started to prick as tears began to build. “But please, Mr. Munson-”

“Just go home, kid. They’ll be back when they’re ready. You need a ride back?”

Dustin just shook his head and clambered back onto his bike. He heard Wayne close the door close behind him and let out an angered sound of frustration. He started pedaling as hard as he could with tears now streaming readily down his face. Dustin didn’t know what else he could do. Hopper couldn't find them using police resources, El refused to tell them what she saw, Steve hadn’t called him back since he had missed his first call, and now Wayne was gatekeeping information about their whereabouts. 

The unfairness of it all pushed Dustin to pedal harder. The tears in his eyes clouded his vision but he just pedaled faster. Until his front tire hit a rock and threw him over the handlebars. His palms skid along the harsh cement and his shin split open upon contact with the dingy pedal of his bike. For a moment, Dustin just sat on the ground and sobbed. Usually in this situation, he would go to Steve who would patch him up and feed him dinner, typically in the form of a cheese pizza and Coke. Or Eddie would pick him up on his way home from Family Video visiting Robin and Steve. But, he drove them all away and now all he’s left with is his miserable self and torn skin. 

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20: Epilogue

Taglist: @nickavalens @conversesweetheart @themostunoriginalpersonever @swimmingbirdrunningrock @eddiethegreatteddybear @harrumphingtons @call-me-big-eyes @moonshadows-13 @glittergluekintsugi @cpidcupk @doubleb11 @mentalcyborg @amoris-no-smut-allowed @purple-lemonade @labels-are-for-the-weak @thebrazilianatheist @rajumat @livelaughlexa @5ammi90 @colorful565 @marvelousforlife @chaoticcoffeequeen @gregre369 @suddenlyinlove @thegreatmistake @stillfullofshit @nburkhardt @batxsignalsx @newunknowns @thosemessyvibes @tailsfromthecrypt @luciana-rowan @bird-with-pencils @adaed5 @lolawon @flustratedcas @iwillfindmyneverland @messrs-weasley @skoomy-doompy @yearningagain @forest-fogg @bitchysunflower @stardust-era @newtstabber @bobatrash-queen @notjasontxdd @ohlook-afrog @00biscuit @grtwdsmwhr @oxidantdreamboat @the-witch-forever-lives @estrellami-1 @whatthemeepever @a-simple-gaywitch @imzadidragonfly @freddykicksasses @krimsonsimp @whatthefuccck @delta-piscium @anaibis @tinynebula @darkwitchoferie @evix-syne666 @tawghasa @pyrohonk @lillys-weird-world

If anyone else wants to be added to the tag list, let me know!

#this is more angsty than I anticipated #I'm sorry guys (but not really) #the kids are in turmoil #meanwhile Eddie and Steve are eating amazing food and loving each other #hats off to El for respecting their privacy #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #dustin henderson #steddie #fanfic #mike wheeler #max mayfield #lucas sinclair

[i-write-sometimes-maybe]

Aliferous- Lady Lesso x NeverTeacherFemReader!

Aliferous: Having wings; Winged.

Synopsis: You have some difficulty hiding your pain after a while, and to your dismay it doesn’t go unnoticed. Lady Lesso comes to you to find out more about the situation, and finds out more about you than she thought possible. Lesso comforts you through the pain.

Warnings: (none?) Implications of feelings for one another

Word Count: 3.1k

A/n: This is my first work posted on Tumblr! I hope you guys enjoy it! I usually post onto AO3 but when I had read all the work for Lady Lesso on AO3, I started reading on Tumblr. I loved this community and I decided that I’d post my work here too! Also, I can't even tell you guys how long this was in the works. Reblogs, likes, and comments are all welcomed!

©️This is my work, you have no right to repost my work for any reason without my explicit permission, all rights reserved.

☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎

Lesso had heard enough, the last two students walking passed her made her realize it, in fact, was of her concern.

She had heard some whispers about something being off with you, about how you were clearly in pain or uncomfortable. She wasn't too bothered by the murmurs, you can take care of yourself and have proven it, so when she heard the students near worries about you, she just brushed it off.

Until it got to be quite a few students talking about it. She knew something was off if multiple students not only noticed it but were discussing it.

That's what led her on her current mission. Your classroom. You taught Villain Talents, fitting for you for various reasons.

You were the daughter of Maleficent, yes the Maleficent. You inherited her stunning and nefarious powers, as well as having a pair of magnificent wings like hers. Of course, they were no match to hers, but they still had a nearly seven-foot span with shiny charcoal feathers, elegantly finished with horns at the top of them. They were a near duplicate of your mother's.

And they were the cause of your current predicament.

You've kept them hidden from the moment you arrived at the School for Good and Evil. You weren't ashamed of them, in fact, you were quite proud of them, but you needed to protect them.

You weren't risking a damn thing after what happened with your mother, you trusted no one but yourself with your wings.

Keeping them hidden for so long had caused them to strain, the lack of use and minuscule stretching only making it worse. You could handle pain relatively well, you were a Never after all, but this was an entirely different pain. It was both internal and external, becoming quickly overwhelming. Not to mention it was constant and lasted, up to this point, every day.

You tried your best to keep it within you, not showing just how much pain you were truly in but you also tried to not succumb to it. Not until you absolutely have to.

Now, you were sitting at your desk and staring in the direction of nothing while your students were doing some work, but you didn't care about what they were (or likely weren't) doing. You tried thinking of anything and everything but the pain you were in.

You were pulled from your thoughts as your classroom door swiftly opened, slamming loudly against the stone wall. Upon seeing who it was, you straightened yourself. You certainly didn't want the Dean of Evil to catch you in a time of weakness. You just barely hid your wince at the straightening of your spine.

"Lady Lesso, to what do I owe the pleasure?" You watched as she stalked toward your desk.

With one look, you knew she saw right through you. You had no idea why, but she was able to, the only one that was ever able to. That helped contribute to you having a certain attraction toward the Dean, amongst a plethora of other things as well, but you never showed it.

"I have heard a few things from students and I came to check the credibility of such things." Her tone was nothing short of its usual fierceness and dominance, but it was a level quieter.

"I'm not quite sure I know what you mean." You didn't falter, even as she approached your side.

That was one of the things the Dean was fond of about you, you never faltered in her presence. It was the first thing she noticed about you, the fear she usually saw in people's eyes when they saw her, it was never present in yours.

"There is something going on. What is it." She didn't ask but demanded.

You thought about it for a split second. Were you truly about to do this? Yes. It was becoming too much for you to handle.

"Everyone out! Now!" You snapped as you dismissed the students, your eyes only straying from Lesso in the moment it took for you to dismiss everyone.

They wasted no time rushing out of the room, hardly caring about grabbing their things. You knew what was about to take place and you certainly didn't want more witnesses than needed.

"What is going on?" Lesso's tone shifted to concern, her face softening.

She'd never admit that she had a soft spot for you, but she did. She adored watching you teach, seeing the same passion for teaching and evil as she has. She took to you quite quickly, whether or not she noticed it.

You stood from your desk, leaving her question unanswered as you circled to the front and pulled off your blazer. You were only able to look at her for another second before you allowed your face to contort freely. You pulled off your undervest next.

"What are you doing?" Lesso's question changed as she saw you unbuttoning your white blouse.

It was the last thing standing between you and stretching your wings. And you'd be damned if anything was going to stop you now, let alone having Lesso seeing you slightly exposed. Showing your wings is the most exposed you can get.

You didn't notice Lesso looking at you in shock, and trying to not make her gawking obvious, from the pain being almost too much to concentrate on anything but it.

"You just have to trust me," You practically ripped off your blouse and threw it to the ground, standing in front of the Dean in just your bra.

She stayed unmoving and silent so you continued, "Promise me you won't run or freak out?" You all but begged, your voice coming out just shy of a whimper, not only from the pain but also fear she'd find you disgusting.

"There's no way I-"

You interrupted her with the expansion of your wings, a shadow casting over your desk as well as Lesso seeing that she hadn't moved from her spot beside your chair. You nearly cried out when they stretched to their full expansion, falling onto your knees in front of your desk.

Lesso was cemented into her place from confusion, not knowing of your wings, but only for a moment before she became mesmerized. She couldn't help but think your wings were magnificent.

You braced yourself on your desk, resting your forehead on your arms, and your wings twitched as you released a sigh. You didn't realize your breathing had sped up until you spoke.

"I couldn't contain them any longer." Your wings fluttered, creating a breeze in the room that blew a stray strand of hair out of the Dean's face.

"They're beautiful,"

Your head snapped to Lesso, "What?" You never heard anyone refer to them like that.

You could see the intrigue in her eyes as they wandered across every part of your wings, the many curiosities swirling within her.

"They're beautiful. Why do you hide them?"

"Because no one has ever seen my wings and thought of beauty. It wasn't just fear when they looked at me, it was disgust. So I hid them, to protect them."

You began flexing your wings, trying to get them used to the movement again. You did your best to hide your groans and looks of discomfort but you knew you weren't successful. Yeah, they were out in your quarters but that doesn't do much, not like fully extending them.

