#spac family

[divinekangaroo]

furthering tommy-sexuality and intersection of ethnicity discussion with @deadendtracks from this post:

I do wish I could be more concise about this so sorry for the ramble - too much I think is still trying to sort it out through the process of writing it. These moments I really appreciate your concise, coherent meta posts! I also don't think I've properly answered the question, but contains more broader context around my thinking.

"This is a very interesting approach that I don't think I fully disagree with, but where I hesitate is that Tommy's the only character in his family or extended kin group who uses his body like this. / What do you make of the fact that Tommy is the only "subaltern" character we see who uses himself sexually the way we're more used to seeing a woman do?"

I think Polly and Ada do it too, though? And I also think Arthur does it particularly with Linda but it’s in a very differently articulated way, but this definite sense of the use of the body. (I *headcanon* Tommy also saw his father do it, too, paying off a debt to some English woman with authority this way, and one day some husband/brother etc cut up Dad as a consequence, but off I spiral -- this was born out of very micro hints of Arthur Shelby Snr as a wandering Casanova using sex as a (theoretically) no-personal-cost way for a man to slide out of situations or obligations, and Arthur Snr's association with prostitutes without any war-soldier-prostitution linkage to drive that connection.)

But, I also feel there’s a deliberate presentation of Tommy’s consideration of his ethnicity as different to how most of his family consider it (long different conversation), because of the alignment to his mother that none of the rest of the family have (another long different conversation). This assumes a reading of his mother as far more closely associated with his (rather silent/compressed) relationship with his ethnicity, too. Polly and Uncle Charlie's comments reinforce this reading in a few points. So this different relationship he has with his ethnicity also leads into a different intersection of that with his sexual activities.

When Tommy does use his body, I think it’s repeating behaviours he’s seen and understood as an available way for those with no power and limited influence to exert more influence, and those behaviours were drawn from watching the behaviours of primarily women of his family. And will mostly talk about Polly because that's what we do see on screen, extrapolating there was more of this sort of exchange going on around Tommy in his youth, too.

And while there’s an argument to be made that using sex/body is a behaviour available to any person with no power trying to exercise influence (many stories of women over time) without the subaltern/ethnic layer, it’s difficult for me to detach ethnicity from Tommy and Polly's on screen behaviours, because their ethnicity is a huge contextual-for-the-time part of what limits their power/influence in the first place. I think the show also includes significant hints of the Othering/exoticism associated with Tommy’s (and Polly’s) ethnicity in a way that shows it is connected to sexual behaviours/body trading – May talks about everyone laughing about when he’ll steal the silver, which is a Romani stereotype more than working class or racketeer; I think you mentioned once Tatiana does it too with the allusion to Tommy squatting in his own house. Polly has Campbell (the whole exchange is subaltern coded) and Abarama which is also ethnically *heavy* if not in the same way as with Campbell because Abarama is Romani too. And for Tommy: Campbell, Hughes and Mosley’s sexually charged ethnic slurs (or ethnically charged sexual attacks?) towards Tommy are a whole essay on their own.

For Polly, feeding into my thoughts around subaltern coding: stolen children and Polly’s sexual behaviours, including approaching Campbell. Stealing children from certain cultures/families is not just a poverty/class thing, taking children was a deliberate targeting of the Romani culture (amongst other cultures) to detach children from the culture and destroy/degrade culture, in a similar way (if not as governmentally sanctioned/policy-driven) as the Stolen Generation in Australia and other colonial government policies over indigenous (subaltern) cultures. So from that particular approach, I’ve then read every one of Polly’s actions to protect Michael (sleeping with/rape by Campbell, sleeping with Abarama, even her actions with Tommy in his clannishly coded position of masculine/head of family privilege) as coming from that place of the woman-subaltern, lower even in status than the male-subaltern. So Polly’s behaviours with Campbell and Abarama translate directly into my reading of the subaltern coding around her sexual behaviours, which then has a copy/mirroring in Tommy’s own sexual behaviours.

There’s also an interesting question I ask myself as I ponder why I've taken this reading. If Tommy were instead a Romani woman who engaged with her cultural/ethnic signifiers in the same way Tommy does*, and she used her body for sex with higher class English men to obtain influence where she cannot obtain or apply power, would the exotification / Othering / subaltern coding associated be a discussed layer? A Romani woman using sex as trade to gain influence? And I think, but of course it would, this is a tale as old as time...but because Tommy’s a man, there’s always that sort of mental hiccup first?

*which he does in fact do, it's not non-existent. But I think the complexity starts to come in with what and how exactly these cultural/ethnic signifiers are engaged with by Tommy / his partners, and how obvious it is or isn't, because the show doesn't always treat this as a direct or foregrounded thing. For example, to reframe that question, is Romani Tommy (male or female) exoticised/othered/[consciously acting as or unconsciously portrayed as] subaltern in sexual encounters for influence, if he and his partners *don’t in any way* acknowledge his ethnicity in any way? Probably not, BUT, his partners (and sexual aggressors) actually do acknowledge his ethnicity if with varying directness, and using uncomfortable stereotypes/terms. Tommy either forcefully silences his ethnicity in their encounters, or, he acknowledges his ethnicity but it’s in difficult and uncomfortable ways.

Tommy almost deliberately omits engaging on any ethnic line of dialogue with any of his partners raising it to his face. (I swear the only time he says Gypsy all 6 seasons is when he shouts at Lizzie in S6 in his panic.) Class dialogue, yes; ethnicity, no. And Tommy's silences say a lot. Vulnerability, shame, tool, sense of self, etc: the ethnicity is almost more sensitive and can't be talked about because it's something he can't change, whereas he (sort of can) with class via money and rank. He does *use* his ethnicity as a tool (his Romani connections/forces, the way gangs even being formed tend to occur on ethnic lines in the first place because general society even working class shuns that ethnicity, aspects of trying to find comfort like potentially his retreat to the road and Zelda after Greta died; seeking the first Barwell sister after Grace died; the protection motifs around Ruby; using the language in front of others to speak secretly but in plain sight) but it's almost more frequently a vulnerability and liability (the reason for his disadvantage, the weight of inevitability of suicide, seeing visions etc).

I also think on how he has this repeated motif of being almost physically incapable of talking about the things most close to, hurtful, risk of hurt to him, and it seems his ethnicity fits into this, too. He doesn't even talk directly to Polly about it except in his fit about his mother in S4, and even that's a sideways, indirect mention. He says something like 'going like Mum, speaking to the dead, scaring the kids' - but because we've seen Polly's behaviours we understand that 'going like Mum' means Polly leaning hard into her take on Romani mysticism and calling it her Gypsy blood/opening the door to Gypsy foretelling/seeing things etc; from this I make the link that Mum = Romani; Tommy's complicated relationship with his mother = Tommy's complicated relationship with his ethnicity. Every time Polly raises their Gypsy blood, he lets her speak but won't engage. Even Uncle Charlie's commentary around the mother's suicide, everything framed around that is Romani - the horse, the travelling, the Gypsy mythos. And again Tommy says nothing when he hears all that. It all feels like a wound he can't touch, ethnicity / mother. (He also never engages with Alfie on this line, despite multiple times Alfie opens that door.)

And so the deliberateness of his omission conversely makes his ethnicity feel quite dominant in his sense of self and identity for me, in the way this series frequently uses silences and omissions to show the shape of something there.

Where it gets to his sexual actions as [partially consciously subaltern] or [unconsciously subaltern but consciously portrayed as such by the show], I suppose the guts is that I feel like he carries his awareness of how other people view the Romani, and his discomfort with that awareness and the discomfort/hurt with that part of his self that he can never get away from and that has disadvantaged him, into his sexual encounters (except for Grace in S1) -- but that in parallel, his decision to proactively trigger sexual encounters as a way to win/exercise influence is also weighted by a sense of ‘this is what I need to do because this is a tool I have available’ and his internal definition of ‘I’ includes (amongst other things) ‘Romani’.

I also think, like: a Romani woman using sex with upper class men to gain influence, becomes a conversation about stereotyping, authorial and period specific contextual justifications, as well as character justifications; but given it's a Romani man doing it, I've been fascinated in fandom discussion it's almost automatically honed in on masculine vs feminine behaviours only. The Romani layer is silenced in so much fandom discussion -- as if the masculine v feminine becomes the sole question rather than as well as, why does a Romani man in particular in that position maybe think to behave that way/why did they choose to portray a Romani man in particular behaving that way. Like, could any of his thinking to behave that way (or, could the expectations and approaches of his sexual partners/aggressors) have anything to do with the rather abundant late 1800s/early 1900s literary and pseudoethnographic texts which exotify and hypersexualise his ethnicity? (watch out for that gypsy man stealing women, the tinker sleeping with your wife while you're at work, etc etc; then he looks at someone like May, and maybe Arthur and John only see a hunger for working class cock, but Tommy is maybe consciously just a little bit leaning into that exotic stereotype as well, horses and goldfish etc, because it might gain him advantage?) Or even authorial intent to really hammer home the subaltern nature of this character because look, even in sex as a man who is in theory has more privilege in bed, this character still can't be free of behaviours and manners which tie back to his ethnicity?

But I know and sorely feel how much harder it is to write and think effectively about ethnicity in a public forum, because it can be so much more hurtful and real and intersectional, than it is to consider slightly more abstract concepts, such as the masculine animus and feminine anima, and mother-parallels, that become more symbolic, character-only, and which can be contained and referenced within the source material alone, hence, IDEK, it's a safer dialogue, and so~?

#i think i've touched on some key points which hopefully allow some dialogue.but do feel free to point me more clearly at your question #idk what's happened to my reading comprehension these days XD losing all my essay writing skills #also i have whole essays around polly arthur ada and johns approach to ethnicity in comparison to tommys.he's just soooo alone in this spac #all these things for which he hasn't got the words #some interesting snips in fanfic here and there though so fans are aware of it it's just not easy meta-making material methinks #the show did go there though; the gutpunch of shit getting real I felt in the S5 scene when Mosley refers to the 'wog language' #tommy's absolute stillness and silence in response; even words even those words which were always just him and his family stripped from him

[lunaccult]

okay but. modern persephone and hades in gotham

#hades as the ceo and founder of a SPAC.. #i think he’s from nyc but moved to gotham for perse who’s from there #and he is EYEING the wayne family………. #perse and her cute little greenhouse until she starts working with hades and in fact becomes even more ruthless than he is :) #his modern name is aidon (aidoneus) i gotta come up with one for her where’s lay i’ll help me #lemme think on this some more hmm........

[vitiateoriginator]

Before, my datemate and I were considering adopting a second cat once we move into our new apartment but now we're thinking about getting a dog instead 👀

#I'd personally like to adopt from a shelter #but my datemate suggested we either get a corgi or shiba inu instead #I've been doing a fuck ton of research on the two (dogs are my biggest special interest so this has been incredibly fun) #and we're starting to lean towards getting a cardigan welsh corgi #Im still interested in adoption tho so if I can't persuade my datemate that adopting a shelter mutt is better #I'd like to look into corgi rescues and see if we can get our new baby that way #save a life and give a dog a second chance yknow? #especially with how shady a lot breeders are its probably a little safer going this route #investing our love a d time helping a dog who needs a home vs buying a puppy who could potentially be coming from a bad place #that isn't to say I won't be doing a shit ton of research and investigation if we decide to adopt thru a breeder instead #if we do I will be asking to know and see the dog's family history of illnesses finding out death ages of related dogs #as well as insisting upon meeting the puppy in person along with their littermates and mother to see their conditions and their living spac #I will also do online research of the breeder themself and perhaps get in contact with other adopters of dogs they've sold #to see if any issues have been found with dogs from previous litters #my datemate's mom is also a dog trainer/groomer and former show dog owner and breeder so she has connections #and will be able to help us find someone who adopts out clean healthy puppies #she might also help us with training (which I will rightly compensate her for. we aren't moochers) #sp if we do shop instead pf adopt it will be done responsibly #but we're not that far yet. we aren't even 100% sure about getting a dog #rn this is all hypothetical #sam's rants about life

[hxney-lemcn]

Fallen — Farmworld! Finn Mertens x gn! reader

summary: Reader's sacrifice is for nothing, and now they are trapped in a world that doesn't seem to want them...or maybe someone doesn't mind as much as they let on.

tw: canon typical violence, injury, blood

a/n: Another one B) I really like this idea so I might make more one shots based off this reader.

wc: 1k

Chapter One

Master List

“Go!” I shouted, swooping down and tackling the Scarab. Fionna, Cake, and Simon were just sitting there. “Ah!” I shouted, Scarab managing to stab my wing while launching me off of him. I rolled, wings and body getting scrapes all over. I felt my heart crash when just as they beamed away, the Scarab grabbed on to them.

