#// the word is entrepreneur btw

[viridian-rat]

What's your dad's job?

uhhhhh good question... he calls himself an ontrapenuer but i dont know what that means really???

[nix-writes-mcyt]

Can you write some fluff/comfort xisuma? Been wanting some more cute and cosy fics for him but so few write them <3 love your writing btw! Long time lurker<3

Sorry it took a little while anon, but the fic is now here. Enjoy!

Business Man

Oneshot Contains: nothing but Fluff -----------------

You wander into the trophy shop, hoping to find Xisuma. You're behind on three trophies now, and it's not because you haven't sent in your diamonds.

In fact, turns out your mail was getting lost, to and from your home. Etho and Tango will be out to fix it soon, but it depends when they have the time. Thankfully Etho had dropped off all the lost mail at the Post Office, where Pearl had sorted it out and called you to pick it all up. The unfortunate thing was that the lost mail included the multiple parcels sent to Xisuma that didn't arrive.

So here you are, in his shop, hoping he is too. "X?" You call out, but there is no response. The trophies sit on their display pedestals, almost mocking you. Or at least they could be in a different world, but they're only trophies and that was a silly thought.

"X?" You call again, this time hearing a soft thud come from the wall. You take a few more steps into the room and look at some of the bigger trophies.

"This feels like a scam now that I think about it." You stare at the trophies and they stare back. It's definitely mocking. Trophies you earn diamonds to get.. and spend diamonds to get. "I can assure you it isn't." You turn quickly at the sound of Xisuma's voice, and sure enough there he stands. He's just barely in the room, coming from some hidden door.

"Oh, I didn't.. you know, mean it like that. I just meant that you're, well, a" the words are already barely pieced together but finding the end of the sentence is not easy. "I'm an entrepreneur. A business man, if you will." You see the gleam in his eyes through his visor. "Yes.. that." You reply, "a business man. A man of business. Xisuma." You're feeling even more flustered by the minute, the fact he's closing in on you only increasing that feeling.

"I heard you had some mail that got lost, did you come to deliver it personally?" His voice is so smooth and confident you find yourself completely at a loss for words. So you just nod, pulling the envelopes from your inventory. He holds out his hand, leaning just a little closer as he does. You swallow hard as you place the mail in his possession, at this point just trying to have the moment over and done with.

"Let me go sort this out for you, won't be a second." With that he's gone. You can breathe again. You look around the room, the trophies sparkling under their lights, the product of a business man. A man who has somehow taken your diamonds and apparently your heart.

Now your reaction seems silly, and you hope he didn't notice.

Soon enough he reappears, box in hand. "I've got your trophy, you'll have to be careful with this box though. Don't do anything too adventurous as this ones quite fragile." He places the box on the floor next to you. "Don't worry, I didn't make any plans because I knew it would be." Xisuma moves to lean against the pedestal opposite you, silence settling in.

Then he speaks up. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to do something? You don't have to, I just thought maybe you and I could go for a walk.. or visit the zoo or maybe something else?" Any smoothness or confidence he had earlier? Gone. Yet he remains just as charming. "Like a date?" The words just come out of your mouth before you have time to stop them.

"Yeah, well no. Unless you want it to be?" You think about it for a second. Is this actually happening? You were not expecting to be asked on a date. "I wouldn't mind a date." Is all you manage to say.

Xisuma steps forward, offering his arm to you. You take it, heart pounding in your chest. This is both exciting and terrifying. "Let's go then." You can hear his smile, the two of you leaving the shop immediately.

You walk down to the river with very little said between you, just enjoying the moment. As much as you can anyway, it's not like your nerves are in shreds or anything. Xisuma doesn't seem to mind the lack of conversation though, or at least if he does mind he says nothing.

The two of you walk for what seems like forever, even though it can't have been more than an hour. Almost a full lap of the shopping district has been done, but you both find a well needed place to sit down and rest. Conveniently for the two of you Keralis' Lake not only has seats, but a nice view and some shade.

You both settle on a bench, Xisuma leaning into you a little when you put your arm around him. "This has been nice." He mumbles. "It has. And I've not been robbed blind by your devious business tactics." You joke, earning a small laugh from Xisuma.

"Just because you kept your diamonds doesn't mean I haven't gained something of value." You can't help but smile, knowing he's speaking about the time spent with you.

The sunlight dances on the waters surface, which does remind you of your trophy. Your trophy which you left in Xisuma's shop. It's not a big deal, it gives you another excuse to see him now. Perhaps that was his plan the whole time, you'll never know. Or maybe you will if he tell you.

Regardless, Xisuma is right. The time you've spent with him has been wonderful, even if most of it has been spent in silence. All you wanted was to bring in your lost mail, but you've come out with a nice date. That's a win in your eyes.

Xisuma reaches over and takes your free hand in his, sighing softly as he gets comfortable being held. Between the cuddle, the sound of the birds and the lake, it's truly peaceful. "I'd like to do this again sometime." He says. "I'll do it again under one condition." You reply quietly, "I'll do it again if you'll be mine?"

Xisuma lets out a breath of relief, "I was worried you'd ask for a discount, but that's a much better deal in my professional opinion." The two of you giggle before settling back down, to spend some more of your day cuddled up by the lake.

[elysiansparadise]

heyyy i love ur posts and i wanna ask what u think about 11h moon<3

btw i love the way u set up ur whole aesthetic and how u lay everything out on ur account its amazing and was sooo helpful when i was trying to learn the basics of astrology

Hello, thanks for loving my posts. I appreciate your comment, delighted to know that this helped you somehow. 😊

Moon in the 11th house

Altruistic, gentle and very empathetic with other people. People, even if they just meet them, tend to quickly feel confident with these natives, even going so far as to tell them private things shortly after meeting them. With this placement of the Moon, the native has the ability to be popular, to win the affection of people and to attract friends who give him unconditional support. Now that I mention the word friendship, these natives are great people to have by your side, because the loyalty, affection and reassurance they are able to give are unique. They are genuinely happy for the achievements and happiness of their friends and it is very important to them that they feel comfortable emotionally and to show themselves as they are. People with a sublime and understandable soul, who, regardless of the differences they may have with others, are attentive and kind. These natives may feel somewhat different from their family or people their age, it is possible that they deal with the feeling of not having fit in with a group at some point in their life, the sense of belonging is something very important for them, even if it is difficult for them to verbalize it. 

The Moon being in an air house, makes them very rational people as far as their emotions are concerned, but that does not mean they are insensitive, quite the opposite, by removing the idea that they have the absolute truth, they are able to understand the motives and people's emotional worlds, which gives them great emotional intelligence. In some cases they may deal with the idea of ​​wanting to take care of their friends or the group they feel they belong with out of an internal need to be cared for in the same way. They very much apply the idea of ​​being the support they felt they didn't have when they were younger. They do not tolerate injustice, and can feel a lot of emotional pain when faced with it, so they will always be willing to support the causes they consider. They are typical people who help strangers and give them an encouraging and genuine smile. They can easily improve people's moods and make them feel that everything will be better. It is very likely that they feel some distance from some members of their family, more than they would like, but throughout their lives they can make friends that feel like family.