You finally managed to calm yourself, standing once again, you pulled your wings back to their relaxed state. You could hardly believe you just broke down like that, let alone in front of The Dean of Evil.

"Can I- can I touch them?" You saw her fingers twitch at her question.

You looked at her curiously, wondering why she would possibly want to touch them, but ultimately allowed it. You slightly turned so she could see them better, extending them out just a little more.

Your wing flinched away from her light touch on instinct, and slight pain, the feeling being entirely foreign to you. You didn't have to be looking to know her hand flinched away from you in response.

A part of you still wanted to fulfill her request, "Sorry, you can still feel them if you'd like."

It was a strange sensation, feeling a caressing hand on your wings, but at the same time, it was nice. A sigh came from your lips as her fingertips brushed the length of your right wing.

"Does it hurt to keep them hidden?" Lesso was being uncharacteristically kind, but it was a welcomed part of her.

"Usually, not really. But when you keep them hidden and unused for as long as I have, eventually they will."

"Why didn't you say anything to professor Dovey or me?" You turned back to face her.

"I won't risk losing them. My mother had hers brutally taken from her, I don't want that. Of course, she did end up getting them back, but that's not the point-"

Her curiosity was clear when she interrupted your sentence, "Why'd you allow me to see them then?"

"Because, Lady Lesso-"

"Leonora, you can call me Leonora."

A smile came to your face, "Because, Leonora, there's something about you. And I don't know what it is but I feel as if I can trust you with anything."

Leonora tried to ignore the goosebumps that arose on her skin when you spoke her name. She paused for a moment as if contemplating her next move or what to say without the risk of saying the wrong thing.

An unfamiliar look momentarily flashed on her face, "I'll ensure you won't regret it."

"Showing you my wings?"

"Trusting me."

"Oh, my dear, there's no way I could regret trusting you."

She tried hiding her blush at the pet name, trying to remain unaffected she raised a brow, "You seem sure of that."

Truthfully, you were partially afraid, but not of losing your trust in her. You knew long before this that she was the exception to most of your fears, but in turn, she created a new one. You weren't particularly close with Lesso but you knew you didn't want to lose her, and you didn't want to risk doing anything that would cause her to push you away. That's the exact reason why your desires to know more about her, to be with her, were left unvoiced.

"It's because I am." You playfully winked at her, catching on to slight reactions that she tried to ignore herself.

It took you a moment of silence, a comforting silence that was shared between you two, before realizing the exact situation you were in.

"Shit-" You scrambled for your blouse, trying to cover yourself.

You were still standing bare in front of her. And if anyone were to walk into your classroom right now, they'd have a list of questions that you don't feel like answering.

As soon as you had your blouse in your hands, you rushed to get it back on. Your wings, though still slightly painful, retracted back to the state they were in just 10 minutes ago.

You paused as you saw Lesso walking toward you again, grabbing each side of the unbuttoned top and pulling you a little closer to her.

You wouldn't admit what that move just did to you, "You don't have to hide anymore, especially not from me."

A soft smile came to your lips at her words, but then you took this opportunity to be yourself once more.

You raised your brow, "Oh, so you'd be perfectly content with just anyone seeing me topless?"

"No, that is just for my eyes to see." She replied with her signature smirk.

Her admission caused you to have a heart palpitation, instantly and helplessly thinking what that could've possibly meant, but it was another thing you didn't let on to, "Is it now?" You slowly licked your lips, keeping your bottom lip tucked between your teeth.

You could feel your breath getting caught in your throat as her eyes glanced down to your lips and lingered for a second, "Indubitably."

When her eyes flicked back onto yours, a silent question waiting behind them, you leaped onto your moment of courage. Moving your hand to the back of her neck and pulling her in, wasting no time in connecting your lips with hers.

The hum that came from the redhead solidified your choice of the action. Your lips moved together harmoniously, everything around you becoming entirely drowned out and irrelevant at that moment. The kiss only ceased when the need for air became too strong to ignore. You pulled back only as much as needed, the bridge of your noses brushing together as you both tried to catch your breath.

A chuckle emitted from Lesso, causing you to pull back further in question, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that."

"Really?" You tried to hide all the emotions you were feeling, making it come across as a teasing prod, though you weren't entirely sure how successful you were.

"Of course. I mean, have you seen you?" The blush that irrupted across your cheeks was entirely involuntary.

You were about to speak, albeit you were about to disagree with Lesso, but you were cut off before any sound escaped your lips. A sudden jolt of discomfort went through your wings, and you didn't hide your reaction. You briefly closed your eyes as a shaky breath came from you. You opened your eyes when you felt Lesso put her hands at the base of your neck, your eyes instantly met her concerned ones.

"What can I do to help?"

Lesso hated seeing you in pain, she usually quite enjoys others in pain, especially when she causes it. But not you, and not now. She wants to be the one to rid you of it.

"Uh, well-" You trailed off, feeling foolish about what you wanted.

"What is it, Dove? I can tell there's something you're thinking of." Again, she saw straight through you.

The blush returned to your cheeks, only darker, possibly from you sheepishly asking about your desire and definitely from the pet name she gave you, "Could you- uh, could you just touch them the same way you did earlier?"

Her eyes lit up just enough for you to notice, "Of course, if that's what you want."

Of course, it's what Lesso wanted too. She yearned to touch them again, something about the silky soft touch of them being something that can only be described as you. You can see the excitement that she tried to hide, but you certainly didn't mind it.

At this point, you couldn't tell who wanted this more, you or her. You took a step back, pulling your blouse off once again and letting it fall to the floor.

The glance Lesso stole wasn't lost on you, but you just decided to store it away for later.

You turned slowly, allowing your wings to reveal themselves once more. Another groan came from you once they were fully visible, the sensitivity of them still overwhelming.

It was just a mere moment from when you slightly spread your wings to when Lesso came into contact with them, a sigh instantly being emitted from you on instinct.

"Is this okay?" She questioned as her fingers ran down your left wing.

"Yes, it is. I don't, understand..." You didn't mean for that last part to be said aloud.

Your wing twitched a little, unconsciously trying to follow her touch.

"Understand what?" You withheld your whine when her touches ceased.

"I don't understand how this could feel so nice."

"Has no one ever done something like this for you before?" You could hear the incredulousness in her voice.

"No... I've never let anyone else touch them, and I can't really touch the outer parts of my wings."

A sense of pride filled Lesso, her being the first and the only one to touch your wings. And knowing that from now, she'd be the only one that gets to, filled her with great gratification too.

"Thank you for this, by the way." Your voice was small, but you weren't sure why.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Dove."

You should be accustomed to the blush that comes to your face when it comes to Lesso, but you haven't yet, "And I-" You were cut off when there was a knock against your door, almost instantly followed by a jiggle of the doorknob.

Panic filled you immediately, but you hadn't noticed Lesso's subtle panic too. Instead of wasting time trying to redress yourself, and probably failing, you snapped your fingers and your magic redressed you. It appeared as if you were never undressed to begin with, your wings instantly being hidden once more.

"You may enter." You spoke toward the door, unlocking it with a wave of your hand.

One of your students walked in just a moment later, nearly freezing with evident fear at the sight of the two most powerful people in the school being in the same room together. They divert their eyes as they silently find their seat and wait for other students to arrive.

It was then that you remembered it was time for your next lesson, a sigh of disappointment escaping you at this realization. Why couldn't the day just be done already?

Lesso glanced back at you, seeing the frown that unconsciously clouded your features.

"I believe you have a class to teach." Both of you knew that neither of you wanted this little interaction to end but at least this saved you both from an awkward attempt at ending the conversation. "And I have things to do, villainy to attend to. And if I'm lucky, I might get to see a few terror-stricken expressions too!"

You both shared a smirk at her excitement, "Then who am I to impede on such marvelous plans?"

She flashed you a wink as she began walking toward the classroom door.

She turned back just before she exited, "I'll see you in my office, tonight." She said with the intoxicating smirk of hers.

She turned out of your room before you could answer, leaving no room for any possible denial. Not like you would've said no anyways. Her turning out of your room allowed for your surprisingly bashful smile to go unseen, the giddiness already overtaking you.

You replaced your horrifying persona once more students entered the room. It took no effort due to your pain being completely gone, almost as if you hadn't felt it to begin with.

You stood at the front of the room as all your students poured in. You did your best to make it seem like you were present, that your mind wasn't elsewhere focused on a certain redhead, the task being relatively simple seeing as she occupies your mind quite often. To them, it was another day just all others before it. But to you, it was the start of so much more.

☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎

@v3nusxsky as promised I tagged you so you can read it :), again thank you for inspiring me to share my work on Tumblr too!