“Damn,” I groaned as I continued to lay there. I winced as I tried to move my wing, looking over to see my feathers stained red. 

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Finn stated, kneeling over my injured wing. 

“And let you get hurt?” I asked incredulously. “You have a family you gotta take care of.” 

“Now you're stuck here,” He replied sharply. I shrunk in on myself at his glare. 

“I won’t bother you,” I replied. “I can find the Enchiridion-”

“That’ll be a waste of your time,” He huffed, standing up. I stared at him in confusion, but his darkened stare kept my mouth shut. “C’mon, gotta get that bandaged up before it gets infected.”

“Oh,” I mumbled absentmindedly, scrambling after Finn as he made his way out of the crater. We walked to his house in silence. So maybe I didn’t think the self sacrificial move through…to be fair, all I could think about was saving the others since a whole world was on the line.  Finn was right, I had no way back. I’m not sure what happened to this world’s Enchiridion, and now all I could hope for was for Prismo to be okay and send me back to Ooo. I never thought I’d get scolded by Finn in my life. In fact, I’m pretty sure the Finn in my world would slap my back and congratulate me on my bravery. 

“I…I really am sorry,” I spoke up, the silence killing me. “I didn’t think it through and I was being  narrow minded.”

I tensed even more as he didn’t reply. When we got to the house, Jay stood near the doorway pacing, Little Destiny standing near him trying to calm him down.

“Dad!” Jay gasped, eyes darting to me next. “What happened?”

“Go get the first aid kit,” Finn dismissed, clearly not in the best of moods. I stayed silent, standing awkwardly in the kitchen as the two teens ran off. Finn motioned for me to sit on a stool, which I did. I dragged my injured wing in closer to myself, eyes on the floor. Jay came back into the room, setting the first aid kit on the kitchen table before Finn told him to head to bed. 

Once again, that damned silence filled the air. I tried to suck in the pain as he disinfected the wound. Suddenly, he stopped, staring at my wing. I looked over to it as well, before looking back at him. Then I noticed the bandage in his hand, and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Sucking in a breath, I pulled the wing into its resting position.

“Y-you gotta put the bandage around the whole wing,” I mumbled. Finn’s frown grew slightly and I looked away. “I’m sure the bandage is unnecessary...”

Finn didn’t reply as he stood slightly behind me, wrapping the bandage around my wing gently yet tight enough to stay firm. When he finished I stood up, fiddling with my hands awkwardly.

“Uhm, if that previous offer still stands, I can head back to the hayloft,” I motioned outside with my thumb. “I’ll be outta your hair before you know it.”

“No,” Finn replied gruffly, putting away the healing supplies. I tensed, nodding. 

“I’ll go, thank you for everything-”

“I’ll get a blanket and pillow, you can sleep by the furnace,” He continued, taking the first aid kit and walking up the stairs. 

I stared at his retreating figure in surprise. He’s been giving such mixed signals all night. Giving me the silent treatment, yet taking care of me. I glanced around the kitchen, then realized it seemed to double as a living space as well. Finn came back after a little bit, handing the items to me.

He paused, watching as I set the pillow down. I felt awkwardness creep through me as I then sat down, trying to figure out how to lay comfortably. Finally, I threw the blanket over me, basking in the warmth the furnace provided.

“Thank you,” Finn finally spoke up. I turned to face him as best I could, wondering what he could possibly be thanking me for. But that seemed to be all he had in him before he grabbed the lantern and went back up the stairs for the final time. 

I turned back to face the furnace, the fire seeming to entrance me. I wonder what I’ll do tomorrow. I don’t know where to go or how to get home. If the crown is gone, for all I know that means the Enchiridion is as good as burned. The way Finn reacted to me bringing it up seemed like that's a correct assumption. Before I knew it, I fell into a hazy dream of orange and yellow. 

…

I woke up to the sound of heavy footfalls. Rubbing my eyes, I stretched, looking over to see Finn enter the room. The sun seemed to be just peaking above the horizon and I groaned. 

“Sorry,” I murmured, wanting to keep the quietness of the house. “I should get going.”

He stared at me, those damn eyes seemed to burn into my soul. He finally spoke up after I folded the blanket neatly, “Where will you go?”

I shrugged, picking the pillow up and setting them both down neatly on the table, “I don’t know. But back in my universe, I’m used to adventures…it can’t be much different…right?” I glanced up at him, only to meet his eyes.

“...you can stay,” He grumbled, sitting on a stool. “But you gotta work, I won’t have any freeloaders.”

My eyes widened, a grin spread across my lips as I saluted, “Yes sir.”

His face looked unamused, “Do you know how to chop wood?”

Next Chapter →

#finn mertens x reader #fionna and cake x reader #adventure time x reader #farmworld finn #farmworld finn mertens #x reader #adventure time #fionna and cake #farmworld finn mertens x reader #adventure time imagines #fionna and cake imagine #farmworld finn x reader

[andejoe]

Please write about The straw that breaks the camels back. A generally calm collected Human is having a terrible day (or week or month) and the crew has been asking if they are OK, because who would be at this point, but the Human says it's all good. Then something happens, something small and insignificant, a mild inconvenience at most, but it's the straw that breaks the camels back and all hell breaks loose as the Human goes on a rampage. Your stories are amazing and I've thought about it for years but have zero creative writing abilities.

And if you do please tag me so I can read it as soon as you post!

I’m new to tagging so forgive me if I do this wrong. @lazykingtyrant

Onwards to the story.

—

I was surprised to see Olive at breakfast. She just returned from leave to attend an obsequy for a family person, and I read that for species who bond with family, those rites were quite draining both physically and emotionally. But to look at her, you wouldn’t know it. She appeared exactly the same.

I watched from afar, concerned about my associate but not careless enough to get too close. Olive shared some brief but pleasant words with several others who wished to verify her well-being.

Everything seemed to be ordinary.

And then her straw bent instead of piercing her beverage.

The air around her seemed to darken and slow as she stopped moving.

She tried again, fruitlessly attempting to get a defective straw to break through a functional lid.

On the third try, the straw broke.

She appeared completely fine, but my long dormant instincts warned of danger.

She set down the broken straw, took a breath, and screamed.

Several crew fainted immediately, a long ingrained response to a predator cry. Olive, who normally was the most equable human, did not notice or seem to care.

Other human crew-mates were moving quickly towards the danger.

Olive stood, slamming her hands down on top of her drink cylinder, making a primal and terrifying growl. The drink bent, popping and spraying liquid under the staggering force of the relatively mild human.

Now wet with sticky drink, Olive’s next scream sounded pained, as if wounded. Her crumpled cylinder flew through the air and slammed against the far wall.

More crew scattered, rushing to escape a human with engaged predator instincts. It was a rare sight, and not one normally survived.

Other human crew finally reached Olive, but not before she had thrown her breakfast tray to the floor. They grabbed her arms to stop her, but she slammed her fists down onto the table.

I jumped, falling backwards out of my chair. My instincts may have been dormant, but they were still ingrained. There was only so much I could see before my body reacted.

The other humans were attempting to speak with Olive, and her anger screams were becoming more anguished, and she began to cry.

“Olive, you’re gonna give someone a heart attack! Just talk to us!” Sheryl commanded.

“He cheated on me!” Her wail caused the other humans to pause, but they did not release her. “My grandmothers funeral, and I found him with my cousin!”

Olive became overcome with her own tears. The danger she presented seemed to have passed as she now collapsed in to herself.

“H-he admitted he f-failed his placement test on purpose. He wanted to, to break up with me. He was too chicken to actually go through with it, so he pretended to be supportive and was sleeping with with my cousin the en-entire time.” Olive took a shaky breath. “Everyone knew, and no one told me anything.”

The other humans consoled Olive, holding her close. She wasn’t done though, and kept them at arms length, as if her words wouldn’t come with them too close.

“He sold my car to pay for their house! I built that car with my grandmother! It was the last thing I had of her, and he sold it!”

The humans succeeded in closing around Olive this time, holding her and her words in. Her cries could still be heard. The humans shuffled Olive out of the common areas, rushing her to a predator only space where she wouldn’t trigger the rest of us.

I’d never personally seen a human angry, nor heard a human struggle for air. I doubt I will be able to forget anytime soon.

#humans are space australians #humans are space orcs #humans are weird #humans are deathworlders #I’m trying warnings out #grief cw

[hellcatinnc]

What are 5 things that make you happy? After you answer, pass the question to the last 10 people who reblogged your post. Let's spread positivity 🌻

Things that make me happy lately are as follows... No particular order cause I just can't choose.

My anime has become a big part of my life and I'm always so happy with some of my feel good animes

My family and my fur baby are a big part of my life

My otome men/2D men can't leave these sexy men behind

The wonderful friends I have met here on tumblr talking to each and every one of you make me happy I enjoy building that friendship

Writing fanfics/making amv videos for my wonderful followers each and everyone of you make me happy and I love that you find love in what I make and share.

I'm going to tag a few people everyone pass it on.... thanks @ewa-jednak-chce-spac for the message.

@misschimotosuwa-blog @cocotome @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @daisy-is-a-writer @chandeliermichel @mcwentfandomtraveling @rakshania @afra-blueraz @protags-fic-blog @lillianlewellyn

If you weren't tagged pass it on reblog and do it too. lets pass some happiness.

#answered #answers #messages #questions

[pulsesofnature]

I’ve been selected as one of only 60 artists to be featured in the Art San Diego Contemporary Art and Design Fair! Please continue to donate and share. Being able to attend this event would mean so much to me and could potentially launch my career. I’m 1/2 way to being able to put down a deposit to hold the booth of my choosing for the exhibit (30%).

Thank you everyone who has donated, shared my posts, and encouraged others to donate and share thus far. I feel so much love amongst my family and community.

I’m not the type of person who asks for much, but I can’t let this opportunity slip away from me. I’m also offering commissions to raise money for this endeavor. Please dm me here, or on Instagram if you’re interested so we can work out the details.

Thank you so much! 🥰

#small artist #art #art fair #contemporary art #small business #opportunity #gofundme #crowdfunding #please help

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 3

Episode 10: Space Invaders Part 1

~In the Man Cave~

Swellview was known for a lot of things: a terrible police force, some awesome superheroes and more supervillains than the mayor knew what to do with. But one thing that was not common knowledge was that it had a rather talented astronaut currently circling the Earth high above the city's tallest skyscrapers.

Well, it was widely known now because of the "tragedy". Jim Dickie, the hotshot astronaut and his buddy, Neil, had been taken hostage on their space station and since the Earth's upper atmosphere fell out of the Swellview cops' jurisdiction, Captain Man had taken it upon himself to bring back his town's hero. And Miss Danger was just as patriotic, just less thrilled about how they were gonna be getting there.

"What kind of maniac holds two astronauts captive?" (y/n) asked her boyfriend as they jogged down from the sprocket. They needed to use the supercomputer and even if it meant they had to roll out of each other's arms and exit the comfort of their bedroom, they were gonna make contact with Henry.