As I mentioned before, popularity is something quite common with this placement, these people can be very appreciated and recognized especially on the internet, it is quite common to see celebrities with this placement. They have the desire to contribute something to society, whether it be changes, help, knowledge, etc. They may want to do something significant or big. In financial terms, they may have some ups and downs in their income, but they have the ability to handle it. They are likely to make money as teachers, chefs, content creators, entrepreneurs or psychologists. Even if they seem to be very people-oriented people, these natives need to feel autonomous and enjoy their time alone. In fact, it is likely that when faced with a difficult event, they prefer to isolate themselves to process everything at the beginning, since feeling their support back is something crucial for them. The relationship with the mother can be somewhat complex, and the native is likely to feel that they are very different in terms of ideals. In the best of cases, the native feels motivated by their mother to follow their dreams, in the most tense case there may be a lot of emotional distance with her.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[sgiandubh]

This what I mean 👇🏻

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3518505943900484/

Dear (returning) Bitchy Anon,

I wrote this answer yesterday, but I am posting it today, because I did not want to give you any satisfaction. Your coming back in here proves there is not an ounce of humanity left in you: just a #silly obsession for an actress who does not even know or care you exist. I promise you she doesn't. Confidently so.

But then, onwards to your 'evidence'.

You thought you would give me the creeps on Christmas Day with a controversial picture allegedly taken at the Weinstein (yes, that Weinstein!) and Netflix Golden Globes afterparty, on January 8, 2017?

No, seriously now: you actually did?

Crikey. As we say in Romanian (and yes, it is very rude, but also dementedly funny): mi se umple fundul de lacrimi/my arse is in tears. Perhaps the equivalent of I don't give a flying fuck, btw.

If you did read me before posting your laughable shite, and I think you did, you should know by now how I usually work, at least for those things I choose to make public (the rest is none of your business, I am afraid). You found this pic on Pinterest, originating from a Tumblr blog: @clairebeauchampfan. Since this person started blogging one year later than the moment this picture was taken, she probably found it chez Contemplating Outlander. You know, that pseudo-social scientist-cum-shrink, who thinks people are machines and adds a shitload of footnotes to her rantings, because she truly believes it makes her biased crap more credible (it doesn't, and this comes from an academic researcher: it is legit pathetic). So Claire Beauchamp Fan shared it and forgive me, but I did not bother finding her post, I just looked for her source (*urv's fetish):

This took me to CO's really nasty blog and you could have spared me that ordeal, Anon: it's literally akin to severe constipation. And then, onwards to Instagram:

A further search revealed she was wearing a Romanian designer (Maria Lucia Hohan) dress and Amrapali earrings. And then, I read the comments on that Insta post. Maybe you'd read them too, they are enlightening - for someone who's 'been around since 2015', people are rather confused about his real status in her life, don't you think?

But Internet is really forever, no matter how you try to hide your trash, Anon. Here is a copy of O'Callaghan's post which was, indeed, deleted: maybe *urv was too insistent? It wouldn't surprise me:

She should have won the Golden Globe in 2017, that's true. And it was S, not McIdiot, the one who told the Internet she should have won all those prizes, if memory serves. How odd McIdiot is never mentioned in that particular post (y'all would have paraded it for YEARS, if it were so) - but household staff, no matter how promoted, never really is. And before you screech, tell all the damn truth Anon, and put this pic in its right context:

How odd the 'successful music producer and entrepreneur' (he is not successful, nor a music producer and much less an entrepreneur) was not tagged, by someone who is active in the industry, who clearly knows C and who attended that Golden Globes gala!

Just a last word on that pic. C was obviously smiling and talking animatedly with O'Callaghan and then McIdiot (who looks malnourished - but hey, humble beginnings, eh?) got dragged in the middle, for the convenient pic. I sometimes wonder what kind of social life you people have and sadly, I have to say - next to 0, for some of you. I never fuck the dozens of men with whom I do have similar 'just because' pics, interrupting my conversation in the middle of an event.

Also, check this very warm & fuzzy pic with one prominent member of her own, personal and very, very gay Circle of Trust. Because I am sorry, but what straight man wears lipstick, as McIdiot clearly does (and no, it's not because they were smooching in the lavatories, what are you, 14?):

She looks happy, doesn't she?

I mean: really, honey. Get a Real Life and stop trying to persuade me with ye olde Pinterest pics you clearly are completely clueless about, ok?

And before you open your mouth to vomit CO's trash again, please carefully do your homework about McIdiot. But as carefully as I did. Then you can talk, share your interesting findings. Merry Christmas and....

[boringkate]

I watched Lena Dunham's Sharp Stick (2022) with a babe last month. Which I absolutely loved!!!

It's never explicitly acknowledged, but the main character is clearly supposed to be (despite the producers claiming otherwise) in some way neurodivergent. Or something. She's meek and impossibly sexually naive (to the point where me and the girl I watched it with had initially assumed the character was intended to be a child). Apparently they had approached an autism sexuality advocate to work as a consultant for the film before backpeddling.

Trans girls tend to be autistic.

The main character also had a hysterectomy (as did Lena Dunham).

Trans girls tend to be infertile.

She's shown taking estrogen.

Trans girls tend to take estrogen.

She becomes obsessed with porn and begins having one night stands with random men from the internet in hopes of finding validation by proving her sexual desirability.

Trans girls tend to do that shit.

It ends with her realizing and leaning into her impregnation fetish (while getting fucked by the one black guy she knows who had just brought over some 40s and called them homies and also while her black step sister's hands unexpectedly drift in from off screen to hold her because even when she managed to push it off to the last second Lena Dunham is incapable of being chill and normal about race).

Trans girls can't go ten seconds without making the same joke about how if you don't think you can get a trans girl pregnant then you just aren't trying hard enough (and the frequent fetishization of black men in trans and especially neighboring sissy communities can't really be denied).

Also the bartender is played by Tommy Dorfman (a trans woman) with it being her first time playing a character with a girl name.

But I'm not trying to suggest it's intentionally a movie about the tgirl excperience. That would be silly. Really the takeaway should be that (no matter how varied women's lives may be) we (trans women and cis women etc) can still always find common ground and shared excperiences. We're all in this together.

But anyways I was looking at Lena Dunham's Instagram yesterday (I've been off and on again rewatching Girls, so she's stayed on my mind).

One post features the music video she directed starring famed trans girl Hari Nef.

Another post shows that she recently read trans boy Elliot Paige's memoir Paige Boy.

Another post shows a conversation she had with Jon Bernthal (on his podcast) where she explains the word cis to him and talks about having also explained it to her husband (this is the only clip from her appearance on the podcast that she chose to post).

BTW did you know that she was an executive producer for the 2021 show Genera+ion (which I recall featuring a trans boy actor playing a cis boy character who gets a girl pregnant).

