for those curious, this is joanne, a 15-year-old sumatran tiger currently living at phoenix zoo. it's very sweet to see her playing and tumbling around like this at her age -- she's got some people taking care of her if she still has this energy at that age.
i did see some users in the notes who were concerned about her looking 'scrawny', or wondering if she's maybe a juvenile -- far from it! at 15, joanne is very much considered a geriatric tiger; she's a grandma. she is, however, a sumatran tiger (panthera tigris sumatrae) -- sumatrans are the smallest extant subspecies of tiger, built more for the sweltering jungles of sumatra than the blistering cold of the amur river or the dense forests and mangrove swamps of south asia.
when you're used to seeing amur or amur-bengal hybrid ('generic') tigers on television or online, most of which are often overfed and overweight, a sumatran is going to look a bit weird, but joanne looks to be in wonderful shape -- look at those muscles flex and that coat shimmer when she moves! that's a healthy old lady for sure. props to joanne's keepers for taking such good care of her.
No thoughts just ghost who struggles to sleep at night, right?
He tosses and turns even in your arms, even with you safe beside him. Tormented by the things he's done, the things that have been done to him. You love your boyfriend more than you should, and it hurts you to see the battlefield follow him home.
Some nights, ghost shifts out of bed when he thinks you're sleeping. Moving silently around the house, trying to stay sane.
Other nights, when the thunderstorm outside has cold creeping in and your own will to sleep dwindling, you shake his shoulder "si. Si, wake up, c'mon."
Everytime, ghost grumbles like he was actually asleep, rumbling while he grabs some pants "wha? What is it, love?"
"C'mon, lets go drive." You tug at him, grabbing the blanket from the closet.
That's exactly what you do, ghost in the passenger seat snuggled up in a blanket. You drive for hours around in the rain, stop to get greasy junk food and fill up on it until the food coma creeps up on simon and he's snoring like and engine beside you.
Scarred cheek mushed into the seat belt, shoes in the back seat and socked feet tucked under the blanket.
Once, he told you that his mom drove him around and bought him ice cream the day after his father...well. he told you it was the nicest thing she'd ever done. Now, tucked into the seat of your car with rain pelting in the rooftop in some empty parking lot, all the scars even out under the dim light. The injury and trauma melts away and he looks young again.
i really really really love the idea of eridians hearing absolutely everything in a human body and being able to predict an episode of something, similarly to how medical alert service dogs can
"Grace feel okay, question?" Rocky asked, soothing a hand along Grace's forehead to fix the hair that had gotten stuck to his temple while he was seizing.
He cleared his throat. "Not a hundred percent, but I'm alright."
Rocky hummed softly. He works with Armando to give the man a full checkup before even considering letting him up.
But Grace knows Rocky by now. He gives him that look that he knows works very effectively against the Eridian. "What's bothering you?"
"...Rocky feels useless when Grace seize. Count, make sure you no hit head, no choke, no bite..."
He smiled, a lopsided thing. "Well, you've never let my worst case scenario happen. Haven't even gotten close since I met you."
"Worst case, question?"
He nodded, returning the petting gesture subconsciously. "My absolute worst incident happened just after I got my doctorate. We were at a party, I was...honestly I don't remember. Maybe karaoke? Doesn't matter."
Grace took a moment. "The way my friends tell it, I just...collapsed. Knocked over the projector screen. It was so loud I alerted the staff. Which was good, because my friends didn't know what to do. Or, they did...but they froze. First time seeing one can be really hard for people."
Rocky sounds horrified.
"Thankfully one of the workers was the daughter of a nurse. She got me on my side, told them to stop staring and go use the office to call 911- cellphones weren't as common back then...or very useful. And got me recovering when I came to."
He pulled back the slight mop of his hair. "This scar was from me hitting something during it. Bled everywhere."
"Thinking machine say head wounds bleed big time."
Grace chuckled. "Yeah. But hey, I've never fallen once you recognized what was happening. Even with gravity. And you're the best recovery buddy I could ever ask for. So it might not feel like you're doing anything, but you're doing a whole awful lot for me."
Rocky trilled gently. "...Rocky do best can."
"And you don't take pictures like one of my old roommates did."
"...Name."
That, dear reader, was the tone Rocky's song gained when he was threatening someone. Best not to tell, just in case he finds a way back to Earth and takes vengeance on his ancestors.
(irl experience under the cut)
based on the first time I ever saw someone seize in person. We were doing a crit in art school, he went down next to me, knocked over his easel. Thankfully myself and another classmate were actually able to stay calm, especially with her being a long time lifeguard. We actually did have to chastise our classmates for not immediately calling 911.
Not included, having to try and beg our professor to give us her chair pillow to give a barrier between him and the floor. (She refused, I think we used a jacket eventually) Also that building had no elevator so they had to strap him to a body board to go to the hospital to get checked out and carry him down two flights of stairs.