"I don't know, but we need to get Henry here and fast," Ray replied and strolled up to the holo-caller, his large fingers immediately punching in the digits he needed for his sidekick's whiz watch. They couldn't go into space Kid Danger-less and no matter what he was doing, he had to drop it and get to the Man Cave ASAP.

"Ray!" Henry's little floating figure appeared in front of them after a few seconds of waiting. The boy hated that he had to lie to his family every time he had to take a call, but duty calls.

"Henry! There's an emergency in spac--are you wearing a Fred Lobster shirt?" The pressing task at hand was swiftly out of the window for Ray as he took notice of the odd choice of shirt Henry was wearing. It was weird to wear something that promoted a seafood restaurant, but he rocked it anyway because it was for Piper and some dumb commercial she had landed a role in.

"Uh, yeah." Henry smiled, looking down briefly to catch a glimpse of the lobster mascot smiling back at him.

"Why?" (y/n) questioned, unable to help her curiosity at Henry's fashion lapse. She knew Jim and Neil were in danger or whatever, but the longer they took, the more time she had before literally rocketing off-world. Plus, it also gave Ray a little more time to slide his hand into the back pocket of her jeans, a move that she'd chastise him for later, but deep down, she secretly loved.

"'Cause, my sister's in a Fred Lobster commercial, so I bought this shirt, but--" The kid started to explain, but then Ray's sense of urgency crept up on him and forced the superhero to butt in. 

"All right, look. There's no time to talk about your shirt!" He snapped, making Henry frown. Geez, he was in a crabby mood, no seafood pun intended. 

"But--But (y/n) asked me." He stuttered, baffled at how Ray could go from fascinated to bossy in point two seconds, especially since he had his girlfriend next to him. She usually mellowed him out.

"We have an emergency! Guess where we're goin'?" Ray smirked at his sidekick through the hologram and (y/n) gulped at the idea. She wasn't a baby and she'd been on crazy flights before, but outer space seemed so daunting. How did the mousy college student turn into a crime-fighting, space-visiting superhero?

"To space?" Henry gasped, the thrilled smile growing on his face by the second. This was huge, space was, like, the dream destination for any kid who loved adventure and adrenaline as he did. If he could brag about this, he so would. Henry Hart, the boy in space, now that had a good ring to it.

"Not just space, Hen. Outer space, like you know, space that's outer." (y/n) giggled nervously, trying to be braver than she felt. 'Just breathe, Ray will be with you.' She breathed to herself and tried to remember that this wasn't a suicide mission or anything. They were coming back...hopefully.

"Wait, how are we gonna get to outer space?--" Henry asked, but once again, Ray "I can't focus for more than two minutes" Manchester was off on a tangent. 

"Y'know, (y/n) and I were in a Fred Lobster last week, and they told me they didn't have those shirts anymore," Ray mentioned, making the young woman next to him groan. It was true; they did go to Fred Lobster last week, for an actual date that didn't involve Drill Finger and psychotic teenagers. It was a lovely evening, just the two of them and it was all going smoothly until Ray asked for the bill and...he started an argument about lobster t-shirts. Typical Manchester move.

"Not this again..." She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. It was just a damn shirt and yes, he would look super hot wearing one and yes, the seams would probably pop as they tried to stretch over his biceps, but was it worth more bickering? No.

"Uh, yeah. I had to order this one online--" Henry just couldn't catch a break today. Another interruption from Ray meant his sentence was cut off again and he was starting to get cheesed off. 

"Oh, so, you really wanna talk about lobster shirts while astronauts are in danger?" Ray scoffed, trying to build up an argument, but his pettiness outshone anything he was trying to say. He was in a really grouchy mood, probably because he had to stop cuddling his sweet girl earlier than he would've liked.

"You really wanna talk to me with your hand on your girlfriend's butt?" Henry bit back, causing his boss to pull his hand out of (y/n)'s back pocket like he'd been burnt. It was a good comeback and the blush that covered Ray's cheeks made (y/n)'s embarrassment worth it. 

"Henry Prudence Hart! You little...just get to the Man Cave!" (y/n) squealed, feeling all flustered since she hadn't known the kid could see. If she had known, the hand squeezing her ass would've been given a sharp smack straight away.

"How do you know my middle name?" It was Henry's turn to blush. His second name was a sore point for him and it killed him that (y/n) had sneakily discovered it behind his back. She'd have to thank Charlotte later.

"Fast!" The young woman replied curtly, pointing a stern finger at the boy who thought he had the upper hand. It was never a good idea to try and outwit her.

"Okay, I'm on my way." Henry sighed and snapped his watch shut. He got the feeling that he'd been beaten, even if it was amusing to see Ray lightly fan his still scarlet cheeks. He never cared if Schwoz saw him like that, the little guy normally just scuttled off when he was making a move on his girl, but in his mind, Henry was still the cute little kid from two years ago. He was so innocent and cute, even though he was on the verge of becoming an adult.

"Y'see? That's why you don't put your hand on my ass when other people are around!" (y/n) scolded her boyfriend as soon as the pixelated Henry disappeared from the computer. Here came the chastisement, not that Ray was scared, she was so cute when her nose screwed up in anger.

"But I love your sweet, little heinie." He smirked and brought his hand back down and around her waist so it could slide to her butt. The blush rose from her neck and the words died in her throat, making him chuckle in amusement. There was that little nose wrinkle he adored.

"Yeah, well, Henry and Charlotte will be here soon, so it better be gone by the time they get here!" She told him, her voice wobbling slightly as he rotated his body so he was facing her completely and then another large palm came to rest on the other cheek. 

"We've got, like, twenty minutes and we got outta bed way too early." He mumbled, leaning down to capture her lips with his. Maybe his mood would perk up a bit after this.

~

Well, the peace didn't last long. Charlotte was speedier than usual, meaning the couple had mere moments to catch their breaths and shrug their scattered clothing back on. Still, it would do for them and at least Ray had stopped his pouting.

"Happy now?" (y/n) giggled and wiped her sticky forehead with the back of her hand. He was insatiable, not that she was complaining because this was what she'd been dreaming about for eight years. Giggly, midday sex with the hottest man she'd ever met.

"Very, sweet girl." Ray breathed out and pressed a kiss to her forehead after he'd zipped up his hoodie again. Their clothes were a little rumpled, but with a bit of luck, no one would be able to suspect a thing, not when they were hunting for an insufferable little rat known as Schwoz. Yep, Schwoz.

The guy was key for Ray's big plans for getting into outer space because he owned a rocket. Yeah, a rocket; some technical wizardry that would send the three superheroes into outer space and get them to where they needed to be. There were a few wrinkles that needed to be ironed out, mainly that the shuttle had enough space for two people (a small hiccup, easily rectified) and that Schwoz wouldn't give Ray the damn key.

Okay, it wasn't called "Schwoz's rocket" or "Schwoz's spaceship", it was known as "the love shuttle" because its sole purpose was to take Schwoz and his future bride-to-be off on a jolly honeymoon in space. Not that there would ever be a Mrs Schwartz, Schwoz could never get a girl to. look at him twice and him withholding the key was driving Ray insane. 

"Schwoz...I can see you." Ray called out to his handyman as he and (y/n) crept down the sprocket stairs. The little man had caught wind of Ray's plan to use his honeymoon transportation and rather than give it up, he'd swallowed the key and had found refuge of the roof, which seemed like a safe place, but there was one small problem. Ray had a blaster and Schwoz had no cover.

"Go away!" Schwoz hissed and stuck his tongue out at the couple, who weren't fooling him with their glowing faces and rumpled sweaters. They got to have their fun, why did he have to give up his planned fun? The astronauts could save themselves. Deciding that he was being selfish, Ray took a shot at Schwoz, but his notoriety for being a terrible marksman meant he missed by a mile and a load of debris came falling from a new hole in the ceiling. 

"Hahaha! You missed me!" Schwoz giggled as (y/n) gave Ray a pointed look. He knew that he couldn't hit a target to save his life, so why was he the one doing the shooting?

"How did he get up there?" Charlotte pondered, staring at the man in confusion. It was a valid question, the walls were sheer, smooth stone, so it was a wonder how Schwoz had managed to shimmy his way to the top.

"He's like a goddamn ape." (y/n) shrugged and followed behind her boyfriend as they moved into a better firing position. They needed to get Schwoz down, even if it meant blasting him in the ass.

"Come on, Schwoz, you're gonna have to come down from there eventually." Ray pointed out, knowing that the roof didn't have any food or water, which meant that Schwoz's chosen safety spot was a poor one.

"Leave me alone!" The man cried out, hugging a support beam in fear as he braced himself for another round of lasers coming his way. 

"Come on, Schwoz! I need it!" Ray shouted desperately and fired his blaster again, causing more rocks to fall to the Man Cave floor. How they were gonna patch these holes was anyone's guess.

"No! I'm saving it for marriage! You marry (y/n) and you get your own!" Schwoz replied indignantly, making the couple below him freeze up. Marriage was something they had lightly touched upon in their late-night confessions, but it was still a foreign idea to them. They'd spent so long dreaming of mutual love that the thought of a white dress and vows made butterflies flutter in their tummies, but they weren't totally against it. Husband and wife sounded quite nice, it was just a tad premature.

"Hey!" Henry greeted his friends as his tube came down and he landed in the "Mad Cave". Schwoz was on the ceiling, Ray was firing a gun at him, Charlotte and (y/n) were watching, there was dirt on (y/n)'s meticulously clean floors, yep, everyone had gone crazy.

"Hi, Henry." Schwoz smiled down at the young boy, a new perspective for one who was usually so small. Normally, he'd be looking up at the lanky teen, but it was Henry's turn to crane his neck.

"Whoa! Why is Schwoz on the--" Henry gasped, both at Schwoz's remarkable acrobatic feat and the laser that Ray fired at him, which missed and sent more rock chunks to the boy's feet. 

"Ha! Missed me! Missed me! You are very stupid!" Schwoz jeered at Ray, who'd had just about enough of the repairman's lip. If he wanted to get mean, he'd return the favour tenfold.

"Those are not the lyrics!" The superhero growled, shooting Schwoz with slightly more concentration this time. Schwoz whimpered as he felt a burning sensation in his foot, but he clung to the roof even harder, sacrificing his shoe for the sake of his love shuttle.

"Okay, what is going on?" Henry asked, his brain spinning from everything he'd witnessed in the twenty seconds he'd been at work.

"Schwoz won't give Ray the launch key to his little rocket ship," Charlotte explained, blowing her friend's mind. 

"Why won't he-Schwoz has a rocket ship?!" He exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the notion of knowing someone who could fly out on a jaunty space trip whenever he wanted. Now that was cool.

"It's called the Love Shuttle!" Schwoz squealed, happy to brag about his invention, but not share it. He didn't want people to roam around his future love nest, that would be weird.

"Why did Schwoz build a love shuttle?" Henry asked, looking at the couple in front of him. He didn't even want to know why their previously smooth outfits were now full of wrinkles and preferred to just look straight past it.

"For his honeymoon." Ray answered, his tone of voice basically saying "yeah, right like that's ever gonna happen". Girls weren't fond of Schwoz, which was sad, but true,

"Yeah, he says that when he gets married, which, let's face it, is only gonna happen with an insane amount of luck, he's going to have his honeymoon on the actual moon." (y/n) rolled her eyes and hugged herself to Ray's arm so she could inhale the smell of his cologne. All this space talk was making her stomach do somersaults. 

"Don't be ridiculous, Schwoz. You're never getting married!" Ray hissed, agreeing with his girlfriend that Schwoz had no chance of getting a girl to look at him, let alone promise herself to him for the rest of time. Although, the glare (y/n) gave her boyfriend suggested that if he kept creating new holes in the ceiling and scratches on her shiny floor from all the rocks, he wouldn't be getting married either.