Fascinating!

Meanwhile. Ten years earlier. In 2013 (a year into my transition and a year before Time declared that we've reached the trans tipping point) an episode of Girls features a doorman telling one of the titular Girls that "a tranny walked in last time and he was just walking around the floors, but it was nothing." (lmao)

UPDATE: s05e02 features a "did you just assume my pronouns" bit. (in a way that felt reactionary and gross because the theyfab saying it was an absurd hipster barista that the audience isn't intended to sympathize with)

UPDATE UPDATE: s06e02 features the leader of a group for women entrepreneurs saying "For those of you asking on our Facebook if the group is open to trans women: The answer is: We don't know. Okay?" (which I thought was fun)

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: s06e03 (the literal next episode) "I even went to a couple of hookers and one of them had a dick."

[itsclydebitches]

I'm not the same anon but I do think that keeley repeatedly saying "we're just friends" for an entire episode only for people to completely ignore her words the moment roy says he wants something more is... fucked up, to say the least

I wad afraid of speaking up because I thought I was the only one that saw it lol

I too looked at her expression, the way she says "roy...", how fast she lets go of his hand and how cheery she is towards jamie, how even roy notices and focuses on her letting go of his hand so fast (because viewers are meant to notice it as well!)

But people just went "omg she touched his hand! who cares that she spent an entire episode saying she wants him as a friend and looks almost panicked at that moment! she clearly wants to jump back in a romantic relationship with him!"

I felt crazy lol but now I feel validated

The show tried to show a strong and independent keeley... only for her to enter yet another relationship and end up needing rebecca's financial help again.

A huge issue I have with the show is that keeley's story in each season revolves around her romantic relationships. And people eat it up because "uwu ships!"

I think that in a show that gave us such badass female characters like rebecca, sassy, nora, sharon, etc., what they did to keeley in season 3 is a shame and a disservice to her character

Season 3 was perfect to show her as the strong, independent woman keeley proclaims herself to be in season 1

She could have brought some of that "Lasso effect" to her new office, become a badass boss and entrepreneur

Instead once again her story revolves around her romantic interests, she loses the firm, is betrayed by a close friend, and has fan fave roy pressure her to get back with him as soon as she's out of an abusive relationship

The only true moment of brilliance I saw from her was in 3x08 when her pics and videos were leaked and she refused to make a public apology and stood her ground (roy's behavior was quite abysmal right there btw)

It's true that this doesn't feel like a "last season of the series" storyline for keeley

It's looks like a really good setup for a spinoff, maybe?

I really hope she ends season 3 as a happy single woman focused of rebuilding her career

Woo feeling validated in fandom interpretations! I know that feeling oh so well lol

As said, I need to give the last episode a re-watch, especially since I personally haven’t come across anyone making light of Keeley’s apparent discomfort. Which isn’t to say that those posts don’t exist, just that they haven’t made their way to my pocket of the fandom and thus I’m not really in a position to comment on their validity (or lack thereof).

However, I do disagree with the take that Keeley being in relationships this season is a “disservice” to her character. Honestly, I think both you and the previous anon are coming from a rather narrow idea of what a “strong independent woman” looks like. It’s an incredibly understandable viewpoint given media history -- wherein woman are written primarily as sex objects and/or fridged lovers for man pain -- but in this case I think those expectations are blinding fans to Keeley’s canonical complexity.

As an important reminder to readers in general, Season 3 did not suddenly arrive with romance plotlines that derailed Keeley’s otherwise good writing. Romance and sexuality are baked into her core characterization, right from Episode One. So yes, if you're not at all a fan of that characterization then Keeley is never going to work well for you. Which implies then that the issue has less to do with tweaking Keeley's plot and more the desire for a totally different character. Because this is a woman who prioritizes sex and her romantic interests. She is introduced as being (sexually) intimidated by Rebecca, talking about how hot she is, how she’s totally thought about the two of them together, and praising her topless photos. Keeley consistently dresses in outfits that ping-pong between traditionally sexy and coy, schoolgirl looks. She’s dating Jamie at the show’s start, talks about how she wants more than to just keep dating hot footballers younger than her, and then finds that "more" by a) becoming Rebecca’s pseudo-protege and b) dating the older, mature Roy whose football career is coming to a close. But the point is that Keeley has always been sexual, has always been interested in romance, and has (nearly) always been after Roy in particular. Season One is peppered with that attraction, from her impressed “Holy shit” when he headbutts Colin, to making fun of him while he stands outside in the parking lot without his shirt.

Continuing this trend of Keeley being interested in sex/romance in Season Three is only a problem if we think it’s inherently bad for that to be a primary focus in her life... and I don’t think it is. Because otherwise the only issue would be if Ted Lasso wasn't capable of writing women except as arm candy for men... and the show quite obviously is. Keeley’s sexuality becomes a unique characteristic of her personality precisely because the other women are written as having their own, differing priorities and interests: Rebecca is the high-powered woman whose divorce is a symbol of freedom, Nora is still young and has other things on her mind, Sally likes casual sex but isn’t looking for a relationship (at least not with Ted), Sharon is a no-nonsense professional who has a split-second scene with a new boyfriend, Mae has no romantic prospects at all, etc. Personally, I find it to be a reductive reading to take a woman who has been shown as a romance-focused, sex-positive individual from day one, who has ALSO achieved so much outside of those interests, and then claim that because romance remains a priority in her life she’s not strong/independent. Really, how much does a woman have to achieve before she’s “allowed” to be written as putting relationships first? This is the Feminism 101 reminder that if you give women the means to be anything they want... a lot of them will want to be wives, mothers, hookers, secretaries, etc.

More to the point, Keeley does achieve a lot this season. You say that you wish Keeley had become a badass boss and entrepreneur... but she is. She was those things last season too. She runs a company and had a plot wherein she learned how to be a better boss after hiring her friend turned out to be a mistake (an arc that I think parallels Ted figuring out how to bench Roy). She's literally a boss and literally a badass, so what else does she need to do on screen to convey that? You say that Roy “pressured” her to get back with him, but he doesn’t. He intends to leave a letter while she’s away and Keeley surprises him. Keeley asks him to read it aloud. Keeley calls him back when Roy starts walking away. That’s all a moment of agency on her part and I don’t think we should deny her that just because we’re used to women being pressured into relationships in other stories/real life. That doesn’t mean that’s what’s happening here. Yes, Roy really stepped in it when he asked Keeley who the video was for, but that’s the entire point of the scene. He fucks up, immediately realizes he fucked up, and Keeley walks away knowing that she doesn’t owe him an answer. That’s a scene written for Keeley, not for Roy, and it’s not evidence that he’s inherently bad for her. It’s only evidence that people make mistakes and should be forgiven when they try to make amends -- Ted Lasso’s bread and butter.