You were terrified of Bodyguard!Simon Riley. Your father had employed him after a death threat to your life. Your mother was a well-known politician in high places and so neither parent was going to take any chances
Bodyguard!Simon Riley walked into your mother’s office that first day and was like a behemoth to you. He was every bodyguard stereotype rolled into one – he wore all black, had a buzzcut, had muscles for his muscles, and even wore a black surgical mask. Your parents reassured you that he was the best in the business, having come from a military background and now joining a company that specialised in security called 141 Protection. But the man was staring at you
Meanwhile, Bodyguard!Simon Riley couldn’t take his eyes off you. He had never been more grateful for his mask and poker face, even though he was still worried you could see the blush on his cheeks. You were just so pretty
Bodyguard!Simon Riley never shirked from his duties (which kinda frustrated you). After you got over the initial scare factor, your privacy was the next thing to go. Whether out with friends, shopping, or even in your own home, he was always there. Definitely annoying
Bodyguard!Simon Riley hardly said a word. It was certainly unnerving and you had to get used to the clipped, gravelly responses
Bodyguard!Simon Riley was always vigilant. You didn’t notice how his eyes immediately scanned a room or how he would hover a hand on your back to place himself between the exit or street
Bodyguard!Simon Riley was extremely useful fending off paparazzi and unwanted advancements from men. He would either place his body in front of you and speak to the person in that eerily calm voice of his that brokered no room for argument, or would simply usher you away, his front pressed to your back
Eventually, however, you got used to Bodyguard!Simon Riley. The death threat didn’t follow through and Simon would carry your bags for you or listen to you gossip
Whether it was the forced proximity or not, both you and Bodyguard!Simon Riley began to catch feelings well, Simon had long caught feelings
Bodyguard!Simon Riley referred to you as “my bird” or “the missus” to his coworkers. Johnny and the lot of them thought it was hilarious and teased him relentlessly. His boss, Price, pulled him aside one day and warned him to just be careful
Bodyguard!Simon Riley knew Price was right. It was outrageous for him to dream about it, more so actively try to pursue it. Simon was a rule-following soldier through and through, yet Price never really told him to stop – the older man just discouraged it
Bodyguard!Simon Riley began to subtly change his habits. Whenever you wanted takeout, he would suggest going and sitting down at the restaurant. He would always sit across from you. And even though you had mommy’s credit card, he would pay for one or two of these “dates.” He wouldn’t correct men who asked if you two were dating and maybe he even let the surgical mask slip
Bodyguard!Simon Riley accidentally called you “the missus” in front of you. Keegan called him, asking if he could work on a Saturday. With you in the room, he replied, “nah, there’s a gala me and the missus have to attend.” It just slipped out. You froze, mortified
Bodyguard!Simon Riley tried to backpedal but he was never good with words. Eventually, he just stood there, reverting to the stiff stance he used to use whenever a commanding officer walked past. “Was that a one time thing?” you then asked. “Or do you really call me that?”
Bodyguard!Simon Riley would never lie to you. “It’s instinct at this point,” he muttered
Bodyguard!Simon Riley was sure he was about to be fired when you glanced up at him. “Well, I’m not sure about marriage yet,” you said, “but I… wouldn’t say no to a date. With you as my boyfriend?”
Bodyguard!Simon Riley had thought you were already dating, but he wasn’t going to deny you this. He nodded once, as if receiving orders, and then immediately stepped out to call Price to shove it in his face. He also called a nearby florist to schedule arrangements for the next six months
Your parents didn’t object in the slightest. They thought it was great you were dating Bodyguard!Simon Riley because now they didn’t have to pay him all the time
Bodyguard!Simon Riley just became accustomed to calling you “missus, birdie, lovie.” Like, those were your names now, thank you very much. You actually got worried whenever he called you by your real name, wondering if you were in trouble (you never were, it was just a slip of the tongue)
Bodyguard!Simon Riley eventually introduced you to his coworkers. You soon realised that none of them, other than Price who had handled the employment in the first place, knew your actual name. They just knew you as your nicknames
Bodyguard!Simon Riley had already installed the safest locks and security features in your home, but would triple check them now before “turning off” his bodyguard persona whenever alone with you
Bodyguard!Simon Riley preferred to have dates at home so he could relax. It had become instinct to be on watch with you, so whenever he could truly relax, it was a plus. Of course he still took you out, but he simply preferred at home or open spaces like a park where it was less likely someone would attack you
Bodyguard!Simon Riley liked Disney movies. They reminded him of his childhood. His favourite was Princess and the Frog. He liked Mama Odie
Bodyguard!Simon Riley was scary dog privileges personified. 10/10, truly
Bodyguard!Simon Riley continued to work for 141 Protection, though he took less jobs. He had already made a lot of money with the army and bodyguarding. He’d rather spend more time with you
Bodyguard!Simon Riley did not want any pets. You ended up with two dogs and one hypoallergenic cat. (Simon was allergic, but the cat found its favourite place was his face)
Bodyguard!Simon Riley lived in a little white townhouse with you. Eventually, he wanted to buy a house with you, but that would come later
Bodyguard!Simon Riley didn’t wear his surgical mask anymore
Bodyguard!Simon Riley who snored, but made up for it by kissing you every morning and night to remind you how much he loved you
I don’t know everything, but my mom is a nurse, my sister is a lawyer, and I have an English degree and know how to do laundry and shit.