"It could happen! There are women out there who'll take anybody! And you can't talk! It took you eight years to tell your girlfriend you loved her, so who's the real loser here?" Schwoz poked his tongue out at his boss and tried to fold his arms even though he needed them to stop himself from falling. 

"Give me that key!" Ray yelled, fed up with all the tormenting and before anyone could stop him, he unleashed a series of rapid firepower, but all he got was more mess and a burning sense of failure. Dammit, why couldn't he just shoot the little bastard?

"I think you might be overreacting," Henry told the panting man gently and placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him from lashing out again. They needed (y/n) cuddles, stat.

"Here, doofus, gimme that. You're never gonna hit him." (y/n) smirked at her boyfriend and took the weapon away from his hand before he could lose his temper again. They already had too much sweeping up to do, god forbid he caused anymore.

"You trying to say I'm a bad shot, sweet girl?" Ray asked the small woman, who gripped the large blaster with her small but deadly hands. Her experienced and dextrous fingers curled around the trigger as she looked to where Schwoz was hanging on and took aim.

"Yeah, I am. You're a shit shot." She deadpanned and slightly squinted her eyes as she honed in on her target. With Ray, Schwoz wasn't scared, but with Miss Danger doing the job, the instinct to scurry for cover reared its head.

"Wait, (y/n/n), no, no--" He cried out, trying to swing his way across the roof like a monkey, but even a moving target was no match for the woman and she blasted him, right on the ass. That would teach him to not mock her boyfriend.

"Ha! You shot his butt!" Henry laughed as Schwoz groaned on the floor. Ray couldn't help but admit defeat and he gave his girl a sweet victory kiss for successfully getting the guy down. Maybe he was terrible with his aim, but if it ended with a kiss every time, (y/n) was down for it.

"Hey! Did you guys hear?! There's a hostage situation up in space!" Jasper's sudden appearance put an end to Ray's happy mood, which progressively soured as the overly-happy boy stepped out of the elevator. His slowness of hearing the breaking bulletin and getting to work irritated the superhero even more, but he kept his cool.

"We heard,"

"We're aware." Charlotte and Ray told him dully, not finding Jasper's exuberance as infectious as (y/n) or Henry did. 

"Well, did you know that one of the astronauts is from Swellview?" The curly-haired boy went on, not realising that everyone in the city had found out before him. He was behind the times, Ray had come up with an entire rescue plan in the time it had taken Jasper to walk to Junk-N-Stuff.

"Yeah, Jim Dickle. I used to have the biggest crush on him when I was in college...until I met Captain Man." (y/n) confessed, but quickly saved it at the end when she heard the low growl in Ray's chest. He did not know that and the thought of rescuing Dick-le was suddenly slightly more bitter for him.

"You went to college with Jim Dickle?" Charlotte looked at her friend in awe, also not knowing that she had actually met the famed astronaut and known him on a personal level, even if personal was far from the truth.

"Well, yeah. I did mechanical engineering and he did...physics and astronaut stuff, so we occasionally bumped into each other. He was older though and a bit of a prick." The young woman shrugged, wondering what she ever saw in that guy. Maybe it was his fascination for all things with cogs and wiring that echoed her own, but she was much happier with her grumpy superhero.

"Stupid Jim Dickle..." Ray mumbled under his breath but soon cheered up when his girl snuggled into his side and leaned her head against his chest. He was the one who got to share her life, no one else and that made him feel so special.

"Well, did you know I was born with eleven toes, but only nine on my feet?" Jasper asked them, knowing that it was something they definitely wouldn't know. Okay, Jasper was born a freak, no doubt about it.

"Eleven?"

"What?"

"What he say?"

"He's a mutant." The four stunned, but also disturbed friends murmured, wondering how the hell Jasper was now walking around with ten normal toes. A miracle of modern science.

"Yeah, who's got news now?" Jasper hissed, glad that he'd rendered them speechless with something, even if it was the weirdest fact about himself. Just as Schwoz began groaning in pain (his butt was spectacularly sore), the computer began to beep, indicating that whilst there wasn't a full-blown emergency going down, there was something that needed Captain man's attention anyway.

"I'll check that," Charlotte told her boss and hurried over to the control panel so she could analyse the data. At least she was helpful.

"Hey, shouldn't you be up at Junk-N-Stuff, watching the store?" Ray suddenly asked Jasper, remembering that he paid the teen to guard his shop on his behalf. He'd be going bankrupt at this point and have enemies crawling all over the place.

"Well, I have to use the bathroom, but the one upstairs is broken," Jasper whined, trying to appeal to (y/n) and her sympathetic side as she reluctantly checked out Schwoz's injuries. It was difficult to remember sometimes that just because she was immune to wounds, it didn't mean others were. Even if Schwoz had been a pain in the ass.

"That's why we told you to use the one across the street at the gas station," Henry replied, getting. there before (y/n) could  with a kinder answer. Going down to the Man Cave was probably quicker, but the fewer times Ray had to be reminded that he'd employed the world's most annoying kid, the better.

"I'm no longer welcome at that gas station," Jasper mumbled, scuffing his shoe against the floor awkwardly. He left it open for Ray and (y/n) to think about why that might be and all sorts of weird and troubling things popped into their heads.

"Do we wanna know?" (y/n) asked as she flopped Schwoz's arm back to his side. She was certain he'd be fine, just whiny for a bit. And sore, very sore.

"Uh-oh. You guys, the space station is gonna be orbiting over Swellview in one hour." Charlotte announced once she had checked out the alarm and saw that their moment of opportunity was quickly drawing near.

"So?" Henry asked in confusion, him and (y/n) leaving Schwoz to moan in pain on the floor. They had more important things to focus on now.

"What does that mean?" Ray added, striding over to the computer so he could see what was happening for himself. 

"That if you guys don't head up there soon, you'll have to wait another twenty-four hours," Charlotte answered, making everyone realise that the space station was orbiting the Earth like the moon and they only had one shot to do this.

"If we don't make it, it could be too late by then." (y/n) panicked, suddenly feeling sick when the urgency mixed with her nervousness. It was safe to say that this was going to be the biggest moment of her superhero career, the most perilous certainly.

"Come on, we have to help those astronauts...at least the one from Swellview who (y/n) used to like." Henry sighed, knowing that it was their duty to help since no one else was. For all they knew, Jim and Neil could be being tortured and interrogated. The mentioning of (y/n)'s schoolgirl crush on the guy made Ray bite his lip harshly to stop himself from cursing his name. He knew that his relationship was exclusive, but other guys just made him prickle up.

"It was for like one year. He graduated and next thing I knew he was on the moon or whatever and I was gainfully employed by a hot superhero." She brushed off Henry's teasing and lovingly placed a kiss on Ray's cheek. Well, he wasn't grumpy now.

"C'mon, Schwoz. Give us the key to your Love Shuttle." Ray begged his battered and bruised friend, who had only just got to his feet. He was clutching his butt in pain and the handyman was still grouchy about being shot own from his hidey-hole.

"Wait, why doesn't NASA just send someone up there to help the astronauts?" Jasper suddenly jumped in with a reasonable question and Schwoz agreed. You'd think that a governmental agency like NASA would jump at the chance of bringing home two national heroes, but in reality, they weren't so keen.

"No can do. They just sent a supply rocket up two days ago and it's gonna take them six months to whip another one into shape." (y/n) shook her head, remembering Trent Overrunder saying something on the topic when she and Ray were watching the news in their bedroom,

"Well, can't we just borrow a rocket from China?" Henry asked, not realising that "China" and "rocket" shouldn't be said together in Ray's presence. Touchy subject.

"No! No! I'm not getting inside a Chinese rocket ever again!" Ray snapped moodily, making the boy drop the subject immediately. Looks like their only shot was the Love Shuttle and Schwoz still needed buttering up.

"Hey, come on, Schwoz. Let us use your Love Shuttle." Henry told the guy gently, seeing that a calm, soft approach was best. 

"Yeah. You're never gonna need it." Ray added in, still a strong believer in the fact that Schwoz would get married the day pigs started flying - never, not a chance in hell.

"I will! For when I get married!" The small man insisted, but his friends weren't so convinced. All his past romances had failed and merely getting a date was a mammoth task.

"Oh, to what, Schwoz? What's gonna marry you?" Ray exclaimed dramatically, thinking that Schowz could only score mutants freaks or blind alcoholics for lovers.

"Gerta, your robot girlfriend that you built specifically for yourself, even she left you. Surely, that tells you something." (y/n) sighed in exasperation, hating to see Schowz build himself up just to be knocked down. The truth hurt; Schwoz was never getting a girlfriend.

"Nooo...we...we're just taking a break." Schwoz shrugged, trying to make himself feel better, but deep down, he knew that his chances of seeing Gerta again were slim to none.

"Oh, come on!" Ray threw his hands up in the air. The guy was in denial and it was so frustrating to put up with. 

"She turned herself into a bird, Schwoz! Then she flew away!" Charlotte recalled and Ray imitated a bird flying away with his hands. Geez, that seemed like ages ago, back when Ray still thought he didn't deserve (y/n)'s love and she thought he would never look her way.

"Wait, when did that happen?" Jasper asked, flabbergasted at this new information. He had missed so much when he wasn't in the know with Henry's secret identity and everything was news to him.

"Last season," Henry answered aloofly to no one in particular.

"So you mean winter?" Jasper asked, confused with Henry's odd choice of language.

"Yeah, that's what he meant. Back when Ray was still my best friend." (y/n) smiled at her. boyfriend fondly, who pecked her hairline to show her that he regretted every second they spent together as just friends. He wished his younger self would've been braver, but things had worked out well enough and he was happy now.

"Look, buddy..." Ray stepped away from his girl momentarily so they could work the old charm on their little genius friend. 

"Dah, don't choke me!" Schwoz jumped at the sight of Ray's large hands stretching out towards his neck and the man held them up to his ears to show that he didn't mean to be threatening.

"Look, Schwoz, are you planning to marry someone in the next...ten hours?" (y/n) asked him, getting a rough estimation of how long they'd be gone in space. Ten hours: too many in her mind, but she'd die before they left without her.

"Well, I don't plan to, no." Schwoz shrugged, supposing that if it was for that meagre time, he might be tempted to let them borrow it just this once.

"Okay, so just lend us your Love Shuttle, and we'll bring it right back." Ray smiled, his hands patting Schwoz on the back in a friendly matter. Now, they just had to clinch the deal.

"And I'll bake you a batch of my oatmeal raisin cookies. The ones you love..." (y/n) told her friend in a sing-song voice and gave him a. sneaky smile. Bribery was always a good option.

"I do like your cookies. You promise to be careful with it?" Schwoz gave the grinning couple a stern smile and Henry decided that he should swear on their behalf. 

"We all promise." He said, walking over to Schwoz who took a second to mull over their oath. It was his precious ship and it had to be perfect for his future wife.

"And you two promise to not do grown-up things in it?" Schwoz lowered his voice to add in the final clause of the agreement, but everyone heard it, even Charlotte and she was on the other side of the Man Cave.

"Ew!" She and Henry groaned, their faces screwing up in disgust as Ray and (y/n)'s ears started to burn. Seriously? Did he have to say something so embarrassing?

"Schwoz! We're not animals!" (y/n) shrieked, hiding her face into Ray's shoulder so she wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. Like they would do it in Schwoz's weird love nest spaceship whilst on a life or death mission. Geez, they weren't that desperate.

"Well, never say never." Ray joked, laughing when the young woman gave him a furious look and Schwoz stamped his foot in anger. He didn't want to give his rocket to some jokers and Henry and Charlotte didn't want to hear this conversation. Adult things, ew.

"Schwoz, just give us the damn launch key!" (y/n) snapped at the handyman, who was enjoying her discomfort way too much.

"Okay...hold out your hand." Schwoz sighed, giving in to their demands. Doing as he had instructed, Ray stretched out his hand to receive the key, thinking that like any normal person, Schwoz would have the key in his pocket or on a chain, but no. The little weirdo had swallowed the key and began to gag and gargle to get it from his stomach.