You say you wished Keeley had brought the Lasso Way to her firm, but she does. Granted, it’s by no means as extensive as Ted’s achievement, but why would we expect it to be when Keeley isn’t the show’s main character? (Nor is she Ted.) What else is her relationship with Barbara though if not a miniature version of what Ted has done with the team? Here’s a standoffish, isolated individual who doesn’t feel like a part of the group. Now let’s humanize her with snow globes. Now let’s have her warming to Keeley over a series of small but significant interactions. Now let’s have the emotional conclusion where Keeley demonstrates that she’s paying attention to her interests (collecting), is willing to accommodate her quirks (I need to pay you), and the end result is Barbara returning because where else would she want to work after all that kindness? This is shown on an even smaller scale with the awkward guy in the office who explicitly tells Keeley that she’s the nicest boss he’s ever had. Again, there aren’t episodes worth of this development, but I think that speaks more to these being side-characters in a B-Plot than it does Keeley’s supposed failure.

Yes, she receives help from Rebecca at the end... but she was receiving help from Jack before. Keeley is not (yet) in a position to stand completely on her own with the firm and even if she was, why would she want to? That’s not Ted Lasso’s approach. The victory here is in having her best friend supporting her when, as Rebecca points out, that help amounts to chump-change for her (seriously, she was casually buying a horse last episode. She can afford this), rather than being beholden to a stranger/abusive-ex. And you say that Keeley’s only true moment of brilliance is when she stands her ground regarding the video... which is a plot-line that revolves around her sexuality. That just emphasizes that, as said, sex and romance has been a key part of Keeley’s story since the start and just because some shows navigate that in a demeaning, insulting way doesn’t mean that’s inherently the case. As demonstrated, having the woman make a sex vid that gets leaked can lead to a fantastic, empowering plot.

Idk I obviously have a lot of thoughts about this, but primarily I’m uncomfortable with this generalized takeaway that Story About Women Having Relationships = Them Being Weak/It's Bad Writing. Especially when Keeley’s romance this season was queer. That representation, to my mind, outweighs any potential harm of getting another romance-focused plotline for a woman. But I don’t see it as inherently harmful? This is all a core part of Keeley’s character, so if fans dislike it... they just dislike Keeley. There's nothing wrong with that, but this is the woman who loves masturbating to a video of her boyfriend crying and was dead-set on a super sexy Christmas until Phoebe needed her help. Sex and romance are key parts of who Keeley is, without those things solely defining her. Plus, notably, the rest of the cast has been focused on romance too. Ted is out there hiring private investigators over Michelle’s potential engagement. Rebecca has an (emotionally) hot night with the boat dude and is still coming to terms with everything surrounding Rupert. Sam is still clearly pining for her at least a little. Beard remains immersed in his own abusive relationship. Colin wants nothing more than to be able to kiss his fellow after a game. Even Trent, if read subtextually, has upended his entire LIFE out of a love of Ted.

And of course Roy, when not doing generic football things, has spent the whole season likewise thinking about Keeley: here’s the hilarious moment when everyone reacts to their breakup (a scene that heavily sells their Happily Ever After for the viewer. If the entire cast is reacting with this much horror and shock, you’re supposed to want them together). Here he is talking to Jamie about her dating someone else. Here he is putting his foot in it because of jealousy. Here’s the love letter. Roy’s characterization this season has revolved around Keeley just as much as Keeley’s has revolved around him and Jack. So even if Keeley didn’t have a unique history and characterization surrounding her romances, it doesn’t feel fair to say she’s somehow being done a disservice when the whole cast is grappling with various, romance-focused conflicts. Ted Lasso is a story about love in all its forms and I for one am pretty damn happy with how they’ve written Keeley's brand of love. The show said that you can be a boss ass bitch AND sexually active AND prioritizing finding the love of your life; you don’t have to choose. So I’m a little protective when fans frame it like Keeley does, in fact, have to choose. If she’s in romances than she’s no longer independent and strong and powerful... which simply isn’t true.

That narrow perspective is, I think, potentially more of a problem than fans who ship her with Roy when, clearly, the show wants you to ship her with Roy. That’s their B-Plot since day one. That’s what Ted faints over and Beards screams out a disbelieving “What?!” The characters ship it too. Are there structural problems in media where women are frequently denied agency and are reduced solely to a man’s love interest? Yeah, but we need to read the room a bit too. I think acting like fans are bad for prioritizing their relationship in a show that has consistently prioritized their relationship is a bit like walking into that Rom-Com and going, “Ugh, can you believe the woman is falling for another man? That’s all women do in stories anymore! She’s just pining after and flirting with and eventually marrying this guy, it's so sad." Like... it's a romance. Sure, we can unpack how this characterization feeds into other stories and even the prevalence of the genre itself, but that doesn't erase the fact that this is a romance and having a character fall in love is the entire point. Keeley is likewise a romance-focused character with a romantic subplot who also does a lot of other, cool, non-romance things throughout the show. That’s been Ted Lasso’s genre/vibe since the start, so wanting something different is an individual preference, not a failure of the story. No one has to like Keeley or what they're doing with her, obviously, but in this case the show has not promised something it didn't deliver on.

[memento-mortalityplays]

btw there is another fundamental difference between AI art and human art that people keep missing (and are already losing ground to in the Big Tech Mind War): algorithms don't have relationships.

A human artist is constantly learning, constantly practising, constantly seeking out ideas, making decisions, showing their work. they are changed by the process of creating, and that is an inherently social act. there is no escape from the relationship between creator and creator and audience and creator and audience.

Look at Bill Watterson. He produced maybe the most beloved comic strip in the english speaking world, then went up a mountain and cut himself off from the world for 30 years. This month he announced a new project and everyone went apeshit. Not because he's The Best Technical Illustrator Ever To Grace The Earth. Not because he's a vessel of divine inspiration carrying the greatest ideas the art world ever saw back down the mountain to humanity. It's because we loved his work, and we loved the man we imagined sitting at his drawing desk telling us little vignettes about childhood and nature and imagination and frustration. It's because we can read the cartoons he drew in college, and see the unpolished edges and the disheveled students he'd later recycle into Calvin's parents. It's because he chose not to license his creations for merchandise, or to play out their stories past the moment he felt they were over. It's because he went up the mountain and we respected his absence for thirty years, and when the time was right he came back.

We've been talking about algorithms in indie art circles for years at this point. It didn't start with AI image generators. Social media has eaten up so much of our community real estate online that being an artist on the internet has been made inseparable from being a social media professional. When people talk about 'how to make it as an online artist' now, the vast majority of the advice that picks up traction is concerned with 'how to please the algorithm'. Make sure you post on a regular schedule. Make sure you hit peak times and then boost your content for your secondary audiences. Don't use certain words in image descriptions. Use at least three hashtags but no more than five. Images with faces in them work better with the autocrop. Here are the dimensions to work in to ensure your art isn't resized in the feed. Here are colours that always pop on a phone screen. Here are the most popular genres for a webcomic. Here are the layouts for a cover image guaranteed to catch people's eyes. Here's why you should switch to a vertical format. Here are the keywords to use in your titles. Here are the top ten plot tropes. Here is the cookie cutter. Here is the cookie cutter. Here is the cookie cutter.