#leonora lesso x reader #soft lady lesso #leonora lesso #winged #lady lesso x reader #pain and comfort #lady lesso #fanfic #sfgae #sfge #wlw #sapphic #charlize theron #sge netflix #oneshot #lady leonora lesso #fluff

[mylittleredgirl]

favorite and least favorite parts of each trek, with absolutely no thought put into it before making this list:

🚀 classic trek favorite: the ~aesthetic~. fuckin LOVE big chunky plastic buttons and beepy things, the mini-skirts, the sparkly metallic fabric, the whole deal. least favorite: janice rand leaves forever :( :( every single appearance she had was BONKERS how am i supposed to experience that and then ever hope to fill that void 🪐 tng favorite: soooooo soothing to know that our guys will always be both kind and correct and at the end of the episode i will learn something about how to be a better person. also romulans are there. least favorite: shit fuck i shouldn't have started this post because i'm already drawing a blank. ok ok i hate that the ship's counselor role got nerfed into a "therapist on the bridge" when it's actually so so important!! that needed to be explored so explicitly that dudebros on the internet have to shut up about it forever ⚾️ deep space nine favorite: THE CHARACTERS MY FRIENDS. the cast of dozens where every single character right down to the randos on the promenade are great. headed up by benjamin lafayette sisko and kira nerys, truly characters of all time least favorite: dukat's insanity/pah-wraith arc. like i do get why this narrative parallel makes sense against sisko as the prophets' emissary but also, it's bad. 🥔 voyager (that's a leola root by the way) favorite: i LOVE the early seasons where everyone is so adorable and spunky and they're just tooling around the delta quadrant being terrible at making friends. also tuvok is there. least favorite: kes leaves forever :( :( i hear you out there saying "fury" but come here. look at me. look at me. kes leaves forever. 🛰 enterprise favorite: controversial actually but i love t'pol's arc. i DID NOT love it as it was airing because watching poor jolene blalock having to act her way through ever more demeaning episodes is painful and terrible, but t'pol is magnificent actually? the fish out of water vulcan finding herself in foreign waters?? self-destruction on the way to rediscovering her own personal relationship to logic??? imagine if we'd got three more seasons of her with manny coto in charge it would've been glorious. least favorite: can we PLEASE do something with hoshi and travis i am BEGGING. also physically painful what american jingoism did to captain archer but i might have emotionally coped with it better if travis got lines. 🍄 discovery favorite: michael burnham is the light of my life she makes me cry out emotions that have been buried since i was in utero i don't even know. also the changing opening sequence my beloved least favorite: need one of those serial killer string boards to figure out what's going on sometimes??? can't say that too loudly tho because the discovery haters can smell blood in the water 💃 short treks favorite: THE CONCEPT I LOVE THIS least favorite: more??????? :( 🥷 star trek picard favorite: seven of nine in comfy sweaters kissing a girl filled holes in my life i didn't know were there!!!?!?!?? least favorite: don't like when picard is a jerk :( don't like when no soji and elnor :( :( :( 🤪 lower decks favorite: every second is a relentless outpouring of love for star trek, it's like a sleepover where all your friends are sitting around talking about how much they love tng except your friends are 900% funnier. least favorite: i have a hard time with cartoon violence sometimes so i get TENSE and also badgey haunts my nightmares for real for real 👨‍🍳 strange new worlds - actually i have only seen the first episode despite posting about it as if i have seen all of it haha my bad SO favorite: new star trek to watch!!!!! least favorite: now everyone knows i haven't watched it yet and i am losing trekkie credibility babes 😬 👩‍👧‍👦 prodigy favorite: rok-tak my DAUGHTER least favorite: that feeling of being in a warner brothers cartoon and there's an anvil above all our heads with J/C DISCOURSE painted on it just waiting for the show to make a wrong move

i swear i must have forgotten at least one series there is so much star trek now??? anyway feel free to make your own post about this, i am curious!! if you absolutely MUST i suppose it's ok to think about your answers for more than 30 seconds.

#this is the ask i was like maybe someone will send me this :) :) #so i have an excuse to rattle it off without thinking #and then i went oh right this is the post without thinking website i can do this myself #star trek #WAIT WAIT CAN I GO BACK AND ADD THE LIL DISCOVERY ROBOTS

[hyunjinners]

Can i request more Ahn Jun-ho one shots? 🥺👉🏽👈🏽 I started watching the series recently and i'm in love w that man 😩 i need fics about him 😭

✧:･ﾟComfort Home → Ahn Jun-ho x reader ˚₊· ꒰💚꒱

꒰ 命 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 ꒱┊Jun-ho's family is full of ups and downs, but his days become better when Jun-ho ends up in the arms of his beloved.

꒰ 命 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ꒱┊Ahn Jun-ho x fem¡reader.

꒰ 命 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 ꒱┊cute, comfort, a little sad (because of his family, but nothing too distressing).

꒰ 命 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ꒱┊fights, family issues, possible trigger (?), Jun-ho in his delicate moment, reader being a good girlfriend >>> 🤍, let me know if you have anything else to add! :)

꒰ 命 𝐖.𝐂 ꒱┊2,3k

꒰ 命 𝐀/𝐍 ꒱┊hey! ;) I'm finally able to write something after a while. It's amazing how creativity comes at the most unexpected moments. I hope you like the chapter, as I didn't specify the genre of the chapter in the request, I decided to do something in the middle of the road, a little sad, but happy. English is not my first language! I apologize in advance for any spelling and/or grammatical errors. Good reading! 🤍 ^-^

⊹₊˚ʚ❛masterlist.❜ɞ

Jun-ho runs his hand through his hair for the thousandth time during the conversation, more specifically an argument. His eyes burned with a suppressed desire to cry, but he needed to be strong and he knew that showing his true emotions might make him lose his credibility..

“Mom, you need to listen to me. I love you, but everything is very troubled. He does not deserve you. Let go of him, mom… please. If not for me or for you, then for your youngest daughter. Jun-ho speaks a little calmer after his tired sigh. It was the third time this week alone that Jun-ho learned that once again his mother's husband, or the sperm donor as he likes to say, was disrupting the lives of his mother and younger sister.

The abusive relationship between his mother and father is something that has happened since he was little, small signs of a toxic relationship tracing the years before he was even born. Jun-ho's father was extremely intolerant and reckless, always taking small amounts of money that his mother managed to earn to buy food, only to spend it on drinks and more, and if she didn't want to give it, he would beat her like a damn punching bag. And the worst of all was not only that he witnessed these atrocities when he was little, but his younger sister is going through the same process even though he tries to advise his mother to finally open her eyes.

She wasn't an idiot and he understood very well that it wasn't an easy thing to do, but it was still very frustrating, even more so when she called him to ask if her younger sister could stay in his care for a weekend or at least until things got better.

Small and tragic situations like this were what drove Jun-ho to work from such an early age and focus on his studies to have a better life, leaving home as soon as he saved enough money to rent a small apartment in a simple condominium.

But here he was, after finally getting his leave from the army, sitting in his mother's backyard while drinking peanut soju. His mother said she just wanted to talk to him, find out how he was doing and if everything was ok with his girlfriend and events in his life. But after Jun-ho saw the small purple bruise near his mother's cheekbones, he immediately tensed and, what was supposed to be a calm conversation between mother and son, ended up accumulating into a big snowball that was about to explode.

“My son, everything is fine. We're fine, how many times do I need to tell you this?”

“Until the day you leave him and live a happy life. Tell me, mom, when was the last time you gave a sincere smile of happiness? Or the last time you felt happy to finally get home after a hard day at work? You created me and I am very grateful for that, so I just want to repay you by looking out for your good.” She stays silent, seeming to absorb Jun-ho's words, but quickly looks down at the floor with shame and pure sadness, not wanting to have that conversation with her eldest son.

“Please, Jun-ho… let’s not talk about this anymore.” Jun-ho's jaw tightened, but he nodded silently. Jun-ho quickly grabbed his coat, looking straight into his mother's eyes, before walking out the front gate with a pounding in his head..

.

The girl happily turns off the heat of the tomato sauce, placing it on top of the noodles she lovingly prepared for her boyfriend. It had been a year and a few months since Jun-ho joined the army and it was the hardest time of both of their lives. Neither of them were away from each other for that long and both Jun-ho and Y/n knew that the challenges that awaited Jun-ho in the army would require a lot of effort from him, making him feel that his.

Everything became more distressing when Jun-ho barely called or responded to the girl's messages. He was going through an extremely delicate moment with this whole thing about deserters and bullies in the camp, causing him to reserve himself and set aside a period to think alone.

But everything got better when she had the most irresponsible and crazy attitude she had ever had in her life: discovered the location of where Jun-ho was during one of his missions looking for defectors, and went to Busan after a tiring bus ride just to say that whatever happened to him and everything around him, she would always be there to support him and remind him that he was never and will never be alone.

Initially he was desperate and afraid that you would get hurt because you were “invading” a mission, he snapped at you for your irresponsibility but his stance changed after realizing his girlfriend's determination just to make him feel better from all the pressure put on his shoulders. He felt like she was a breath of air in the middle of a cold night that made him shiver as she gently filled his lungs, reminding him of what it is to truly live.

A few months later he finally came home for a month of rest and you couldn't be happier and more grateful. It's been three days since he arrived, and even though he initially seemed a little hesitant and distant, you knew that Jun-ho needed to be home. In your home.