"Oh my god..." Charlotte wretched, feeling like she was gonna puke if she even dared to peek through her fingers.

"I can't watch this...but I can't look away." Henry was feeling the same, but at the same time, he had a morbid fascination with seeing Schwoz regurgitate the key like an emperor penguin. He really was a freak of nature.

"What are you doing?" Ray asked the smaller man, not realising that it was a huge mistake to volunteer to be the recipient of the key.

"Are you sure you want to hold your hand out?" (y/n) whispered to him, but it was too late. The key erupted from Schwoz's mouth and landed in Ray's palm as a slobbery, bile-covered mess. 

"Ew!"

"Gross!"

"It's wet!" The teens cried as (y/n) swiftly stepped back from her boyfriend. She loved him, but not when he had half of Schwoz's stomach contents in his hand. 

"That's the launch key." Schwoz panted, feeling both queasy and exhausted from the strain he had put on his digestive system. He'd puked once, now he wanted to puke again.

"All right, Jasper. Looks like Captain Man needs your help." Ray told the aforementioned boy in his hero's voice, knowing that it would trigger his need to please his idol no matter what was asked of him.

"Sure! Anything! What do you need?" Jasper rushed past Henry, (y/n) and Charlotte to enthusiastically bounce in front of Ray, who took advantage of his generous nature by wiping the icky launch key on his shirt. 

"You're a good boy," Ray told Jasper, who quickly forgot about his filthy t-shirt when he heard Captain Man's praise, but (y/n) wasn't so impressed.

"And you're a bad man," She quipped back, shaking her head at Ray as he admired the now spotless key. No matter her sarcasm though, she couldn't get away from one thing, mission save the astronauts was about to lift off.

~In the Love Shuttle~

It was go time; Ray, Henry and (y/n) had taken their positions onboard Schwoz's craft, which was strangely decorated in a way that only Schwoz would think was intimate or romantic, and they were taking the final steps for launch. (y/n)'s heart was hammering inside her chest and she was praying Ray wouldn't feel it. Since Schwoz had built the rocket for two people, there were only two seats, so she had been forced to snuggle into Ray's lap, an experience that was both a blessing and a curse. His strong arms around her were comforting, but she didn't want him to sense her dread and send her home, that would be awful.

"Okay, guys, I'm now going to insert the key into the console," Ray told his sidekicks and reached around his girlfriend's hips so he could slot it into its hole.

"Uh, okay," Henry said cooly, feeling completely chill with the whole setup, even if he was probably the youngest person in Swellview to ever go into outer space. 

"I did it." Ray smiled at the two, who weren't sure if he wanted a round of applause or something. The boy just wanted to ensure the coordinates were punched in correctly and (y/n) was trying not to freak out. 

"Well done you." She breathed out with an airy chuckle and hoped that she didn't sound as nervous as she felt. There was nowhere safer than being in Ray's arms and it's not like she was going to die if they crashed, but leaving Earth sounded so crazy in her mind. She had no time to dwell on it though as she soon caught on that Henry and Ray were feeling for their gum tubes and she did the same.

"You are aboard the Love Shuttle. Welcome, Schwoz and...woman's name. Prepare for your honeymoon." Okay, that was the weirdest onboard announcement ever recorded in the history of aviation. Hearing Schwoz's voice on the tape was odd and the cheesy, romantic music that followed made the whole thing even more insane, especially when Henry and Ray started to dance in their seats.

"Ray..." (y/n) whimpered, trying to keep her balance as her boyfriend sneakily ground his hips against her. Like hell was she going to let him have her twice in one day, especially when they were supposed to be professional, but that didn't mean that the friction of his jeans didn't feel good.

"Okay, Schwoz! Schwoz, how do I turn this love music off?!" Henry suddenly yelled into his headset when he realised that they were actually here to do serious things, not listen to some groovy music. 

"Oh, come on. Love music isn't for turning off. It's for turning on." Schwoz joked and continued to slide across the Man Cave's floor to the beat of the saxophone. 

"Amen to that," Ray growled into his sweet girl's ear, his hands coming to rest between her upper thighs. It was a dangerous attempt to try and persuade her to give in just this once, so he could indulge in the sweetness he'd been denied for seven years, but they just didn't have the time.

"Don't worry, I got it." (y/n) told Henry and felt Ray slump back in disappointment as she killed the track. Ugh, killjoy.

"Okay, Henry, (y/n), Ray, we pre-set the flight computer to automatically take you to the space station." Charlotte's voice came over the radio and the crew settled down to begin the takeoff procedures.

"Copy that. And we are...prepped for launch." Henry confirmed, flicking the last of the switches in the cockpit and they all let out an excited gasp when the rocket's thrusters began to power up. 

"Hey kid, let's go to space and kick some ace." Ray chuckled and his silly comment made (y/n) relax a little. It wasn't a death sentence, more like an adventure and that thought helped her get in the mood for their trip.

"To the stars!" Henry declared and the three blew their bubbles so they could leave the Earth as superheroes, which was awesome to hear over the radio in the Man Cave.

"Hey, we're so cool." (y/n) giggled as they stretched out their costumes and got used to having them on. Ray was particularly pleased with the costume change since it meant he was now able to let his hands roam around his girl's smooth thighs. Sure, his gloves were in the way, but that was just a minor technicality.

"Never done that sitting down before," Henry commented, noting how every time he'd ever transformed into Kid Danger, it had always been when he was stood up.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was gonna work," Ray replied and the two boys laughed at the adrenaline high they were experiencing, leaving (y/n) to roll her eyes at them.

"All right, you guys. I just wanted to say...be careful up there." Jasper told the giggling boys, drawing them back to calmness. They had to have their minds focused because this shit was high-risk.

"Roger that," Henry answered, glad that he had his best friend at the base to keep him grounded. Jasper's support was just what he needed to keep any doubt at bay.

"We copy," Ray replied solemnly too, remembering that not only was he putting himself in danger, but he was also taking his entire world with him in his arms. Lying back with her cuddled up against him made it so easy to forget, but he was determined to keep her out of harm's way. 

'Cause, you three are the only, Ray, (y/n) and Henry I have!" Jasper added, his sweet words going over the boys' heads, but at least (y/n) could appreciate his sentiment. 

"Aw, thanks, Curly!" She told him happily, thinking that he'd leave it there, but nope...

"I've never told you this before but...I just wanted you guys to know that..." He sniffled and his imminent confession caused all those listening to cringe, hard.

"Hit it." Ray quickly ordered Henry, who wasted no time in whacking the launch button. Ray only needed one person to say those three little words, and that person wasn't Jasper. As soon as the button was pressed, the rocket propelled itself into the air and each hero was pressed into the seats as the immense g-force of the takeoff affected them

"We're going to space!" Ray exclaimed as he gripped the wall with one hand and tightly secured his girlfriend to his chest with the other. He didn't want her to roll around the cabin and hurt herself and it was so nice to feel the way she buried herself into the safety of his chest.

"I know! It's so fun!" Henry cried out, loving every minute of the blast-off, although it felt like his face was going to be peeled off from the force.

"This is your idea of fun?!" (y/n) hissed back and braced herself against Ray so she could wait for them to reach the outer atmosphere. It wouldn't be long, just a few seconds and then it would be smooth flying from there on out. 

"Cruising altitude. You're now free to walk about the ship, Schwoz and...woman's name." The rocket's automated voice and its creator announced, allowing the superheroes to relax as they started to gently drift towards their destination.

"Space, the final frontier. How many guys can say they took their girlfriends to space, huh?" Ray spoke as they broke free of the Earth's gravity and he altered his voice to sound like some famous captain off an old sci-fi series from when he was a kid. 

"What does that mean?" Henry asked, wondering why his boss was being all mysterious and weird. Obviously, he had never heard of Star Trek.

"Y'know..."the final frontier". Last place in the universe that mankind hasn't explored yet and I'm showing it to my girl. Space!" The superhero exclaimed and wistfully stared at the woman in his lap rather than the stars outside their window because she was infinitely more beautiful to him. 

"What about oceans?" (y/n) piped up after a few seconds of pondering her boyfriend's words. She loved his fawning over her, but what he said wasn't quite right.

"What was that, sweet girl?" Ray mumbled against her hair as Henry too looked at her with confusion. What had the sea got to do with space and frontiers or whatever the hell Ray was on about?

"Y'know, oceans. We haven't explored all of the oceans yet. Eighty per cent of our oceans are unmapped and unobserved, so aren't they an unobserved frontier? Oceans and all the weird little fishies we don't know about yet?" She rambled, feeling a bit drowsy and loopy as his warmth soaked into her body. A small nap wouldn't hurt. 

"Okay, fine. Space, one of the two final frontiers." Ray corrected himself and cradled her neck into his neck as her shallow breaths danced across his collar and exposed skin.

"What about parallel universes?" Henry was soon joining in on the conversation, although a swift finger over his lips from Ray told the boy he wanted to let the sweet little thing in his arms snooze for a bit.

"What?" Ray sighed quietly, not believing that what was meant to be a cute, cool comment was turning into a damn debate.

"Remember that time that Charlotte and I went to that parallel universe?" Henry jogged Ray's memory, making him bite his lip was all the details came flooding back. In that world, he turned evil after losing (y/n), his wife and the mere thought made him shudder. 

"I suppose," He nodded slightly, trying not to make any jagged movements that would disturb his girl from her rest,

"The one where I died." (y/n) muttered and shifted her body so she was comfortably sprawled sideways in Ray's lap. The man had no idea how she knew that, but he didn't want to find out. The less he thought about losing her in all matters of speaking, the better.

"Well, there's probably lots more parallel universes that none of us has explored, so I guess you could say--" The boy tried to explain his theory, but his boss had heard enough. He got it, space was a load of shit, big deal.

"Space! One of many, many remaining frontiers." He snapped in a voice that was a little louder than he wanted it to be and all the shouting made (y/n) flinch in his embrace.

"Stop yelling, doofus. M'trying to sleep." She scolded him with a pathetic slap to the chest, which was more of a light tap since she gave up halfway through. Sleep sounded nice and she just felt so cosy, a few minutes with her eyes closed.

"We'll be there soon," Henry told her, but she just ignored him with nothing more than a hum to answer him. "Soon" actually meant like half an hour or forty-five minutes, plenty of time for a power nap.

"I like sleep. Sleep kicks ass." She muttered incoherently and drifted off peacefully, leaving the boy's to entertain themselves.

~Forty minutes later~

A decent conversation, a game of I-spy and several rounds of rock, paper, scissors later, Ray and Henry were left completely bored. They had nothing to do, no phone signal, no games, no TV, nothing and (y/n) was still fast asleep and dead to the world (or was that space?). Henry had grown tired of watching Ray gaze at her like a lovesick puppy and for the last ten minutes, the cockpit had been silent.

"Ughhhh, I'm sick of just sitting here," Ray complained, shuffling his butt backwards so he could sit up straighter, but still rock his girlfriend like a baby. It was nauseating to see, but certainly better with the knowledge that it wasn't oblivious pining anymore. 

"Shhhh! You'll wake your girlfriend up! And, Schwox said that we should be at the space station pretty--" Henry tried to keep his boss entertained, but he was like a toddler a long flight; five minutes and he was touching stuff again.

"I wonder what these buttons do." Ray mentioned like a curious child and began to tap all of the shiny buttons that caught his eye, even though one wrong move could trigger a self-destruction protocol or something.

"Do I have to slap your wrists again?" A gravelly, sleep-filled voice rumbled into his ear, signalling that his sudden movements had woken (y/n) up prematurely. Well, that was her nap over.

"Don't start pressing random--" Henry too protested, but he started selling when his seat began to vibrate and massage his back muscles. Hello, Schwoz had installed a few gadgets on this thing...nice.

"What's happening?" Ray asked his gleeful sidekick as he giggled and (y/n) slid off his lap so she was sat on the chair in between his legs.