Not all of this is bad advice, but much of it has become the dominant advice for anyone who is frustrated that their latest painting only got seven likes and wants to know how to beat the system. People have bought in so hard to the idea that The Algorithm is responsible for one person's success and another person's failure that it has become the primary lens through which a lot of online artists view their work. People talk about this shit the way kitchen table entrepreneurs talked about The secret in the 00s. And it doesn't work!!! Not by itself!!! You can't transform yourself into an art machine and win, because an art machine neglects relationships. It doesn't matter what an art machine drew in college, because the art machine just draws what it's asked for. You rob yourself of the narrative of your own growth. You rob yourself of the friends you make when you talk to the seven people who liked your painting (not because of its aspect ratio, not because of the optimal colour palette, not because it hit their dashboard in the ideal window between lunch and the afternoon shift) because you made it and showed it to them.

Could an AI someday produce something like Calvin and Hobbes? Probably not. Even if it could, what would it matter? Would you feel attached to the algorithm? Could you type in 'college paper editorial cartoon, ink on paper, Ohio, 1970s' and look at the output and feel anything at all? AI image generators excel as generalists. They can show you a general idea of almost anything you like, any genre, any period, any colour. Human artists are specialists. We specialise in telling each other what it's like to be human.

[the-bird-and-the-flute]

Ayakashi - Koga Kitamikado - Wasted Love

Pairing: futaba (adult) x koga kitamikado

Warnings: assault, alcohol, bad language

Word count: 1.415

A/N: this fic is an alternative story based on his card 100 yearnings of love (that he gets wasted in the entertainment quarter with oji). Futaba here is an adult and she works with her father. She is almost Koga's age. Btw, I wrote this fic almost a year ago but I was too lazy to edit it. Now it seems a great moment to post it, as today is Koga’s bday!!!! Happy birthday, my oni ogre. I’ll always always love you, even if I can’t play ayakashi anymore. Voltage can’t take you away from me!!!!

Koga went to town to have so fun with his friends. Thankfully, he can take the rest of the night off to chill, which is unusual considering there is always something urgent for him to do.

The entrepreneur always receives invitations to fancy parties and the likes, but today, he just wants to vibe with his closest friends.

These men are bachelors, who, by chance, also love sake. Their motto is to always drink to their heart's contents.

Today, a very traditional restaurant is holding a sake tasting in their establishment to promote local sake businesses. The perfect event for guys like Koga and his friends. And as expected, sake lovers would never say no to this unique opportunity.

All Koga wants after a busy week is to taste that nectar on his oni lips until he quenches his thirst.

After hours of tasting all the types of sake available, they were far from being tired of drinking. One of the female attendants approached the rowdy group to ask if they would still like another round of sake.

“Would you like more sake handsome boys?”, said you one of the female attendants.

“Oh yeah, We're just getting started! Hahaha.”

“Huh! As if I would lose to you, Koga. Bring it on, lady!”

“HAHAHA. That's the spirit, Akira!”

While the attendant was laughing at the boys’ enthusiasm, a second friend of Koga, Hokuto, started flirting with her.

“And what about you pretty lady? You must be tired of just serving us. Why don't you join us instead?”

“Yeahhh! Don't worry about your boss, we can deal with him later. I'm sure he will understand”, shouted an excited Akira.

“I would love to! Thank you. I'll just get your drinks first.”

“Now we are talking about! Koga, you saw that? Ahhh, today is our lucky day!!! Sake and women are an unbeatable combo!”

“So you make sure she sits next to you, Akira. I have nothing to do with that. I just want the sake, you know.”

“Ohh, here you go again. Don’t worry, Koga. Futaba is not gonna get mad at you, we were the ones who invited her.”

Then, by accident, Koga knocked over some glasses that were on the table, making a huge noise in the establishment.

Luckily, most people didn't notice because it was late at night and the remaining customers were also wasted or too busy talking and laughing loud.

“Oops, hahaha. Where those glasses came from?”

“Is that him panicking just to the possibility of his sweetheart seeing him here with other women?

“Oi, don't talk as if I was not here... Futaba is a busy woman, but she is very understanding. No way she would… Ahhh, I don’t need to give you any explanation!”

“I'll pay for the broken glasses. Look, I have money!”

“Hahaha I thought you were going to use that money to buy more sake though!”

“Oh shit, true! But no worries! There is more where this came from! HAHAHA”

The attendant comes back with more sake for the rowdy men. After serving them, she sits at the table and starts drinking too.

But it doesn’t take long before one of the coworkers approaches to let her know she needs to get back to work because another group of costumers just arrived and someone needs to serve them.

As all the other attendants were extra busy, she excuses herself to wait on the other clients.

“Wow, kinda late to enter now, isn't it? What time is it anyway?”

“Hehehe, I don't know. But they are no idiots, Hokuto. Look those ladies with them.”

“Shit! Isn’t that…!”

Koga turns his head around to see what his friends were talking about. That's when he sees Futaba with some ladies and gentlemen sitting at a table on the other side of the establishment.

“WTF!?”. Without thinking twice, Koga gets up clumsily and rushes toward the table where Futaba just sat. His friends try to stop him, but they are too wasted to hold an infuriated and confused Koga, who was not ashamed of throwing a fit in public.

“Are you guys going to try some of these special sakes?”, said a cheerful Futaba.

“Futaba!”

“Huh? What was that?”. Futaba turns around to see Koga screaming her name from the other side of the restaurant. She gets shocked when she sees her beloved Koga walking towards her as if he was going to kill someone.

“What is happening, Futaba?”

“Err... I'm not sure myself. If you excus...”

“What are you doing?”, whispers one of Futaba’s female friends. “Do not leave the table with our patrons here! They will get offended.”

“Listen, I don’t know what Koga is doing here, but knowing him, it would be best if I try to calm him down first. He doesn't know these men. He may be worried about my safety…”

“No, Futaba. Stay here. You’ll make things worse. Now sit here next to me.”

In a split second, Koga approaches Futaba’s table. The oni ogre is foaming at the mouth. His red eyes shone like flames as if he was in a war zone ready to take the enemy down.

“ YOU TELL ME RIGHT NOW WHAT IS THIS!”

“Koga, can you please stop screaming? Your behavior next to my patrons is not acceptable! Let’s talk…”

“And who the fuck is that man? Get the fuck out of here, drunkard. If you touch any of the ladies here I will ask my bodyguards to kick you out right now!”, shouted one of the men at Futaba’s table.

“AM I TALKING TO YOU?! If you dare to interrupt my conversation with Futaba one more time. You'll regret ever coming here.”

“That's outrageous! This fucker needs to go immediately!”

Koga and the other men at Futaba's table kept yelling at each other when another friend of hers tried to cool down their spirits.

“Do you know who this guy is? Please, we are talking to Koga Kitamikado! It must be just some misunderstanding, okay? He is Futaba's lover. I'm sure he has his reasons to come here. Let’s all solve this like adults.”