The password verification noise from the front door sounded shrill in the empty and slightly dimly lit apartment, where you could see light and hear the low noise of dishes and pans coming from the kitchen. Jun-ho tried to silently sneak down the hallway towards the bedrooms. Y/n knew he had arrived, so she quickly finished everything in the kitchen to call him to eat.

Turning on the lights in the apartment, Y/n walked calmly towards the bedroom, opening the door ajar, then hearing the low thump of the shower water bathing Jun-ho's body. Smiling, the girl knocked lightly on the bathroom door, happy that he was finally home. She was a considerably anxious person, so she planned and scheduled an entire night together, including a movie and hugs, all for Jun-ho's rest and comfort.

“Hey, Jun-ho.” Y/n speaks in a tone loud enough to overpower the sound of the water, which was turned off when Jun-ho heard his girlfriend's voice. "Hey my love. I'm already going, I'm just going to finish my shower. You can eat if you want.” His voice was considerably lower than normal, but she just brushes it off by muttering a small confirmation.

Almost half an hour has passed when Jun-ho finally sits down on the chair opposite Y/n. His hair was wet and he was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Comfortably beautiful, she thought. He directed a slight smile at her, which unconsciously showed his tiredness and discouragement. A wave of worry flooded Y/n's thoughts, imagining what must have happened at her house.

Y/n was aware of her mother-in-law's abusive relationship and knew that Jun-ho didn't approve of any of it, getting frustrated every time she spoke to her mother or saw her in person. With a knowing smile, Y/n reached out, cradling Jun-ho's hand in hers. "Everything is fine?”

The short sentence of just three words was the trigger, the direct impulse for him to break. His eyes were slightly red and burned from the tears shed during the shower, but now it didn't matter because they came back with full force, making Jun-ho's face moist.

Y/n immediately went to his side, wrapping him in a tight hug, Jun-ho's head resting in the crook of her neck. Seeing Jun-ho cry meant that he was at the height of everything, that everything came together and came crashing down with a thunderous thud.

Jun-ho was the type of person who prioritized maintaining a firm stance so as not to have to explain his weaknesses and concerns, but when he was around his girlfriend it was like that whole facade fell and he felt the need to spill everything to her. He felt heard and loved when he was with her, he didn't feel like a burden or a nuisance, he was just him. He could be him around Y/n because she was her around him too, she prioritized his well-being before hers and he sometimes didn't know how to show his gratitude.

Feeling Jun-ho's shoulders shake and hearing his painful sobs was like a stab in her back, making her feel helpless because she couldn't do anything to take away all the pain and weight from him, everything.

With a gentle squeeze on his shoulders, she hugged Jun-ho affectionately, feeling him getting impossibly closer to her. The smell of her perfume made Jun-ho feel more comfortable, she smells like home, he thought. This made him cry even more, feeling unworthy of having such a caring person by your side to not only listen but also understand your emotions and help you deal with them.

Y/n can feel her own tears falling down her face, her heart almost comes out of her mouth at the thought of her love, her world, the most important person in her life being in pain. Not just any pain, but the worst pain ever. The emotional pain. The pain of not being able to do anything, the pain of feeling unable to help the people you love.

He knew the situation was beyond his reach, which was why he felt so frustrated. He didn't need to say anything to her, his tears told a silent story of an ongoing event that unfortunately affects Jun-ho's life. She understood him, so she didn't ask anything. Her sobs stopped and her tears lessened considerably. Y/n gently pushed Jun-ho away from him, but not far enough to break the hug.

Jun-ho's now red and swollen eyes widened at the sight of the tears that now graced his girlfriend's face. She reached out with her hands and her thumbs wiped away the tears so gently as if Jun-ho would break down at any moment. He repeated the process, wiping away Y/n's tears, doubt dancing across his expression.

“Why are you crying, dear? I hurt you?" His voice, hoarse from crying, was almost a whisper, hesitantly low. She smiled, resting her hand on Jun-ho's that rested on the girl's cheek. “No, that's not it. I just hate with all my might to see you sad. You make me so happy, Jun-ho, that seeing you sad is like seeing clouds cover up the sun on a summer afternoon.” He absorbs the words and for the first time that night she shows a smile. He admired the empathy that Y/n had not only for those she loved, but for all people and without expecting anything in return.

“You don’t need to cry if you weren’t the cause behind my tears…thanks for supporting me, darling.” As a simple answer, Y/n leans slightly towards Jun-ho's lips, her breath tickling his face. Jun-ho connects their lips in a needy kiss, a reciprocal comfort being silently placed upon each other.

“Promise me that when you have a problem you won't keep it to yourself? I'm here for and for you, Jun-ho. You can tell me things that there is no need to repress within yourself. You are a wonderful human being and deserve love like anyone else. And I love you, that's why I'm available for everything. Even if it’s just to sit next to you in silence.”

Y/n watches the light reflect on Jun-ho's face from the new solitary tear shed, but there was no sadness this time, just the happiness of understanding that he was not alone on the walk. That I had a home to return to in bad times. Without saying anything else, this time he hugs her tightly, drawing small imaginary circles on her back.

“Thank you for caring about me. I don’t know what I would do without you.” They both knew that this was not the first nor would it be the last fight between Jun-ho and his family, but this time he was aware that he had arms waiting for him to rest on difficult days.

⊹₊˚ʚ❛A/N: It was supposed to be a short chapter, but I guess I can't even complain because I finally developed something after so much creative block. I hope you liked it, tell me what you think! :) If you made an ask, don't worry, I just haven't had enough creativity yet to develop a chapter, but we'll have news soon. like × reblog. by:: @hyunjinners .❜ɞ

#ahn jun ho kdrama #ahn jun ho x reader #ahn jun ho #ahn jun-ho x reader #ahn jun-ho imagine #ahn jun ho imagine #ahn jun ho comfort #ahn jun ho dp dpg day #ahn jun-ho comfort #hyunjinners #fanfic #koreanxreader #sad fanfiction #comfort ahn jun ho #comfort ahn jun-ho #comfort imagine #k actors x reader #k actor #dp kdrama #dp dog day #dp kdrama x reader #jung hae in #jung hae in x reader #jung hae in comfort #comfort jung hae in #netflixkdrama #ask #ask imagine #ahn jun ho one shot #ahn jun ho comfort one shot

[hedgiwithapen]

The AU where Team Leverage is attempting to con Victoria Kord during the same few days that the Scarab is stolen.

Hardison adjusted the dress uniform he'd spent half the night sewing patches and arranging medals on. Authenticity was important, even if no one ever looked closely enough to see if one of the medals was a startrek badge. It wasn't--he wasn't going to risk a whole con, days of prep, on one of The Shadiest companies in Florida--for a geek joke. But he was tempted, sometimes, and never more than when he was posing as some stiff military monster at a party, talking atrocities with the Mark. Victoria Kord was certainly high on the list of 'People I feel Dirty Just Breathing The Same Air As' which was only not an official list because Eliot had pointed out that keeping such a list might bite them all in the ass.  Hardison had no intention of admitting he was right, but still. 

The food, catered by Eliot, was delicious, which counted for something. He glanced discreetly at his watch, pleased that the man he was impersonating was the type to wear real watches, and nodded to one of many hidden cameras. Originally, the plan had been to crash the party and find the paperwork about the illegal land seizures, find a way to get people back the homes they were being wrongfully evicted from. Snooping had revealed a bigger threat, and bigger target.  Parker would start her run for the secure project's room, plug in his code, and wipe all the OMAC data from Kord's system, ruining Victoria's credibility for her investors and tanking the company in three... two...

"Uh, guys? We have a problem. Like, capital p Problem," Breanna's voice hissed through the coms. 

"What?" he asked, then feigned a smile at Kord, "is that  fantastic--" he pretended to cut himself off. "My apologies, I was distracted by these canapes.  I tell you, we do not get food this flavorful in DC. You know how to make your investors feel welcome."

Over his chatter, Bre continued "Someone else just hacked the system. Majorly. I can't get it back. Hmm. I think I...might have seen this before..."

"We've got another problem," Eliot said from where he stood in chef whites, slicing meat at a table. "One of Kord's goons just walked in. Hardison, Parker, you need to bail. Now."

"Why? I'm almost--" 

"School of the Americas. That's Carapax. We'll find another way to shut them down, you need to move, now."

"And what are you going to do?" Breanna asked.

"Hey!" Parker said to someone in the hall with her. "You're messing up my heist!"

"Your heist? This is ou--my heist," said a young voice on the other end. 

"Parker, who's with you?" Eliot hissed, moving urgently now. Carapax was blocking the line of escape for Hardison, and that would not do at all.

"Uhhhhh blue buggy dude?"

Hardison's eyes bulged. "Excuse me," he said to Victoria, then muttering 

"Like... Blue Beetle?"

"I am Khaji Da," a new voice spliced into the com system, over the sound of Breanna's "Oh, no you did not just hack my coms." 

"Yes, I did."

"It's an expression," the same young man's voice said. "Um. Look. Why don't you steal whatever it is you're stealing, I'll get what I came for and we go before we all get killed?"