"You made my chair start to vibraaaaaaaate." Henry's voice trembled as his vocal cords were shaken, but even then could the couple hear how pleased he was and his fun made Ray pout.

"Aw, no fair! I wanna vibrate!" He whined and against (y/n)'s pleas, he bashed the buttons randomly again, hoping to score lucky. And he did, one tap and his chair was vibrating too, making him and (y/n) collapse against each other in a fit of giggles.

"This feels sillllllyyyyyy." She laughed at how all of her body was tingling all over, like she was being tickled but without the torture.

"Hey! My voice sounds weird. Listen, ahhhhhhh!" Ray's baritone voice began to wobble and Henry's did too, but their combined sounds covered up the crescendo of the computer telling them that they were five seconds away from docking with the space station. Four, three, two, one...

"Arghhhhh!" They all screamed at the violent impact and the boys quickly shut off the vibrations as they thought about all the worst scenarios in their minds, but everything was fine. 

"Hey, Schwoz, think we just docked with the space station," Ray spoke into his microphone, not realising that the genius had just said the exact same thing to Charlotte when she verbally wondered. what all the noise was about. 

"Oh, really? My goodness, thanks for the information." Schwoz replied sarcastically, but Charlotte ignored him so they could get straight down to business. No time like the present after all.

"Okay, you have a pressure lock, so you are good to enter the space station." The girl told the heroes like a proper controller and they heard her loud and clear.

"Ten-four, good Charlotte."

"We ten-ten on the side."

"Over and out." They replied and shrugged off their headsets so they could stand up at last. This was it, it was just them now and whatever they find on the other side of the door.

"All right, guys, we're about to leave the Love Shuttle and enter the space station. " Ray told his sidekicks, but they didn't need a running commentary, they had their blasters and were ready to kick some ass.

"Yep, I'm up to speed on the story." Henry nodded, feeling like Ray was babying him just to sound cool.

"I also know what's going on." (y/n) added, locking and loading everything she needed to fight any bad guys. Maybe it was an alien, who knows.

"I know, I'm just saying, we have no idea who or what hijacked that space station and we won't know until we go in there and look inside." The man elaborated more, but it was all just waffle. They knew this and were fairly certain that this was just a stall tactic.

"Yeah, which is why I've got my gun so I can shoot it or them in the face." His girlfriend nodded, raising her weapon and shaking in front of Ray's face so he'd get the picture.

"Then let's go do this." He nodded.

"Waitin' on you..." Henry mumbled, knowing that he and his fellow sidekick were ready to go, it was the boss who was keeping them behind.

"Set weapons to stun," Ray ordered them, not wanting any deaths or injuries on their hands. Mass murder wasn't Captain Man's style, even if his work involved low-down, criminal assholes.

"Is this right?" Henry asked the experienced couple, whose eyes widened when they saw that his setting was completely, cataclysmically wrong.

"Shit, no, Henry, that's set to melt. You wanna melt the place into a puddle?" (y/n) fretted, her panic making the kid rapidly change from one mode to the right one. Well, that could've been a disaster.

"No, I do not," Henry replied, glad that they'd spotted the mistake. A melted criminal would be a long and icky cleanup.

"Give it...here you go." Ray sighed when he saw that the boy was struggling to work with Schwoz's technology and it was just kinder to do it himself than let him struggle. Okay, weapons, check, next, the door. Ray pushed the lock that released the door pressure and the hatch slid open. Into the unknown...well, it would be if either one of them knew some common courtesy.

"Do you wanna go first?" Ray asked his sidekick and after a few seconds of floundering, the two had worked out that Henry would go first. Geez, it took them ten minutes just to leave the damn rocket.

"Ray..." (y/n) grabbed his wrist just before he entered the hatched and he turned around to see her big, round eyes staring up at him with so much wonder and love. 

"Yeah, sweet girl?" He whispered, brushing some stray hairs away from those eyes so he could gaze into them one last time before they entered the battlefield.

"I love you." She told him cutely, wanting to say it as in their line of work, every moment could be their last.

"I love you too. Always." He whispered their promise again and sealed it with a hungry kiss that was far too short for his or her liking, but the desire it left only meant that the next would be so much better.

"Always." She mumbled against his lips and reluctantly pulled away so he could step through the hole first. Their hands were tightly conjoined as he checked to see if Henry was still alive with no mad murderers around. Thankfully, there were none and they were left in an eerily quiet room with nothing but the pulsing beeps of the machinery around them. God, this was spooky. 

"Okay, kid, stay cool," Ray told his sidekick, who was nervously clutching his blaster for dear life since a sneak attack could happen at any given instance. Anything could happen, for example, a small, metal door could fall from the ceiling and crack (y/n)'s skull, sending her to the floor in agony and Henry into hysteria. Shit, what a good start.

"Ahhhh, what is that? What is happening?" Henry squealed in fear as Ray instinctively threw his gun down and ducked down to shield his girlfriend on the floor from any more blows. His sidekick rolled around, shooting rapid-fire at every blinking light he saw. "Cool" went out of the window; Henry was suddenly shit scared and Ray was fretting over the blood flowing through (y/n)'s hair whilst her skin patched over. No biggie, the wound was gone in a flash, but it left them all on edge.

"Hey, I think I got whatever it was that attacked (y--" Henry's caution was right, something was going on. Two more pieces of metal fell from the ceiling and whoever or whatever dropped them had blinding accuracy since they hit Captain Man and Kid Danger on the head too. 

"Captain Man? Miss Danger?" A sweet, innocent voice sounded out and the three heroes looked up in horror to see that a little girl had swiped Ray's gun and was now pointing it directly at them. A kid was behind this? What the actual fuck!

"Uh, I'm here too. Kid Danger, also relevant." Henry groaned as Ray helped his girlfriend to her feet and gulped at the predicament they found themselves in. The blood trickling down her forehead was no longer a concern as (y/n) prayed for salvation.

How were they gonna get out of this one?

#ray manchester #dangerverse #x reader #danger force #henry danger #chapa de silva #reader insert #captain man x reader #ray manchester x reader #fanfiction #cross posted on ao3 #cross posted on wattpad #henry danger smut #danger force season 3 #kid danger #captain man #captain man smut #rewrite #reader fic #readerxcharacter #female reader #reading #long post #part 1 #multimedia #writing #on writing #creative writing #writer #writer stuff

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2023-02-20

<Modest Mouse Voice> gotta go to work gotta go to work gotta have a job

Listening: a recommendation by proxy from the proprietor of this establishment, @girlfriendsofthegalaxy.

Always here for a big driving high energy song.

Reading: KSP 2 is out this coming week, and I'm particularly excited about support for long-duration burns. I love using ion engines but I do not love watching an ion engine burn in real time on my computer, so I've been reading some orbital dynamics websites again, in particular Edelbaum's Method for Low Thrust Transfers.

Also found this neat YouTube channel where a guy is doing a lot of really cool theoretical and practical orbital dynamics work.

Watching: Finished S3 of the Umbrella Academy. I continue to hold that it is both the funniest and least good season, but still, not bad.

Started watching Inside Man, a BBC crime drama thing with David Tennant and Stanley Tucci. Love the BBC style of crime drama. Compelling setup, my dad /really/ likes it.

Playing: Finished my run through of Pyre. I wish that I could play Pyre more than twice a year without it grating on me, the setting is so inventive and the characters are just wonderful to hang out with. It feels like a game out of time, the UI and style feel almost like what you imagined games might be like as a kid.

Elected to keep the original trio and The Reader in the downside together, which is an interesting logistical challenge if nothing else. first time I spent much of the game with Jodi, I found her way too unwieldy in my first run and liberated her early, with the right trinkets and masteries she becomes an absolutely dominant force on the field.

Making: Penrose patchwork is done! We're sewing in the border and then it's on to quilting.

Tools and Equipment: A family friend who sold us a bunch of old sewing stuff she inherited came by and dropped off of a very mysterious item.

🥚

This is a darning egg, a thing I didn't know existed. You stretch the thing you're darning over it to help hold tension.

Haven't tried it out yet.

#last monday of the week #Youtube

[sparrow-in-boots]

i'm inspired so as a cont to this post, Clay headcanons that only make sense to me part 2:

Clay had several instances of carpal tunnel syndrome and other hand tendon issues. Some of it was from biting more than he could chew when working for his father, others from simply overworking himself during college;

His mother had a penchant for outdoorsy activities, particularly hiking and nature preservation efforts, and they would often go on trips to camp out and just spend time together. His father would accompany them when he was younger but with time it became a son-and-mother activity even as things grew tenser at home;

As a child he struggled with retaining spoken requests which made helping his father a bit of a struggle since he needed to memorize measurements and the right tools to bring him, so he got the habit of writing things on his hands and arms which followed him to adulthood. He used to get bullied about the ink stains on his skin and his parents even got a bit of a chiding about it at a parent-teacher meeting once, because the ink might make him sick;

Before that he once went around naming each tool on his father's toolshed, even writing them down on the handles. To his credit, Harold did his best to recall the names and use them so Clay could find them more easily. Even as an adult, in his head certain pliers are Julie or Thomas, and each size of torques are a different B name like Bob, Billie, Bernard, Bart, etc;

He'd rather die than ever, ever admitting to that particular habit to another human being, though;

One of the things he truly misses from when he was a kid and things between his parents were still nice, was their movie nights on weekends. Without failure, his father would drive them all after breakfast to the nearest Blockbuster or cinema, and they'd pick out a movie to watch together. Even when things got hard financially and in his parent's marriage, that was the one thing they kept trying to keep alive, though it often ended up in arguments and tense awkward silent drives back home;

Once he began to explore his sexuality, he started to use a clip-on earring on his right ear but never around his family. HHe never got it pierced so he didn't have to raise questions with a hole in his ear but also because his phobia of being stung in general;

As anyone who works with machines of any kind, he developed his own rituals for his computer as well as for when he started to study the Animus software. One of those is tapping a camera lens before using it, or rubbing the logo of whatever computer he's using;

While he's not exactly a fan of tea himself, he really dislikes straight black coffee. It's either lattes or several spoons of sugar for him, and if he's drinking black coffee then you know it's a Bad Day;

He has opioid tolerance, which majorly sucked when he needed to have a corrective surgery for a hernia, and doubly sucked during his time at Abstergo since the Animus may require drugs to induce an altered level of consciousness;

He has a drawer containing all the extra bits and leftovers from projects. From extra screws and caps from furniture kits to chips and boards that aren't obsolte or broken to bits that he meant to put back eventually but always forget to. Over time the drawer evolved into a shelf and then to a considerable corner of his childhood room at his father's house. Both men refuse to do a cleanup of it just in case they need those at some point;

Speaking of, he had a small period of job hopping fresh out of college, mostly out of HR mismanagement and trying to juggle more than one job at once. Long story short, he ended up with three different work laptops that he never managed to return and are now way obsolete for much use. He keeps meaning to get rid of them but they always make him laugh, so he gives them a pass;

He's a tense and fussy sleeper, so he has a tendency to get tension migranes sometimes and they leave him with a very sour mood;

While he always nurtured an interest for space, he had a more complex curiosity for the sea and ocean life. He found it fascinating but it always left him feeling morose and ill at ease, while space always put an idealistic twinkle in his eyes. The ocean was just too close to be so full of mysteries and unknowns, while the final frontier seemed too far to give him any sense of foreboding;

Even so, he never met the sea. Only lakes and rivers, or seen it from above when he flew on planes, but he's never stood on an ocean beach proper.