“Yes, Sakura is right. I can handle this. It won't take long, I promise. I will just explain to Koga...”

“I don't give a fuck if he is a Kitamikado or not. No man is gonna ruin our...”

Before the man can finish his sentence, Koga punches the guy so hard that he goes down like a sack of potatoes, letting everyone in the establishment astonished by what they had just witnessed.

“KOGAAAA! LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! YOU PUNCHED ONE OF MY PATRONS!”

Koga's friends, who were watching the whole scene, decide to intervene once again by talking to the other men at Futaba's table and to Koga as well.

"Who on earth were the other men thinking? Inviting Fubata in the middle of the night to the entertainment quarter and expecting to get away with it with Koga watching the whole thing? Don’t these men hear the rumors about Koga and Futaba?", said a resigned Hokuto.

Somehow, even though they are all drunk, they manage to control the commotion. One of Koga’s friends escorted Futaba’s female friends, and the man who Koga knocked out was taken to the hospital. According to the rumors, he was conscious. Futaba and Koga took a carriage back to his place before he could assault other people.

Once the duo gets to Koga’s manor, Futaba promptly helps to carry him inside.

“Here, Koga. Let me help you. Come on. We're home. I mean... in your house.”

“I’m fine. I’m fine!”

“I think I'll beg to differ, but okay, if you're fine then you can go to your room by yourself while I head to my house.”

“Futaba, wait... Are you hurt? If those fuckers did something to you...”

“Please, stop it. You're exaggerating. It was just a business meeting. Look, we're getting close to your room. Don’t be too loud, okay? You may wake up, Kuya. And we don’t want that.”

After putting Koga on his bed, Futaba looks for some other blankets for Koga when she sees those red eyes staring at her.

“What is it, Koga?”

“Futaba… I’ll solve it, okay?”

“Huh?”

“I’ll not let anyone ruin your reputation because of me. I’ll talk to them tomorrow. Just stay the night here.”

Now knowing how to say no to those pleading red eyes looking at her, Futaba gets some extra blankets for herself as well.  

[meteor752]

How exactly did the couples get together? Like who started dating first, and we’re there ever other crushes (This is about the Double Life kids btw)

-💀

Oh yeah I figured

The coupling of the kids is actually a bit of a difficult question, because honestly I just kinda paired them up at complete random lol. When I couple my OCs I usually give it a lot of thought, but here I didn’t care because I thought nothing more would come of it after that first post

Boy was I wrong

But the one thing I have known is the order in which they got together. Firstly Liana+Jassy, lastly Jekiv+Wes, with Novo+Gertrude there in the middle

(Also the reason Johnny was the one without a partner is because whenever I think of these kids there’s always one I forget for a moment, and this time it was Johnny boy. Sorry to all the Johnny fans)

I do have some thoughts

So in the beginning of Double Life, Team Scarian and Team Smalletho were actually kinda bros. They weren’t like full allies, but they were pals ya know. Couple of guys being dudes. So I imagine that slipped into the kids as well

In the beginning, the care taking of the children was probably not the highest priority on everyone’s mind. Sure, they were just infants (or an egg in Liana’s case), but this was two weeks after the games started, everyone was scrambling to set up their bases and get as much material as possible before it ran out in their limited space

So sure, as babbus the kids got a lot of attention cause you can’t just leave an infant alone, but when the kids grew into toddlers certain parents would kinda collab in it, like one of them watches the kids while the other three grind

So Jassy and Liana have always been pals. They were naturally drawn to each other, as strange as it is. I mean, on first glance this silent ninja and charming business entrepreneur have nothing at all in common. But in the famous words of Selena Gomez herself, Everything is not what it seems.

Jassy is a dumb pun loving goofball at heart, who idolizes her dad to the point where he can do no wrong, and is a huge geek for horror stories.

Liana is an overthinking know it all with self worth issues, that has a bit of a sciency side and a curious it’s to always learn more, and a tendency for trouble.

So yeah they get along.

I don’t know how they would get together actually, but they feel like one of those couples who’s just always been you know. Like if you’d ask any of the others when Liana and Jassy started dating, they would probably just shrug because they don’t know, they’ve been together for as long as they can remember. Even the two of them probably forget how and when it happened from time to time.

Novo and Gertrude is interesting, because it takes the most eccentric and crazy of the kids, and pair him with the most laid back and chill one. I love dynamics like that.

Unlike Jassy and Liana, I doubt Box duo and Scott/Pearl would have had much collaboration with raising their kids. Scott had Cleo, Pearl would just bring Novo with her or leave him with Tilly, and Box duo had Martyn, who abandoned his kid.

So Novo and Gertrude would get together when they got older and got put on a longer leash, aka when the kids just did whatever. I feel like if the kids would ever do something they would pair Novo and Gert together because, well, she’s chill and can keep an eye on him. Also if he gets himself into trouble she can just carry him away from it.

So the two spent a lot of time together, talking and bonding. A common ground they had were their parental issues, with one of their parents looking towards others outside of the soul bond while the other was just left alone.

Gertrude has some built up issues there, and Novo was surprisingly a great listener. He was kind of the only other person able to relate to her problems.

(Well, Liana can relate as well, but she some problems with repressing her emotions, plus her and Gert aren’t exactly that close)

So yeah, smooching and forming a relationship was just the next natural step lol. They were like fourteen, what do you want from me?

And then there’s Jekiv and Wes. The two who just kind of…got grouped together in my mind. Looking at their personalities and their habits, there isn’t much that actually indicated that they would be a good couple. Jekiv is sarcastic with a lot of curiosity, and a real fascination with death. Wes is anxious with severe OCD and imposter syndrome.

They don’t click in the same way the other two couples do, and I think in universe that’s kind of true as well.

As I’ve mentioned before, Johnny is aromantic. Romantic love is not something he’s interested in at all, in fact it kinda grosses him out. He’s got nothing against platonic love, or sexual attraction, but he just doesn’t feel the romantic thing, and he’s okay with that.

As a bab he was probably a bit scared to tell others that though.

So when Gertrude and Novo got together, he would probably be the first to push Jekiv and Wes towards each other. Because, if those two are dating then oh no, there won’t be anyone left for him to date, whatever will he do???

And soon the others found out what he was trying to do, and gladly assisted, because hey they’re happy in their relationships, plus the two of them are perfect together! They are….they have….well they just are!

So yeah, Wes and Jekiv were kinda forced to be together 24/7.

“Oh sorry I can’t hang out today, I promised mom I’d help her upgrade the farm! But hey Jekiv is free!”

“I heard Wes is working on an extension to the pool, maybe you should go and help!”

“Jekiv is trying to capture a skeleton, why don’t you help him! You’re strong and stuff!”

And yeah, Wes and Jek didn’t mind each other’s company. Sure, they didn’t have that much in common, but they still had enough common ground to hold multiple conversations.

And yeah, when they both were tricked into going on a “romantic dinner” in the bowel of The Relation, why not just start dating?