The overlapping chatter was going to give Eliot a headache.

"Oh, HEY," Breanna said again. "I do know you. Hey, can your hacker hear us? Tell him it's GarlicBre52. From the forums. Uh, Eliot, red truck, oh shit, and you're about to have company. the bad kind."

 Eliot rolled his eyes, and located the truck. Carapax seemed to have noticed it too. 

"Bre, Hardison, get ready to pick up Parker and go. I'll warn your nerd friend." Eliot rolled his shoulders, ready for a fight.  

Several stories up, a pulse of blue light shattered a row of windows, drawing all attention up. Eliot hoped the distraction would be enough to steal a superhero… and his back up.

#dammit hedgi day 2023 #Leverage #Blue Beetle #Breanna and Rudy are internet buddies in the way only hackernerds suspicious of the government and the sun can be #in this au the team stay involved and fake a certain someone's death he's fine

[hadesoftheladies]

just throwing this out there, but perhaps the postmodernist psyop that is “neopronouns” queer theory would be more diffused if you simply . . . and hear me out, didn’t spend so much time talking about it. a psyop is literally just there to to distract and frustrate you from organizing and talking. imagine a random man from the park interrupting your talk about, idk, particle physics, and he starts mumbling and muttering about how atoms are actually “tiptoes” and how bigoted you are for believing in the second law of thermodynamics or whatever . . . would you try to engage him, help him see the error of his ways . . . or would you just walk away and continue your conversation with sane people? imagine doing that online. just continuing with your feminist discussion and ignoring all the people screaming about how sex-based violence should be discussed in gender neutral language. what they say is literally irrelevant and that’s why it’s successful. literally just ignore those kinds of people. what’s gonna happen? they’re gonna get mad? who cares? we were talking about separatism, so back to that!

men will never acknowledge what feminists have to say. they’ll never “hear you out.” it’s like asking them to “be nice” to women trying to play chess in a chess champions tournament. like asking them to “not rape.” it’s not that they can’t. they won’t. never in hell is it gonna happen. it has nothing to do with our credibility and character. and it doesn’t deserve a reaction. it really doesn’t.

i personally enjoy reblogging simple thinkpieces or opinions that show the absurdity of gender in clever ways. but i’ve given up trying to convert white or male liberals, even liberal women. if they have character and are worthwhile people, i can only hope they will follow whatever intellectual curiosity and moral ethic they have and find the right resources and information and use their critical thinking, but either way, it’s not my responsibility. (I really had to learn this as an exvangelical. no matter how dangerous someone’s beliefs are, you do not have any control over that person’s journey and you have to let go).

i have a responsibility to women and girls in my life. in my circle of influence. they’ll ask me for advice when they need it. i try to be there for them if they need me. but I don’t want to keep tearing at low-hanging fruit. and im not their saviour. im really just not in control and not the one.

it is imperative as activists that we stop making it our mission to be martyrs, especially as women. like these people can figure it out if you did. you’re not special. isn’t that a relief?

i think if we stopped seeing it as our responsibility to mother or guide men or even liberal or traditional women, we’d conserve energy for what actually works. being intellectually and morally integrous. pushing for justice in our communities.

I think we need to starve this internet capitalist campaign by only engaging in it when the benefits of engaging outweigh the cost, e.g. personal release of stress or explaining your point to the genuinely curious.

but let go of the impulse to defend yourself in front of people who can only ever interact with you in bad faith. watch a funny show instead, or something.

if they don’t care, they’re not worth your effort anyways. and it’s really not for you to decide. 🤷🏽‍♀️

#radblr #feminism #radfem

[uniquelyuncanny]

The Hate on Hazbin Hotel

A little thing I wanted to say my piece on is, the hate on Hazbin Hotel.

First off, if the subject matter, story line, character design, or general premise of the show, doesn't appeal to you, then just don't watch it. NO ONE is forcing you to engage with a piece of media, it's your choice to do so, but please, you've got far better things to do with your time than hate watch something, or watch it purely so you can give an 'informed critique'. The second thing, a 'critique' used to mean (and I'm taking the direct definition here) a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory. But moreover, it's supposed to be a fair judgement, meaning you weigh BOTH the positive and the negatives of something, and deconstruct why that may be (usually including a little self analysis if you want to get extra credibility points.) A critique DOES NOT mean, I'm going shout from the rooftops about this thing that I don't like, go out of my way to spread my negative opinion on the show everywhere, and vilify anyone who disagrees or who doesn't outright agree with my opinion.

The thing here is, it's new, and the marketing team has done their very best by putting it everywhere to get people to watch it. That's their job, they wanted to expand their audience for the premiere of this new show that's been in development for around 4 years now, in the hopes of making it's launch a success. Blood sweat and tears have gone into this show whether you find it appealing or not, and it's changed a lot along the way from what it used to be, both for better or worse.

Now, I'll admit, I'm not a down in the trenches fan. I watched it, I thought the songs were nice, I enjoyed the show but I'm not overwhelmingly invested in it. But I am a fan of animation, heck I even did a degree in it cause I loved it so dang much, and what I hate is for people to claim 'bad animation' cause it 'didn't click' with them, or they think it's an eyesore/ugly.

You watched, you didn't like it? Good, now you have a better understanding of what you do and don't like, move on. Cause regardless of anything, the context for what makes something good, is typically very subjective and often agreed upon after the initial fanfare has died down.

Let those who DO enjoy it, do so without your burdensome criticism. You're not beholden to engage with something you don't want to, if you do, THAT'S ON YOU not the shows creator, not the animators, the advertisers, the voice actors, the music writers, the score composers, the spreadsheet managers, the pre-production crew, the overly pushy streaming service you're watching it on, or even the team behind Spotify marketing management. Just you. The rest, are doing their jobs, the least you can do, is let them do it in peace without making it all about you, and your negativity.

The other main 'booing' point I've seen is 'bad writing', and I'm sorry but that's so funny to me cause like, they JUST released the first season. THE FIRST SEASON. As in, hopefully, the beginning of a story. Not a complete story, more like a chapter, a starting point, a general introduction if you will, of where the development team (writers included) get to set up the ground work for the REST of the story to play out in. (While also hoping that it gets renewed so they actually have a chance to continue it). You can't KNOW that it's bad writing, cause you don't know where the story is headed or how it's planned to play out. How many shows or books, that were presented as being the first of something, have you indulged in, where after you have finished the first season or book and gone, well that was a completely satisfying experience and all the story line points were perfectly executed and made complete sense in a delightfully fascinating manner that kept me engaged with the thrilling story? Cause I know I haven't, and I'd love to have more stuff like that, (so if you genuinely have any recommendations please do send them my way).

The thing is, if you don't like the ultra brand spanking new show animated show Hazbin Hotel that's currently being talked about on social media, that's perfectly okay. Wait a month, there'll be something new for the internet to fixate on to a nauseating degree soon enough. There's nothing wrong with you if you didn't like the humor, or the characters just didn't do it for you, or the character design made it a bit chaotic to get invested in. Those are all perfectly valid points and opinions, and you are welcome to share those opinions in spaces where people have similar opinions as you. But for the love of all things good, don't spread that kind of nastiness onto people, or into spaces where people clearly do not share that opinion.

A little bit of consideration for the people who actually like and enjoy the show, especially those who worked hard to get it out to world, would be lovely, cause again, no one is forcing you to be here or indulge in this media, you're making a conscious choice to be an asshole if you deliberately spread overtly negative opinions about something to people who clearly love it. It's nasty human behavior, and is reminiscent of adolescent bullying tactics and the need to present yourself as 'cool' and 'different' simply by hating the newest 'popular' trend.

It's actually sad, boring, and overall, uninteresting discourse that I'm honestly over seeing pop up in fan spaces.

My end point is, this kind of behavior? Not new. I remember hearing and being flooded with the same discourse over, The Simpsons, Futurama, Teen Titans, Young Justice, Bojack Horseman, Cowboy Bebop, (and many others I won't waste time naming) and literally every single animated show that managed to get a chance in the spotlight over the years.

So you don't like Hazbin Hotel? Good for you, don't watch it, don't talk shit about it, leave it for those who actually like it and find something that brings you joy that you actually like to spend your limited time on earth with. It costs you nothing to be kind, and not every opinion needs to be heard by the masses, it's actually okay if you don't talk about something that's popular, I promise. Rant over.

#rant #personal #discourse #Hazbin Hotel

[genderqueerdykes]

Hi. I identify as a trans woman, but I have a lot of prominent masculine personality traits, such as being somewhat cold, stoic, etc. and it really bothers me. I get a lot of dysphoria from acting that way, but since it's my personality, I feel like I'm not actually a woman like I want to be, but just someone who pretends to be one. I feel like I'm trying to be something I'm not, but I want to be a woman so, so bad. I want to look like one, sound like one, talk like one, and act like one. But I feel like I never will.