#assassin's creed #clay kaczmarek #ACHCs #pardal rambles

[pomellon]

DTK+ AUs:

🐈 Shattered Star AU Cat au inspired by the dsmp, Dream-centric and focused on the dtk+ friend group. Main Tags: Cat AU | Characters Refs | Lore/Worldbuilding | Trivia Currently working on:  • Revamping the AU 🦌 Himbros/DTK+ Centaur AU Himbro-centric centaur/creature au featuring a dtkq+ cast. The au focuses on separated soulmates Punz and Foolish, following the journey of Punz getting taken from his family, eventually getting freed from human capture, and finding a new home. All the while Foolish searches for him, crossing land and sea to find his lost soulmate. Both of them find adventure and new friends along the way!

Main tag: Centaur AU | Character Refs | Lore/Worldbuilding Ships: A big poly soup! Mainly focused on Funz, Punznap, Koolish, and DNN Currently working on: • Mini refs • “Sabertooth” Fic

🐲 DTK+ Dragon AU Takes place in a fantasy setting where a mass extinction event has happened, killing most dragon and magical creatures. What’s left are small settlements and groups dragons fighting to survive in a harsh and hostile world, fighting to stay alive and figure out ways to bring back their elemental gods.

Main Tags: DTK+ Dragon AU | Character Refs | Dragon AU Lore/Worldbuilding Ships: A big poly soup! Currently mainly contains Koolish, PNF, and Funz Currently working on: • Refs

🌊 Himbros/Funz Mermaid AU Currently only rambles and ideas, no art yet. AU takes place in an alien ocean world where narwhal!Punz and beluga!Foolish have been separated from their respective pods. Despite their species differences they end up sticking together and forming a tight bond to survive in their new hostile surroundings.

Main Tags: Mermaid AU Ships: Mainly Funz, with some future Dreamnap and KNF planed Currently working on: • AU setting • “Blue” Fic

🌆 DTK+/DSMP Euplerian AU Euplerians are a man made species made to replace animals for lab testing, but when the world found out about them they also gained popularity within the pet trade. While they have same logical and emotional intelligence as humans they’re often treated as sub-humans and have few to no legal rights. Because of this they’re easily abused or taken advantage of, resulting in many of them escaping their human care takers to live a harsh but freer life on the streets.

AU is mainly Punz-centric and focuses on Team Chaos and Staged Duo as they survive on streets and slowly start to unearth the true abilities and origins of their species. Main Tags: Euplerian AU Ships: Another poly soup, but heavily focuses on Drunz and Punznap, later to contain some Funz, and bit some slight background Awesampunz and PNF Currently working on: • AU setting, concepts, and refs • “Scrap” Fic • “Not a pet” Fic

👾🌐 DTK+ Digimon AU Takes place in a similar setting to the Digimon Cyber Sleuth games, where humans Sam, George, Karl, and Tina happen upon strange digital creatures Punz, Dream, Sapnap, and Foolish within the cyber space EDEN. With the digimon all ending up separated from each other they’re determined to find their friends while their new human partners learn to care for them while also try to under stand where they came from. 

Main Tags: Digimon AU Ships: Relationships between human and digimon partner are all platonic, while the digimon share romantic bonds with each other  Currently working on: • Digimon Designs 

🌱🥚  DTK+ Dragon Valley AU A modern fantasy AU inspired by Stardew Valley with a dragon twist. Punz inherits a farm and dragon egg from an unknown relative and while he first planned to sell both the egg hatches under his care. He names the hatchling Sapnap and decides to keep him while they keep living in the city, only remember the farm property a few years later when Sapnap has grown inconveniently big for their city life. They move out to the countryside where Punz soon meets the carpenter and vet tech Foolish, and the adventurer and monster hunter Dream.

Main Tags: Dragon Valley Ships: Funzwastaken Currently working on: • AU setting

🌑💀 DTK+ Dead Space AU Follows the story line and plot of the first two Dead Space games! Sapnap and George, engineer and data annalist, are dispatched to respond a distress signal on board the plate cracker USG Ishimura. Hoping to see their boyfriend Dream who had been assigned to the Ishimura on a 6 month mission they arrive wholly unprepared for the horrors and bloodshed that awaits them.

Main Tags: Dead Space AU Ships: DNN in the first part, with an addition of Funz in the second part, and an OT6 between Dream, George, Sapnap, Punz, Foolish, and Karl developing in the third. Currently working on: • AU timeline

#pom aus

[doctorofinhumaneletters]

First Steps Chapter 4

The Friday afternoon department briefings were mercifully short. The slow Thursday had let everyone catch up on their work, and Mr. Hahn, the manager, was uncharacteristically happy with his staff, except possibly admin. Their department had a secret weapon in Sarah, though. She always showed a little extra skin for the big meetings, and Mrs. Blake let her speak for them, which smoothed things over. Ashlee was heading home by 5:30.

She changed into her blue slacks and gray silk blouse, with a camisole underneath.She debated flats or heels. With the car she might not be walking too much, but you never knew. The white two inch pumps were called into the game.

At 8:05, she was in her car, which started groggily. She didn't drive it enough, but at least she didn’t owe anything for it. Dad had a stable of beater cars back in Roanoke, and she’d selected the least-garbage one to buy from him. She didn’t really need it during the week, but now the traffic was lighter, and she was in the loading zone in front of the Greek place by ten till nine.

Niko came out and grabbed his bike right before nine, and Ashlee stood on the sidewalk for another twelve minutes glancing around for cops before Felicity emerged. She was as beautiful as ever in baggy jeans, red polo, and black work shoes.  There was a touch of liners around her lips and eyes which threw her dark features into sharp relief. She threw her big satchel in the back and plopped herself down in the passenger seat.

Ashlee took the wheel and pulled into the quiet street. Felicity smiled and filled Ashlee with a thrill. The most beautiful girl in the world was in her car. “I’m so happy you came!” began Felicity. “That Niko left a huge mess; that’s why I was late.” She clicked her tongue. “I guess we’re trading date coverage.”

“Did he give you five bucks?” Ashlee asked, turning left onto H Street. Felicity just laughed.

“I just couldn’t wait for tonight. Where are we going?” Felicity asked.

Ashlee was prepared for this eventuality. “How about we see what’s happening on 18th?” Felicity stamped this with her approval and off they went.

The hours swept by. There was dinner and drinks, but they went nearly untouched as Ashlee opened herself to Felicity. Never, not once, had she known this. There was no dancing, no kissing, nothing but burgeoning love. Too soon, the midnight hour was closing, and the streets were emptying. As waiters started checking their watches, Felicity asked shyly, “Can you drive me home?” Ashlee felt electric all over as they piled into the car and she thumbed the address into her phone. It was going to be a hike into Washington Northeast. The clubs and buildings gave way to houses and corner markets. Ashlee knew that they were almost in Maryland, and the homes did not look very friendly.

“You live all the way out here? And you don’t have a car? How far is it to the Metro?”

“It’s about a twenty-five or thirty minute walk. It gives me time to think.”

Ashlee looked at the garbage strewn-streets and shuddered. “You walk home in the dark every night? Aren’t you scared something is going to happen to you?”

A laugh flowed from Felicity’s lips. “Everybody always asks that. Not at all! I know everyone between here and Benning Road. Sometimes you just have to talk to people. Everyone deserves a smile and a kind word; that’s what mom always said. That’s actually why it takes me so long to walk sometimes.”

Ashlee’s jaw dropped in amazement as Felicity narrated the neighborhoods. Names of families, habitual corners of drug dealers and gangbangers, and the regular street people. Felicity had to be the bravest woman she had ever met. She had heard of the power of friendship, but Felicity was in the Wonder Woman class.

They pulled up to a house on a dark street and parked in front. To her surprise, there was a car in the driveway. She was even more astonished when Felicity led her not to the front door, but to what was obviously a garage. Inside the cramped space, canned cocktails were opened and they sat on the bed.

Felicity put her hand on Ashlee’s thigh. All expectations evaporated. Ashlee knew exactly what to do. She leaned in and touched her lips to Felicity’s. Heat began radiating as Felicity reached up to cradle the back of Ashlee’s neck, and kissed back with ardor. They lay down, feet dangling off the edge, and the magic continued.

In minutes, their hands played across each others’ bodies. Ashlee’s fingertips traced Felicity’s tiny breasts, and Ashlee felt thrilling pressure as Felicity squeezed her through the blouse and camisole. This is what she had missed all those years. For now, there was no Sarah, no mom, no dad; nobody but her and this gorgeous woman who loved her as none ever had.

They stroked each other's backs, thighs and buttocks, grasping and holding, nuzzling faces and necks. Overwhelmed with desire, Ashlee reached down Felicity’s front. She felt astonished and guilty when Felicity firmly grasped her wrist and pushed away.

“Ashlee,” she said, sitting up and instantly becoming serious. Confused, Ashlee pushed herself up on her elbows and eyed her quizzically.

“Ashlee: I think I love you, and I want this to happen, but there’s something you have to know.”

Ashlee sat the rest of the way up. She tried to anticipate what could possibly be coming, but nothing came. Oh God, what’s about to happen? she thought with dread. She felt as if it was her turn to say something, anything, and Felicity was clearly wishing for some reassurance, but her lips were as frozen as her thoughts.

A minute passed as Felicity swallowed, breathed deeply and reddened. “Ashlee … Ashlee.” Pause, swallow, and breathe. “Ashlee, I’m … I’m transgender. I have a penis. I didn’t want you to find out first.”

Ashley goggled. Of all the things … she could never have anticipated this. She felt trickling tears as Sarah, mom, dad, everything she thought she knew about herself and her new world crashed together in a cacophony of shame and fear.

“I know it’s not obvious. It’s the hormones. They do things to me. It makes me happy to be a woman. I love you. Don’t go.”

But Ashlee was already on her feet, backing away. Her reason was shouting not to do this, but her legs and glistening eyes weren’t responding.

“Felicity … I … I can’t … I can’t believe …” she tried, but words still failed her. 

“Ashlee, I know you’re scared. I can see it. Robert Davis is dead; he’s not who I am. Ashlee, I didn’t want to scare you. It’s still me. Felicity. Please stay.”

Too late. Ashlee backed out the door stammering half-formed apologies and excuses. She knew she was throwing away the best chance at love she ever had, but she was powerless to stop herself. Leaving Felicity’s pleas unheeded as they followed her out the door, she jumped in her car and sped off into the night.

#lgbtq #lgbtq community #lgbt drama #romantic

[ausetkmt]

The Guardian: British artists recreate ‘A Great Day in Harlem’ photo for Black History Month

Established and up and coming black artists are to be photographed together, marking the 40th anniversary of the start of the British black arts movement, as part of a series of events for Black History Month in October.

The Black Cultural Archives, based in south London, will be commemorating the occasion by paying homage to the classic 1958 A Great Day in Harlem photograph by organising a group photograph featuring black artists who were part of the original movement alongside emerging talents.

The National Black Art Convention, which in 1982 inspired the launch of the British black arts movement, propelled the careers of many artists, including Keith Piper and Sonia Boyce.

Lisa Anderson, the managing director of the Black Cultural Archives, said the decision to recreate the photograph to celebrate the 40th anniversary since the launch of the British black arts movement was due to a desire to “document the community”.

She added: “I want to celebrate the community, and want there to be a sense of the importance of being documented through photography.

“We wanted to enrich the archive, in particular the way the archive represents the history of some of the pioneering and emerging art makers from the black community.”

Anderson added that they were borrowing the concept from Tomorrow’s Warriors, a UK jazz organisation that paid tribute last year to the Harlem photograph with a day of music called A Great Day in London.

“We’re borrowing the concept because we haven’t seen any photograph which documents black British visual artists, and I think it will create an aid for people to go and do further research and engagement with its history, and to also inspire people to pursue their passion for visual art.”

Charlie Phillips, who will be capturing the moment and who has been regarded as one of Britain’s greatest photographers, said his involvement in the project was due to a desire to “document our history”.

“There’s a missing gap in our history, because not a lot has been documented by us, for us,” Phillips said.

Also this month, Brent council will be unveiling a new public artwork in one of its parks, in order to commemorate the victims of the transatlantic slave trade following scrutiny regarding the park being named after a former British prime minister with links to the slave trade.