It wasn’t a bad relationship. Jekiv is extremely patient (Something that kind of stems from sitting around half of the time just waiting for everyone to wake up so he’s not alone anymore), and is great support to Wes’ anxiety attacks. It doesn’t matter to him that Wes has to check every door three times before they leave, or it takes an hour to set the table just because everything needs to be precise.

The same goes for Wes, he’s good at listening when Jekiv needs to let out steam about his dad, or his mom, or Novo who won’t leave him the fuck alone. He’s not that creeped out by the death experiments, and will gladly assist Jek in getting any body part he can from a Zombie or Creeper. He’s a good fighter while Jekiv isn’t, so he will kick anyones ass who dares mess with him.

They’re good friends! Just a bit of an awkward couple.

They do romantic things, go on dates, kiss, the devils tango, they just…kind of stumbled into it.

And yeah, over time they probably grew to love each other romantically, but they both know that from the start their relationship wasn’t genuine. It was partly just to get everyone off their backs about it lol.

And as for crushes, well the kids have kinda crushed all over the place.

At least three of the kids has had crushes on Wes, Gertrude, and Liana. Hot people stay hot.

Novo used to crush on Jassy. She was dating Liana at the time so he never told her.

Wes has had a crush on Novo, who’s straight so yeah.

Gertrude has a crush on Johnny. He rejected her when she told him, and they still remained friends.

Jekiv is the one who’s had crushes on the most people actually. Only one he hasn’t felt anything for is Novo, but that’s cause they’re like pseudo brothers

[friedricebunny]

Haruichi and kazumi's level up file is so...

Imagine you're an author and you're being forced to write a book about an IT company president so to do research for this book, you have to do an interview with this hot shot entrepreneur.

So you meet him and he's pretty boring to you. Doesnt seem to react much. A stick up your ass kinda guy. But as your interview progresses it's unnerving how much this dude doesn't show emotions. It's the most blatant mask you've ever seen. You describe him as a cyborg. It's weird. It's fascinating.

You start trying to see something from this dude thats real but hes not letting up. It gets to the point that you follow him to a restaurant he regularly visits and...

He's smiling. He's chatting with the owner and his daughter so casually. He has this air of confidence around him that feels so much more real than whatever the hell you saw earlier.

Is this the same guy you just described as a cyborg?

(In kazumi's own words:)

So then you surprise him while he's eating

(And you say this:)

And you end up drinking with him and seeing this guy you considered a cyborg relax around you finally and be honest with you.

Then when he asks what you're still following him for, you tell him that you want to see who he really is. Who are you underneath the title of president? Who are you beyond the mask of this emotionless IT company president? You want to know who this man truly is.

But then truly the peak of this file is when you say this line *immediately* afterwards:

Yes you, after:

Basically stalking this dude

Seeing him without his mask and thinking to yourself it was "captivating"

Admitting you wanted to see more of him beyond his mask of IT company president

Just honestly understood that he even had a mask on in the first place. How many people even catch that mask in the first place? Not even MC immediately noticed that he's hiding something.

After all that, you proceed to say your tonally appropriate version of "no homo btw"

Do you understand I am so bitter that this file is only available at liar file level 25? Do you understand why I need this file in my own game RIGHT NOW and I cannot keep watching this file from a video? Do you understand why I need more haruichi and kazumi interactions so badly?

[dopepoisonivyoncrack]

Imagine a high school au for plants, which kind would take which role,like the nerd, bully, etc Bonus for explaining why

This is a very offering prompt but also kind of difficult because there are many ways to go about assigning a species to each stereotypical role in a high school setting, even if I use some general traits of the species for it. What I chose is one way to go about it, maybe it can be considered a generation. Other generations could be assigned based on different traits.

We’ll start in the Principal’s Office. Meet the Head of the prestigious high school of plants - Prof. Dr. Welwitschia mirabilis. A massive plant, bearing only 2-3 long leaves for all its life, which spans across the millennia. Some of the oldest members of the species are known to be 3000 years old. They come from the desert, a very harsh environment. This extremely resilient plant, that lived long enough to see it all, surely has what it takes to run this institution. It is also an imposing presence, a must for a Principal, as the words of the botanist that shares the name can best convey: "could do nothing but kneel down […] and gaze at it, half in fear lest a touch should prove it a figment of the imagination."

This high school reveals a less known side of plants, and that is their knowledge and passion for mathematics, and STEM disciplines in general. While most plants have their basic mathematical skills for phyllotaxy (arrangement of leaves on stem, flower symmetry, etc.), some take it to a more advanced level. There is even a Math club, members including: Helianthus annuus (aka The Sunflower) and Aloe polyphylla, that are mastering the Fibonacci, Dionaea muscipula (aka Venus flytrap) which is great with arithmetic (they can literally count), and Arabidopsis thaliana that studies calculus. I guess you can consider them a kind of nerd, but they are highly respected and rather cool than socially awkward, they are the geeks maybe. Sunflower and Venus are hot and wicked, Arabidopsis is popular and Aloe can be quite intimidating, so you won’t find anyone daring to bully them. Since Sunflower can be quite territorial and has its allelopathy skills, I’d say it's in their best interest to not mess with her haha, they are also the poster-plant for sassy, the sassiest plant. Aloe is fat, has a pretty face behind big square glasses, I’d say its nerdy-cute but their personality is serious and they don’t deal well with changes so they’re one of those persons that must have a steady schedule and stick to everyday habits.

Orchids are said to be the most intelligent plants in the world, but these don’t qualify as nerds either, quite the opposite as they are geniuses at tricking others to do the work for them, to help them with everything. Pretty, charismatic, sly and wicked, their success is based on manipulation and knowing how to play their cards. Even if one may find it frustrating, orchids don’t necessarily break any rules so not much can be done against them (actually I think that this is the most frustrating part haha). Best chances to become entrepreneurs and build billion dollar companies, or celebrities. (the rich, popular boys/girls/they them/all pronouns tbh that come to school in expensive cars, might come with a bicycle and make sure to point out how environmentally-conscious they are to gain popularity points). (Plants are the most queer actually, it's a queer-normativity world, even if they have their dioecious (equivalent of binary gender) or heterosexual plants too, in some group. Many are bisexual btw. Our ideal human world in this sense would be more like the plant world.) - mentioning this here because Orchids have complex private lives, to the point tabloids and media are obsessed.

Roses are not far away either. They are rich and pretty, always having Nobility First World Problems. The essential preppy queen of the high school, must be queen of the Prom etc etc. Their social circle is select, including Lavandula (aka Lavender), Nepeta (catmint), Dianthus (tall growing pinks). I am not kidding when I say I read that by their family tradition, the best companions for roses are those that hide their legs… cough old fashioned prudes. They even have servants, like please (called living mulches). They have good grades, must keep above average on all grounds. Needy princess personality much though. (This is the cultivated rose btw, their wild relatives are a different story). This is not to say they are bad persons or anything, they are well educated, knowledgeable, and have a pleasant presence, they like fine things and such. People love them and try to cater to all their needs for a reason, and out of their own volition.