So between all of us, maybe we can figure things out.
Don’t ask ChatGPT. Ask me. At least if I’m wrong, I won’t accidentally fucking kill you. And I drink a normal, if not a little less than I should, amount of water.
And I promise I won’t ignore you, sweetie. Tell me all about it.
Simon likes to joke about the age difference between you two. And by joke, we’re talking about jokes that are too real to be jokes.
He knows that the age difference makes people side eye or do a double take. He’s aware that he receives strange looks when he tells people that his partner is twenty years younger than him.
It wasn’t intentional; it wasn’t like he was specifically scoping out someone younger than him. He wasn’t a goddamn creep, cut him some slack.
The two of you connected over something entirely so dumb. He had caught you staring at a cereal box at a grocery store with the most disgusted look on your face. “Can you believe they changed the design on the box?” you had asked him.
And all he could do was stare down at you with the flattest expression imaginable. Here you were, a stranger, speaking to him like you came in the store with him. But he played along, “Wouldn’t be the first. You’re too young to know what the first design looked like.”
Since that one singular conversation, his life has changed; a complete switch. Instead of his usual “Leave-Me-Alone-It’s-Bourbon-Saturday,” his weekends now consist of date nights with you.
Or “Taco-Mondays” (because Taco Tuesday was so overused in his mind), had now become “Simon gets to spend Mondays trying out new restaurants with his new partner.”
He felt young again; remembering that life was more than gunshots and gun wounds. Or that summer wasn’t just a long mission in the middle of a country he’s never been to but rather, a long weekend getaway while the sun burns the fuck out of his back.
“You got daddy issues,” Simon randomly said as he laid ontop of your beach towel. His sunglasses covered his eyes, a blob of sunscreen was on his nose, and his arms rested by his sides like he was ready for the summer heat to wash him away.
The beach was full of people; all setting up their little spots and kids running away from the gentle waves. You stared down at Simon, whom looked too comfortable tanning. Since when the fuck do men like him tan? Apparently, since he started dating you. “That came out of nowhere,” you replied, glaring down at him.
“Just saying, love. Not everyone wants to date a man who looks like he could be your father’s friend,” Simon replies without a second thought. He didn’t move— you barely noticed his lips move. That’s how serious he took his tanning.
A quiet scoff escaped your lips as you glanced over at the water, the small waves bringing in sand before throwing it back. “Yeah, it’s really not my fault you’re like… fifty and past your prime,” you joked back. “You probably have to pop a viagra to get it up before we fuck,” you added with a shit-faced eating grin.
It’s become a running joke of who could make who feel more uncomfortable at this point.
“Hey,” Simon began and finally shifted. “First of all, I’m not fifty. And second of all—“ he propped himself up with his elbows before turning around to lay on his stomach, “my dick’s twenty years older than you and you take it well, so.”
#i feel like this is also the stance of the movies#because lando spends approximately zero seconds redeeming himself#think of how black characters are usually treated for betrayals#even if it is an airquote betrayal#lando helps at the end of esb and is officially one of the heroes no redemption necessary#the whole choking thing is a misunderstanding really
tags via cadesama
#also note how Leia forgave him #real fast#this is a woman who does not do forgiveness easily #but she knew he was right#she was fully aware of that #she was angry because she loves Han#but she moved past it #because she knew he was right#the movie knows he’s right #the characters know he’s right#it isn’t even a question
Lando is 100% right to do what he did. He was Responsible for everyone on Cloud City. Leia, who grew up as the Princess of an entire planet, 100% understood that. Lando is completely validated by the story, the characters, and everyone for what he did.
And we see that he did try to shoo off the “hero crew” when they arrived in Cloud City in such a way that a) they’d have a decent chance of escaping, and b) he’d have plausible deniability. We see him ribbing Han a lot, for example, in such a way that it would be entirely possible that Han, who’s very touchy, might well just … go off in a huff. Lando could then easily go “haha, sorry Darth Vader sir, didn’t realize that Han couldn’t take a joke.” Win-win.
I also really appreciate that Lando is depicted as a solid person. He’s in a position of trust and authority, and he acts like it. He might have a bit of a checkered past, but he’s trying his best to do the right thing - and he’s doing a better job than Han, who’s still in trouble with the law.
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