Gladstone’s father, who was one of the biggest slave owners in the Caribbean, received the largest of all compensation payments made by the Slave Compensation Commission.

Linett Kamala, a director of Notting Hill carnival and the founder of Lin Kam Art, who will be unveiling the artwork, said that as well as commemorating victims of the slave trade, it represented the “huge, fantastic contribution that the black community has made to the borough”.

Kamala added: “The park has a number of murals, but there isn’t anything that reflects the transatlantic slave trade, although the park is named [after] the prime minister’s father who received the largest [slavery] compensation payout.”

Harun Morrison, the artist behind the installation, said that he was interested in creating a piece that “opened up questions for someone who encountered it in the park without being overly prescriptive.

“I was also trying to create for a view to think about the metaphorical potential of plants, and also the history of the park and the history of the Gladstone family,”he added.

In Glasgow, the David Livingstone Birthplace museum will be hosting events celebrating Black Scottish art and culture.

The event, called Our Stories Between the Myths and Memories, has been programmed by the Scottish-Zimbabwean artist Natasha Thembiso Ruwona, and will feature work from artists and creatives from across the Scottish African diaspora.

Thembiso Ruwona said: “I’m really excited to be able to bring together so many brilliant creative practitioners from the Scottish African diaspora to one space and to celebrate their contributions to the creative sector.”

She added: “This project speaks to our past, present, and potential futures that examine Black Scottish history, culture and identity. It is also a timely event that will spotlight the work that David Livingstone Birthplace are doing as they consider the role of museums within truthful storytelling, by asking important questions about legacy and memory.”

#British artists recreate ‘A Great Day in Harlem’ photo for Black History Month.

[redhatmeg]

W 2022 roku na moim blogu pojawiło się 1911 postów

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#7 and two of them (bomberman and prince of persia) only because there was nothing else to play

Moje najpopularniejsze posty w 2022:

Nr 5

Okay, so The Second Serving is nice so far, but there is one thing that’s bothering me:

It’s an adaptation of The Butter Battle Book, which is about two small countries - Yookia and Zookia - at war. So far so good, but at some point Guy-Am-I and E.B. turn out in Zookia: Guy gets a new job, while E.B. is travelling around and even crosses the border and falls in love with a boy from Yookia.

And I get that Guy shares the same prejudices as Zookians, but E.B.’s subplot treats her like she was a Zookian, and she and Looka are star-crossed lovers who will bring peace and understanding to Zookia and Yookia...

But she’s, like, a tourist, at best. She only recently learned about the war between Zookia and Yookia, she doesn’t have the same life-long prejudice as Zookians, but both she and Looka act like she had and now it crumbles.

I guess, it was supposed to be probably something along the lines of an outsider who sees the ridiculousness of this war and how both sides are dehumanizing each other through propaganda, but the narrative frames it more like she was one of the sides. And it’s buffling.

124 notki (opublikowane w 12 kwietnia 2022)

Nr 4

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150 notek (opublikowanych w 29 marca 2022)

Nr 3

Splinter and the theme of survival

Now when I witnessed most of Splinter’s backstories, I can safely say that they all have one specific thing in common, namely: His story is a story of survival after a horrible, traumatizing event. And it’s kind of fitting since he’s a rat and rats are strongly associated with survival instincts (among other things).

1987!Splinter has, arguably, the least horrible backstory. As Hamato Yoshi, he was framed by Oroku Saki and was forced to flee to America and live in the sewers. Then he got mutated into a rat and started to train the Turtles who were mutated with him.

2003!Splinter was Hamato Yoshi’s pet rat and he loved his owner deeply. One day Shredder’s people came and killed his beloved owner, while he couldn’t do anything other than scratch Hun’s cheek. 2003!Splinter suddenly found himself without home and family and the only thing he could do was run to the sewers.

2012!Hamato Yoshi had a family - a wife and an infant daughter - and then lost them in the fire caused by Oroku Saki, who was consumed by hatred, jealousy and vengence. Yoshi was forced to run to States too, and one day he stumbled upon Kraang who mutated him and four pet turtles he just bought. For a really long time he was trying to evade Kraang who tried to track him down and experiment on him and on Turtles. He was forced to move from one place to another, looking for food, until he found out that there is an advantage in living underground.

2014!Splinter was a lab rat and, most of the time, he was experimented on and kept in a cage. Turtles were test subject too, but April and her father were treating them well enough. One day April’s dad realized what his partner was doing, and decided to destroy the whole lab in the fire. April saved Splinter and Turtles by taking them out and leaving them near the drain grate. They were free and safe, but they had to live underground because the world above wouldn’t accept them.

Finally Rise!Hamato Yoshi was part of the clan that had to keep Shredder from coming back, but he didn’t want to live this life and so he became a movie star, Lou Jitsu. But then he was kidnapped for his martial art skills to fight in Battle Nexus; moreover - he was kidnapped by a woman he was in love with! Then he was kidnapped again by a man who tried to use his DNA to create an army of perfect warriors. While running away from his second kidnapper, Hamato Yoshi/Lou Jitsu was mutated into a rat. His life as a movie star was over and he could only go to the sewers with the Turtles who were mutated too.

So we have a character who went through horrible ordeals and found himself lost. But he’s not alone - four little Turtles are with him and they are defenseless and dependable on him as an adult. Splinter suddenly has to think not only about his own survival, but also about theirs, so he gives them home, teaches them ninjutsu so they could defend themselves, and forbids them from going topside where they could get hurt by humans or by Shredder.

In some ways, the Turtles are what problably kept him from falling into despair and helped him rebuild his life after his traumatic experiances. At the same time when the Turtles go out for the first time, he’s obviously worried for them, but - over time - becomes more linient in that regard, because there is a time when the young have to start to be more independed to survive on their own.

To be fair, the theme of survival also suits to ninja since this class was all about survival and adaptability. So it kind of makes sense that Splinter - no matter if he’s a ninjutsu master or a pet of one - would practise and teach it to his sons.

189 notek (opublikowanych w 26 marca 2022)

Nr 2

If anyone wants to know if Netflix Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is any good, I will say this:

I wasn’t expecting much from this version (the trailer screamed it will be some kind of wisecracking adaptation with muscial numbers and a dog thrown in for some reason), but it turned out to be pretty decent. It certainly takes some liberties with source material, among which the most prominent are:

- said dog once belonging to Jacob Marley, therefore being one of the few things left to Scrooge by his late partner

- Bob Cratchit being a son of a baker who was in debt with Marley and young Ebenezer being at the moment Cratchit’s bakary was repossessed

- more scenes showcasing how Scrooge & Marley operate(d) and how ruthless Scrooge can be with collecting debts

- Marley, for that matter, gains more character, not only because he interacts more with Scrooge and his dog as a ghost, but also because we see him in the flashbacks

- Scrooge himself gets his childhood memories changed from “kid spending Christmas break in school because his father doesn’t want to see him” to “kid who needed to work in shoe paste factory to support his family when his father got imprisoned for debts (basically what happened to Dickens in his youth)”

The best part, in my opinion, are visuals that are stunning, creepy and poignient in many scenes, especially when the ghosts are showing Scrooge his horrible behavior. There’s even a scene in Christmas Yet-To-Come segment when for a really long time he thinks that he’s loved and appreciated... but only because he hasn’t seen his coffin yet so he’s not aware people are happy becuase of his death (there’s even a moment when they dance on said coffin).

So yeah, not a bad adaptation. If you want to try, go ahead.

230 notek (opublikowanych w 2 grudnia 2022)

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Zobacz Przegląd roku 2022 już teraz →

#tumblr2022 #przegląd roku #mój przegląd 2022 roku na Tumblrze #Twój przegląd roku na Tumblrze #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[juniwilson]

Chris & Juni’s baby shower--’Over the Moon’ theme

Moon, stars & spac-themed shower

Hosted by Chris & Juni at Chris’s SF mansion

Guest list includes: their Ship-Wrecked friends, Chris’s immediate & local family, the bulk of Juni‘s family, actors & crew friends of Chris’s, & a handful of Juni’s former and current co-workers from Monterey Bay Aquarium and the CA Academy of Sciences

#Junis baby #Chris

[grassmanoutlet]

Game On: Elevate Your Outdoor Space with Artificial Turf Multi-Purpose Courts

In the realm of outdoor recreation, versatility is key. Whether you’re a basketball aficionado, a tennis enthusiast, or simply enjoy a friendly game of pickleball, having a dedicated space for sports and activities adds value and enjoyment to your home. Enter artificial turf multi-purpose courts, a dynamic solution that combines the benefits of synthetic grass with the functionality of a customizable playing surface. From backyard b-ball showdowns to family tennis tournaments, these all-in-one courts offer endless possibilities for outdoor fun and fitness.

The Allure of Artificial Turf Multi-Purpose Courts

Versatility: One of the primary advantages of artificial turf multi-purpose courts is their versatility. Unlike traditional sports surfaces, which are designed for specific activities, synthetic turf courts can accommodate a wide range of sports and recreational activities, including basketball, tennis, volleyball, pickleball, and more. With just one court, you can enjoy endless hours of entertainment and exercise right in your own backyard.

Durability: Artificial turf is renowned for its durability and resilience, making it an ideal surface for multi-purpose courts. Whether it’s intense basketball games, high-speed tennis matches, or energetic family gatherings, synthetic grass can withstand the rigors of frequent use without sacrificing performance or aesthetics. With proper maintenance, your turf court will remain in pristine condition for years to come.

Safety: Safety is paramount when it comes to outdoor sports and recreation. Artificial turf provides a cushioned and stable playing surface that reduces the risk of injuries from slips, falls, and impacts. Advanced turf systems feature shock-absorbing padding and consistent footing, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for players of all ages and skill levels.

Low Maintenance: Unlike natural grass or traditional court surfaces, artificial turf requires minimal maintenance to keep it looking and performing its best. Say goodbye to mowing, watering, and line painting—synthetic grass courts require only occasional brushing, debris removal, and basic cleaning to maintain their appearance and functionality. This means more time spent playing and less time spent on upkeep.

Designing Your Dream Multi-Purpose Court

When designing your artificial turf multi-purpose court, consider the following factors to create a space that meets your needs and enhances your outdoor lifestyle:

Size and Layout: Determine the dimensions and layout of your court based on the sports and activities you plan to enjoy. Whether you prefer a full-size basketball court, a compact tennis court, or a multi-functional space that accommodates multiple games at once, tailor the design to fit your preferences and available space.

Accessories and Features: Enhance your court with accessories such as basketball hoops, tennis nets, volleyball poles, and pickleball lines to maximize its versatility and enjoyment. Consider adding seating areas, shade structures, and lighting to create a comfortable and inviting environment for players and spectators alike.

Surface Preparation: Proper surface preparation is essential for ensuring optimal performance and longevity of your artificial turf court. Work with a professional installer to properly grade the area, install a suitable base material, and secure the turf to ensure a smooth and stable playing surface.

Landscaping and Aesthetics: Incorporate landscaping elements such as planters, shrubs, and trees to enhance the beauty of your court and integrate it seamlessly into your outdoor space. Choose turf colors and textures that complement your home’s architecture and existing landscaping for a cohesive and polished look.

Conclusion

Artificial turf multi-purpose courts offer a winning combination of versatility, durability, and low maintenance, making them an ideal addition to any outdoor space. Whether you’re a sports enthusiast looking to practice your skills, a family seeking fun and fitness, or a homeowner looking to enhance the value and appeal of your property, a turf court provides endless opportunities for recreation and relaxation. By investing in a high-quality artificial turf system and thoughtful design, you can create a multi-functional outdoor oasis that brings joy, excitement, and lasting memories to your home for years to come. So why wait? Get ready to play, compete, and connect with friends and family on your very own artificial turf multi-purpose court!

Click here for more information

#artificial turf #synthetic turf #landscape