What do you think I should do?

i wanted to say that i'm very sorry that you feel like you will never be/etc. a woman. society places a lot of expectations on women that are unrealistic and unfair- women of all kinds have those features and that does not take away from the fact that you are female. i promise you're not pretending- the doubt lends to your credibility. most trans women are made to feel like strangers alienating women's spaces. i promise you're not

my best suggestion is to watch women in live streams, movies, in your personal life, and try to imitate how they respond, act and sound. it's okay to literally just practice how you want to sound, even if it's just you sitting alone in your room acting out the lines to a scene from a show, or repeating something a streamer said, go ahead and just immerse yourself in what kinds of mannerisms, the timbre of their voices, and so on. you will definitely come out of your shell and be less stoic once you find who you are, i think that's part of feeling ashamed and like you can't be yourself. once you're able to figure out how you want to sound, and be, you will find your confidence

being "warm" and open are two feminine traits that come naturally to me, i have sort of a mother hen type personality, so my advice is let your natural curiosity take the wheel. girls are very creative and curious and often times the openness and warmness that comes with womanhood and femininity comes from a desire to learn more and to express. be invested in the people in your life, show passion and desire in your interests and hobbies, be willing to accept new ideas before reacting, embrace new ideas, and overall just go with the flow. there is also strength is softness, kindness, and tenderness. people view these traits as weak, but i have many system members who are very soft and tender and they are our strongest ones. it is okay to be soft, to enjoy cute things, and to express intimacy, love, joy, passion, and interest.

i hope that helps some. it can be hard to change your mannerisms at first but you have to look more to ywhat other people are doing than what you are doing for a while. things will start to come naturally after that. i wish you luck, no matter what anyone tells you or what societal expectation someone places on your shoulders, no matter what traits you do or don't have, you are a woman, because you are one. you are a woman because you say you are. it's okay to be a woman who's a bit cold and distant. some women are processing things and need time to figure themselves out. it's okay. you are appreciated, take care of yourself. if you need anything else let us know

#asks #answers #trans woman #mtf #trans women #trans lady #trans girl #trans girls #transfem #transfeminine #transition

[nobleriver]

So there is a book called Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell that is very good being a fictional telling of Shakespeare's son Hament dying of the plague. (I highly recommend it) It's sad but excellent dealing with grief and loss. Also, this past week I lost a friend from work and I'm thinking about how things happen so suddenly when you can still mentally play the mental tape of the last conversation you have with someone when you don't know it will be the last.

I was thinking though should we feel a bit peeved that River's story that started death had been turned into something romantic? Death of anyone is horrific (not romantic) and I've always hated stories that were more heavy-handed in the emotional manipulation of it. Will never read Nicholas Sparks. Always hated this horrible movie I still remember from childhood about this woman who was pregnant but also had cancer who died after she gave birth.

I would hate to think I fell for a melodrama. I might lose credibility for wondering if I should feel slighted since I'm asking the question of myself for the first time since The Husbands of River Song was broadcast.

My heart goes out to you and your friend's loved ones. I have lost people I cared about, and yes, it does feel sudden. The world stops. Even though in the back our heads we know life is ephemeral and fleeting, we still expect that person to be there tomorrow. It's painful when they're not. So please know, you have my sincerest condolences. May you find comfort and peace in this time.

To address your other comment about River, I don't feel peeved. You see, the thing about the Doctor and River is that technically speaking it's not a romance. It's a tragedy. The one unbreakable rule of the romance genre is that there must be a happy ending. The characters must be alive and end up together at the end of the story. If they don't, it's not a romance. It's either a tragedy or a drama.

Therefore, the Doctor and River Song are a tragedy with romantic elements. The story starts out with her death, and we witness the Doctor try to avoid her and put distance between them because he hopes to avert her death. One of the reasons I love The Day of the Doctor target novel by Moffat is that it shows us how the Doctor (10th and 11th incarnations) see River. When the Doctor looks at River, he sees a ghost. Every once in a while, she'll do something SO alive and it just makes him even more miserable because it reminds him how dead she already is. 10 explains in that book (to us the audience) that he plans to rewrite River's end by avoiding her, because he believes she deserves a happier life. In that book, the Doctor, through multiple incarnations, is still grappling with River's passing, unable to accept it. He blames himself because he failed to save her. Her death isn't romantic; it's traumatizing to him.

The Doctor and River both knew forever would be a fairy tale, but they still chose each other. They embraced the little time they had left. To me, theirs is a romance within a tragedy. The fact they still fell in love, still married, still became each other's best friends and most trusted allies, THAT is the romance. The romance is the love blossoming beneath the sorrow. Their unyielding commitment to each other was a beauty to behold laced with pain. The romance adds to the pain but also creates moments of levity, pockets of joy and laughter where they can hide from the shadows closing in.

The writing for them is stunning in its impact. We watch the death of a random character in S4 plague and torment the Doctor for the next six seasons as the Doctor wrestles with how to accept her death and move on. It's tragic, but it's real, and the tragedy doesn't take away the beauty.

Also, I skimmed a review of the book. This actually sounds like a GREAT recommendation, and the storytelling is nonlinear. Love stories like that (cough cough, doctor who). I might actually check it out! Thank you.

#text #doctor who #the doctor #river song #doctorriver #otp: please don't #personal

[parcequecestnotreprojeeeet]

There have often been requests to write something about the grandchildren. I have tried to include the information I have read about him and his grandchildren. I hope I have succeeded. Your Strawberry

A sleepless night

She stood in the doorway watching her husband. He was asleep on the sofa and on his chest, also asleep, was her youngest grandchild. Clutching him tightly, he held the little boy securely in his arms. She took in this image and felt her heart warm. Her beloved husband looked simply adorable with a baby.

They had the little boy and his older sister overnight and because the environment was still unfamiliar to him, he slept very fitfully. They had tried to put him in his cot, but he kept starting to cry. It had taken a long time for the little one to finally fall asleep. Exhausted, they had gone to bed, but it hadn't taken long before they heard crying again. Then her husband had whispered to her to lie still and he would check. She had fallen asleep again, but then woke up again. Her husband was not lying next to her, so she had looked in the children's room. But they had not been there. Only her granddaughter was lying in her cot, asleep.

She had quietly gone to the living area because the light was on there and that's how she had found them. Surely her husband wanted her and her granddaughter to sleep peacefully. Since they were sleeping so peacefully, she did not want to wake them.

Her husband loved all her grandchildren, even though they were not his grandchildren. Her children often joked that he was the best babysitter. The little ones loved him because he really took time for them and looked after them lovingly. It was important to him that they experienced the world through play and that they learned. That's why he loved to give them books. However, not every grandchild liked to be given books all the time. She remembered how her grandson had stood in front of him at the Christmas gift-giving and declared quite seriously, "Do you actually know that there are other shops than bookshops?" Everyone had burst out laughing and after a moment's thought, her husband grinned too. The next time the child visited, they had made a trip to a toy shop. Since then, she too had enjoyed toy shops, as her husband turned back into an enthusiastic child there.

Nevertheless, books remained an important occupation between him and the children. After their first grandchild had cleared out his beloved bookshelf in an unsupervised moment, he had cleared a shelf just for the children's books. He loved to read to them and they listened to him enthusiastically. He had a talent for telling stories in an exciting way. All their grandchildren loved it when he told them stories before they went to sleep. Often, however, he would fall asleep and they would wake him up again to find out how the story ended.

She was very happy that her grandchildren existed and that he loved them so much. At the beginning of their relationship, she had been afraid that he would eventually want children of his own. Despite their age difference, they had talked several times about whether they wanted to have a child of their own together. But he had assured her, credibly, that he did not need a child of his own to be happy. She already had three children. A child together would have been significantly younger than his siblings. Besides, their living situation would have made it difficult for them both to take care of the child.

Nevertheless, doubts had plagued her for years. Also because his mother had accused her of being to blame for him having to do without children of his own. It was only with the birth of her grandchildren that her fears had become less. When she saw how he accepted these children without reservation, she was reassured. He seemed to like the fact that he did not have full responsibility for the children and could still be part of their lives. He loved the role as a grandfather who was allowed to spoil his grandchildren.

She realised that she had grown chilly from standing still and thinking. She rubbed her arms and considered going back to bed. That's when she saw her husband open his eyes. He smiled at her. "Come back to bed," she said softly. Carefully he rose and held the little baby securely in his arms. "I hope he's fast asleep now," he sighed. "The little guy needed closeness. After all, it's all new to him." Carefully, he returned the small child to his bed. She followed him and watched with a smile how carefully he handled the little one. They stayed by the cot for a while longer, but it remained quiet. Arm in arm, they quietly went back to their bed.

Helloooo sweet 🍓! ❤️

Oh guys just melt my heart when you write about Emmanuel and his grandkids 🤧😍🥰 I just can’t help it, they absolutely warm my heart so much! 🥰

Hahaha you said you tried to include info you read about them and my brain kept reading and smiling when one of those reported details appeared! Really beautifully done 😍🥰

The thought/mental image of one of his grandkids sleeping on Emmanuel’s arms... oh please, I melt 🤤❤️😍🥰

Thank you so much, Strawberry! ❤️❤️❤️

#fanfic #strawberry

[finndoesntwantthis]

Something I'm realizing about Inner Circle and JAS. This might be a little bit long and I apologize in advance for that, but I hope you'll still read, because I'd like to get your take and find your opinions interesting and good.

Here goes. Though I'm not fans of Jericho and Hager, the reason Inner Circle worked when they started out as a heel faction is because they had chemistry and got heel heat for the right reasons. Even with Jericho being the leader and world champion, the focus wasn't just on him. The others got their moments to shine, each guy had qualities to them that made them stand out. They had something in them that was likable and would have people root for them, even though they were heels. When Jericho cut that promo introducing them as a group, he put each guy over and they looked like a credible threat as a group. Sammy in particular still came across as a likable character, despite being the cocky, annoying heel type. He didn't have the go away heat he has now. And Santana and Ortiz were the main reason I was here for Inner Circle.

Also Inner Circle would frequently get their comeuppance and take losses and their feuds didn't drag out for so long. MJF and Wardlow's involvement led to them becoming babyface fan favorites and serving as the perfect foil to The Pinnacle. They did so great with making Sammy a breakout star and everything leading up to his babyface turn. I feel like that will always be his best run. This is what they should be doing for Daniel right now, but sadly, that doesn't seem likely. So, at least Inner Circle had some character development and redeeming qualities to them.

JAS on the other hand has no redeeming qualities or character development at all, there's no salvaging it at this point. To be honest, I feel like this group was doomed from the start. Especially when Jericho cut the promo introducing them, which he didn't even make any effort to put the other guys over, he just made it about himself. Even now when BCC should be focusing on Regal, they still find a way to have JAS involved and they don't even have anything to do with it. At this rate, I'll be on my death bed and BCC and JAS will still be at it.

Hiiiiiii yes hello I love this entire message!!!

Okay so yes I agree completely with how you feel about Inner Circle at the beginning. To me it always seemed like it was made to create stars out of indie guys and Jericho was a VERY easy segue into that. It was more fun because they lost more evenly, and Inner Circle felt more about how the group felt about each other, rather than just being Jericho and his lackeys. They took their time with building any kind of break up heat and it didn’t come until everyone was an actual equal star.

JAS very much feels like it’s an ego thing for Jericho. On top of that, there’s no reason for Sammy to still be with him, or for Tay or Anna to be there. Not just cause I love Dark Order (RIP) but Anna was becoming a huge star on her own, as a focal point of that group, and Tay was so more liked as Anna’s bff/tag team partner. Being in this group is doing nothing for them.

And then there’s 2.0!!! THEYRE SO FUNNY ON THEIR OWN!!!! They could have gone the acclaimed way and built themselves into huge stars because they’re so Fucking funny in a way that literally no other duo is. Right now they’re the only people I wanna hear from in JAS because I just love hearing them talk.

Daniel should have been allowed to turn already, he’s ready to be a star and we should be watching a series of him against Jericho, or even trials to join Bryan and BCC cause he can hold his own if they would just let him.

JAS is just expired. Jericho is in over exposed territory and he needs to take a break. Like absence makes the heart grow fonder, and while I no longer like jericho for other non-wrestling reasons (trumper ugh) if he took a break for a couple months, and then maybe came back as some kind of lone wolf, it would be better. Or he could just retire!!! Idk!!! Not likely but!!!!!!! Preferred over the same old crap he keeps giving, that’s not helping anyone young.

#free daniel and free 2.0 and free the girlies from jericho!!!!! #ask #anon #inner circle #JAS #chris jericho #aew

[cyarskj52]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0282rcVGfJc3oxiHpfepE3NVhYEJ5mmjtzXGkf4RxoE6CopRMtQ2F9GQLRFatfCj7ml&id=26423400230&mibextid=ncKXMAHOMELATESTCULTUREENTERTAINMENTBEAUTY/STYLEAWARDS SEASON 2023

TELEVISION

Can The Weeknd Rebound From The Idol’s Failure?

The ‘Earned It’ singer’s HBO drama is ending early after airing only five episodes.

By

Stephanie Holland

Published55 minutes ago

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Our long national nightmare is finally over.

After five episodes, an avalanche of criticism, and countless tweets wondering “What the hell am I watching?,” Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s HBO drama, The Idol, is ending. Though the series was originally supposed to be six episodes long, this Sunday’s fifth episode, “Jocelyn Forever” is being called the season finale. Sources are saying that it was always supposed to be five episodes, according to TV Line. That may be true, but it’s hard not to think that the relentless scrutiny the series was under didn’t play a role in its early exit.

Watch

Deon Cole Talks Average Joe, Black-ish, and What He'd Do With A Small Fortune

3:01 / 4:45

Deon Cole Talks Average Joe, Black-ish, and What He'd Do With A Small Fortune

Gabrielle Union & The Cast of The Perfect Find Define Black Love

Friday 6:36PM

Idris Elba In AppleTV+'s Hijack Is What's Black On TV This Week

Friday 5:13PM

The Idol stars Lily-Rose Depp as embattled pop star Jocelyn, who finds herself wrapped up in a cult with mysterious club owner Tedros, played by Tesfaye. On the surface, that sounds like a somewhat interesting premise, but the series has totally failed in its execution of anything remotely resembling an entertaining TV show. The dialogue is jaw-droppingly bad, while nothing in the story seems to make any kind of sense.

Related Content

The Weeknd’s HBO Series The Idol Undergoes Major Changes

The Weeknd Is the Most Popular Artist in the World, Here’s Why

Related Products

Shop All Television on Amazon

ADVERTISEMENT

Honestly, this is probably one of those shows that never should have been made in the first place. It had a weird, uncomfortable vibe around it right from the start. Once it underwent multiple creative changes, with cast and crew exiting the project and Sam Levinson (Euphoria) taking over as director, that should’ve signaled to everyone involved that this project was dead in the water.

Then, before its premiere, stories began to circulate about the explicit, bordering on exploitative, sexual aspects of Depp’s character. Once the series actually hit the air, the reaction didn’t get much better, as reviews ranged from loathing it, to straight-up ignoring it. It currently stands at 24 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. After the second episode featured a particularly cringeyscene, where Tedros directs Jocelyn through a series of sexual poses and situations, viewers seemed completely done with this nonsense. While Tesfaye says they were trying to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, it just came off as gratuitous and gross.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Weeknd is one of the most uniquely creative artists in the industry. He probably already has 10 wildly different projects lined up and is ready for the next challenge. I hope he learns from this experience and realizes that it’s great to push the envelope, but he also has to learn that those shocking, jaw-dropping moments have to be earned. And when the audience is telling you something is deeply uncomfortable and has crossed a line they won’t follow you over, it’s OK to listen to them. He also needs to know that as an artist your credibility will only buy you one, maybe two, of these high-profile failures. We encourage our favorites to take risks, but be smart about it.Start

Sent from my iPhone

#The idol #lily rose melody depp #the weeknd #sam levinson #jennie ruby jane #the idol hbo

[heliads]

harry potter request!

well, can you please do one with Theodore Nott where he's grumpy with everyone, but he seems to be very humorous around the reader? like teasing her or doing something to get her attention bc they are rival academics? i would appreciate it! tysm.

sorry if it sounds confusing.

ok i've never written for theo before so i hope this isn't extremely out of character lol but it was fun!

masterlist

You are on the verge of greatness. Merlin, it’s so hard to focus on essays these days, especially with the weekend just around the corner, but you think you might manage it now. The words are flowing smoothly from your pen, plucked out of your mind like a fresh fruit and laid to rest on your parchment. You especially need your focus now, because your counterargument is looming around the corner and you haven’t quite got it down yet. This essay is due soon, too, so you really, really need your concentration–

And it’s gone, snatched away by the boy sitting behind you. Of all the places to study in the Hogwarts library, you’re not sure why he had to choose the table right behind you. Your backs are practically touching. It’s awful, and you certainly can’t pay attention to your thesis right now.

Vexed, you drop your quill pen with a clatter to the table and turn around so you can face the aforementioned boy. “Theodore Nott, you do realize that I actually need to be studying, right?”

Theo, as charming as always, just flashes you a smile. He’s already looking at you, forearm draped casually over the back of his chair. 

“Is that not what you were doing now? I suppose I’m confused as to why you’re suddenly addressing me.” He says.

You roll your eyes. “Because you haven’t been staring at me for the past half hour? I know you’re doing it, by the way. What could possibly be so entertaining about watching me scribble out an essay?”

Theo flashes you a bright grin, all sharp teeth and twinkling eyes. “Oh, nothing. It’s just funny that you think you’re going to get the top grade on that essay. We both know I’m far better at Transfiguration.”

You arch a dubious brow. “I’m sure you are. Didn’t I get an Outstanding on the last exam, though? As my memory serves me, you only got an Exceeds Expectations. That’s almost laughable.”

Theo doesn’t seem particularly fazed by this. Indeed, he only leans closer to you, gaze sparking as if you truly are his favorite form of amusement.

“Almost laughable? Y/N, my dear,” he says through lips tugged upwards, “I’m hurt. Truly.”

You laugh. “If I actually believed that, I would be out of my mind. Not unlike you thinking that my essay isn’t going to totally blow yours out of the water, by the way.”

Theo grins back at you. “I appreciate your confidence. It is terribly misguided, of course, but I’m glad you can keep your spirits up at a time like this.”

You give him a look. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Theo replies. “Absolutely. Positivity is important, but it will not save you from getting the second best score. That’s a proven fact.”

You strongly consider sticking your tongue out at him, but decide against it just in time. “Proven by whom? A certain Mr. Theodore Nott?”

He arches a brow. “No, although I’m sure he’s a very credible source. I’m talking about every class ever. I get it, you want to block that out of your mind, but the truth is the truth. I suppose I’m just too good.”

You open your mouth to argue with this, but you’re cut off by the ring of the bell signaling the end of study hall. You settle for a cross look, and start to gather up your supplies. Behind you, Theo pushes in his chair (as if he’s got any manners whatsoever, the git) and has the audacity to raise a casual hand in goodbye before he goes.

You watch him go with a purely irritated look, and find yourself surprised to notice that the corners of your mouth refuse to flatten out of a smile. It’s easy enough to distract yourself by pushing your quills and stacks of parchment into your bag, and once you head out of the library, you’ve almost forgotten the whole encounter. So you tell yourself, at least.

There’s somebody waiting for you just outside the library door, a dark-haired girl with her arms crossed viciously against her chest. 

“You were supposed to meet up with me fifteen minutes before study hall ended, you know,” she complains, “I’d like to know what happened to stop that from happening.”

You just laugh. “Come on, Pansy, that wasn’t my fault. I was trapped by a very irritating Theo Nott.”

Pansy Parkinson may be the scourge of all Gryffindors and the occasional Ravenclaw who’s crossed the line, but to you, she’s one of your closest friends. You’ve long since learned to disregard her sharp tongue, as most of her barbs aren’t meant to wound.

Still, to any stranger walking by, Pansy appears to be just as nettled as ever. “Theo, huh? How could he possibly get in the way? The guy refuses to talk to anyone he deems below him, which is basically everyone.”

You raise a brow, glancing over at your friend in bemusement. “Seems familiar, doesn’t it?”

Pansy rolls her eyes. “Oh, stop with the attitude. I’m just telling the truth. Theo is constantly in a foul mood, and he never talks to anyone unless he can help it. Of course, I have noticed him talking to you, though. Today is just another example of that.”

Pansy’s grinning rather triumphantly, which never spells good things for you. “What do you mean by that?” You ask, somewhat nervous.

Pansy just lifts a shoulder. “You know exactly what I mean. Theo doesn’t seem to hate you as much as he hates the rest of us. I’m just wondering why.”

You scoff. “As if. He spent the entire time today just trying to mess with me so I would screw up on my essay and he would get a better grade. Trust me, Theo dislikes me as much as the rest.”

Pansy doesn’t seem all that convinced, though. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Give me some time, I can prove it.”

That raises even more alarm than before, but Pansy refuses to clarify. Instead, she switches the topic to the latest Potions assignment, something you’re all too happy to talk about instead. The sooner Pansy forgets about this, the better.

However, in all the time you’ve known her, Pansy rarely gives up on an opportunity when it crosses her path. Thus, you suppose you shouldn’t be all that surprised when you find yourself discussing the same topic about three days later in Charms.

Across the room, Professor Flitwick is yammering about the spell you’re about to do, and Pansy leans over to whisper something to you.

“Look, here’s your chance to prove how Theodore feels. We’re supposed to practice this spell with partners, right? Watch this.” Pansy says, eyes bright with self justification.

You glance at Theo, sitting somewhat innocently across the room. Once Flitwick announces that it’s time to pick a partner, Pansy scampers over to Theo, smiling at him as if they’re the best of friends.

“Say, how about we work together for this spell? I think we would–”

Pansy is cut off by the iciest glare you’ve ever seen on a Hogwarts student. Although Pansy and Theo are both Slytherins and therefore at least partial allies, Theo’s supposed preferential treatment doesn’t extend to her. He shakes his head once, eyes cold.

“I think I’ll pass. Go chase down another unlucky soul, will you? I’d rather be by myself for this one.”

You have to fight back a laugh at Pansy’s irate look, but she just walks back to you as if she’s won. “See what I mean? Borderline cruelty, right there. Now it’s your turn.”

You shake your head. “Not a chance. He’s going to know what we’re doing, it’s pretty obvious. I think you’ve proved your point.”

Pansy, however, is not going to take no for an answer, especially not after being shut down by Theo so quickly. “You can’t back out of this now, Y/N. Go. Besides, if you don’t do it, it’ll basically be like you’re admitting I’m right and you’re too scared to ask him.”

That does it. You are a Slytherin through and through, after all, and that means your pride has a fair amount of say in what you choose to do. At last, you give Pansy a vexed look, then grab your bag and cross the Charms classroom.

Theo looks up when you slide into the seat next to him, but you don’t give him a chance to speak, already pulling out your wand and glancing up at the instructions Flitwick’s written across the board.

“We’re doing Incendio again? Didn’t we learn that years ago?”

Theo’s mouth is twitching into something that could almost resemble a smile. “I believe we did, but we keep forgetting it, so we get the reminder. What are you doing here?”

You toss him a bored look, as if surprised that he hasn’t already caught on. “I’m working with you on the spell, I thought it was obvious.”

Despite your supposedly cavalier attitude, your breath catches in your chest just slightly, waiting for the shoe to drop and Theo to dismiss you just as harshly as he did Pansy. You’re certainly expecting it, he teases you every chance he gets. Surely that doesn’t mean preferential treatment, right? Surely you can’t expect anything from him the way Pansy believes you will?

However, Theo’s surprised look just transitions into a slow and steady grin. “I should have known.”

“Yes,” you say briskly, “you should have.”

Your remarks are just a way of hiding your sudden relief, of course. Looks like Pansy was right. And, glancing across the room to where your friend is wearing a grin no less pleased than Theo’s, she knows it too.

During the entire class period, you can’t focus for a second. Thank Merlin the spell is one you’ve done before, as you don’t think you have the attention span to learn something new. All you can think about is that Pansy was right, Theodore really does seem to like you better than anyone else, even Pansy Parkinson herself. Why would that be?

You keep stealing glances at him, but Theo seems just as amused by the whole thing as you are. Does he wonder why you’re here? Evidently, it doesn’t seem to trouble him all that much or he would have been mean to you, too, but still. The fact remains that you have no idea how to behave around him. Seems like some things will never change.

Once the class ends, you start to leave as soon as you can, but a hand descends around your wrist, stopping you in place. When you turn back around, you realize that Theo is the one grabbing your hand, although you’re not sure that you mind it.

“Wait for me,” he says, “I want to know what’s going on with you.”

You do your best to not seem guilty. “What does that mean?”

Now that he’s certain you’re not going to try to lose him in the crowd (although it seems like a rather pleasant possibility), Theo lets go of your wrist. You’re not sure if that makes you more or less sure of yourself.

“You never sit with me in class, and certainly not during a partner assignment. Why did that change today?”

Theo asks it simply, but you’re not sure how you’re supposed to respond. How do you tell him that you only did it to prove to your friend, and perhaps even to yourself, that Theo likes you better than the others? You’d then have to explain why that matters so much to you, and you’re not sure that you want to get into that right now.

Still, it doesn’t seem that you’re going to have much choice. At last, you swallow the last of your misgiving and speak, using the clamor of everyone filing into the halls to mask your words from the general public.

“Why don’t you hate me?”

Theo blinks, surprised. “What do you mean?”

You gesture vaguely around the corridor as the two of you walk. “You joke with me and not with anyone else. Not even with the other Slytherins.”

Theo’s expression clears. “That’s why Parkinson came up to me during Charms, wasn’t it? The two of you were testing me.”

You respond quickly before he can grow too upset. “And we weren’t wrong, were we? All this time, I thought you just didn’t like me. Guess I was wrong.”

Theo glances at you, smirking slightly. “You thought I didn’t like you? You really couldn’t be more wrong.”

Your brow furrows. “What does that mean?”

His smirk grows, and a moment later, he’s pulling you into an empty classroom, taking advantage of the privacy to kiss you. The moment you realize what’s going on, he’s pulling away, but it’s still enough to make the ground swim beneath your feet.

“That’s what I meant,” he says. By all accounts, it’s a pretty good explanation. In particular, it’s one that you’re perfectly fine with hearing again and again.

harry potter tag list: @rogueanschel, @cameronsails, @neewtmas, @lovesanimals0000, @with-inked-solace, @sher-lokid7, @amortensie

#theodore nott #theodore nott imagines #theodore nott x reader #theodore nott oneshot #theo nott #theo nott imagines #theo nott x reader #theo nott oneshot #harry potter #harry potter imagines #harry potter oneshot #harry potter theo #harry potter theo imagines #harry potter theo oneshot