If Roses like fine arts, are versed in poetry, classic literature, classic music and such, Boquila trifoliata is a master of disguise…so much its hard to tell their real self. They have excellent vision (rumor has it that they have eyes/ocelli). They are not dramatic enough for theatrical arts, but they make great actors....or spies, or ninja lmao. They can blend in perfectly yet that's exactly what makes them unique.

You know the anime pairs with the kind giant character always carrying on their shoulders the small character that looks cute but has a dark personality? yeah, we have that in plants high school au. Meet Viscum album (aka Mistletoe), the small, cute, ever-green shrub, usually seen carried around on the shoulders of gentle big guy - Populus. Some call their relationship abusive and toxic, and there are a lot of myths and legends regarding Viscum’s family. Its true that Viscum is semi-parasitic and has toxic berries but they are also born without a protein essential for a functional respiratory complex so they must rely on the other to survive. They take water and nutrients from the other but have leaves of their own and do not hurt their host like others. (This generation’s mistletoe is seen on Populus, but there is a selection of big trees on which mistletoe grow including apple tree, linden, hawthorn, Tilia, Abies… a dinner with the Viscum family would be funny, seeing each small Viscum family member on the shoulders of their big partner).

Picking the right plant for the jock role was a bit tricky but I’ll go with Pisum (aka Pea). Yeah, sports don’t seem like a domain for plants, even though all move at their own speed, often hardly perceptible to humans. There are plants that move fast, like Venus when capturing their prey or Mimosa pudica (from Pea family as well) that is renown for its fast movements (also called touch-me-not, actionplant, shameplant, sleepyplant, sensitiveplant….yeah, can u can see why they are not the jock character despite their speed?). ANYWAY, Pisum sativum is a climbing plant characterized by adaptability, flexibility, goal-directed, reminding of how animals would act. In dense plantings they can give each other mutual support so they play well in teams. Another quite-obviously moving plant is Maranta (aka Prayer-Plant), they are more into Yoga though, I think?? don’t let the prayer nickname fool you, there is nothing religious about them, this bisexual is also known for a… chuckles… explosive style movement (a sex move regarding pollination that happens extremely fast). If anything, the nickname comes from the yoga pose they usually perform everyday.

Speaking of Mimosa pudica, this would be the most bullied plant like please, please, please let this baby in peace. Everyone touches them just to see their movement, even though it's very energy-draining for them. They are used in many experiments for movement and memory. They are hypersensitive to touch and shy. They can live in poor environments and don’t compete with other plants for resources, they just wanna be left in peace. Their compound mimosine has antiproliferative and apoptotic effects meaning they could be good in treating cancer, and the extracts from roots neutralizes monocled cobra venom. They are also very smart, and soft and pretty and fragile. They are the best boy (gender neutral) and most baby, must protect!!!

If you or anyone else is curious about a specific role that I didn’t mention feel free to ask and I can find a good plant for the role <3

[leoascendente]

Your rising sign 🌅 (part 1)

*The best way to know what's your rising sign is through the natal chart, there are other ways to know it but for me, the most precise is through your chart*

The rising sign is the zodiac constellation that is ascending on the horizon in the moment you were born. The opposite is the descendant, is the zodiac constellation that hides on the other side of the horizon.

I'll try to summarize as much as possible. The rising sign is about the energy you irradiate outwards, is not so much an interiorized energy so it's usual to not feel comfortable with it. The rising is more notable by the outside eyes and that's the importance of internalize and learn how to feel good with the energy of the rising sign, like my favorite astrologist says: " the rising is the path we must follow to reach our Sun". It's the first impression we give to the world and somehow the color of the glasses we see the world with and how the world give us back the look, so if we don't internalize and make ours this energy the cicles of the Universe will bring situations to our lives that make us develop it even if it's in difficult ways. The rising sign can tell us some physical attributes but for this is also important to watch the first house and the sign intercepted there.

The Descendant is more related to others and how we see them, with the rising we give our first impression but in the Descendant somehow we get the first impressions of the rest of the world, it shows us the attributes we first grasp on the others. Also the desendant gives some balance to the energies of the rising sign when it overflows.

Well, let's start now with the rising signs... 🤗

·♈ Aries rising -> This risings are individualistic, energetic and passionate, they like to put their heart in everything they do, when they want something they like to go after it without hesitate. Natural leaders and entrepreneurs, likes to be in constant movement, also lovers of adrenaline. If this rising is not internalized or well integrated could end up in sudden anger explossions, and when an Aries rising is angry is better to run (jost a joke Aries, ily all but damnnn you're very temperamental), also a bad integrated rising could end up in situations where you have to develop your assertiveness and courage to make decitions, to develop your creativity to find your path and your willpower. Libra in the Descendant calms and balances that Aries fire and makes the individualism and visceral passion of Aries take a break to let the empathy and diplomacy of Libra take the lead.

- Some physical attributes of this rising are round faces with athletic bodies by natural way, they must tend to muscle really fast without making too much sport, the way they move is fast. They tend to have sharp and sparking eyes, like hiding the fire of Aries inside them, they make fast but intense eye contact. In women I've seen they use to have short stature, also they have pretty and sharp noses.

- Key words: Individuality, fierce, passion, intense, fast.

- Famous with Aries rising: James Dean, Stevie Nicks, Kendall Jenner, John Lennon.

·♉ Taurus rising -> This risings are tender, calmed and mature but also very stubborn, they look very unbothered and relaxed but they are always aware of what's going on around them, like every earth sign btw. Taurus rising likes confort and enjoy the little pleasures of life, they are very sensitive , they are also great managing money. A big lesson for this rising is to keep constant in their goals, to not give up even if things take time to come. A bad integrated rising will bring situations to your life where you will have to keep your feet in the ground and give short but determinated steps outside of the comfort zone without rushing the ressults, if not it can make you feel moody or frustrated and pay it with your beloved ones even if it's not your intention to do it, also Taurus can be very possesive. When Taurus rising get stuck in their attachments and confort zone, Scorpio in the descendant appears to cut it up and renew the energies by experience any intense situation with anybody that makes you transform your dynamic.

- Some physical traits of this rising are healthy and grounded appearance, idk why but all Taurus rising I've met have an amazing skin. They tend to fat retention mostly on thighs, robust constitution, usually hard bones and kind eyes that make people get comfortable by their side.

- Key words: Stability, comfort and comodities, grounded, realistic.

- Famous with Taurus rising: Ezra Miller, Miley Cyrus, Connor Mcgregor, Gigi Hadid.

·♊ Gemini rising -> The people with this rising are curious, imaginative and smart af, they like to know more about everything that surrounds them. They are the ones that talks with everybody and make jokes even with the bank worker, they are open minded people who likes to know what other people thinks about anything that ressult interesting for them. This rising needs to socialize to get to know themselves in a better and deeper way, also gemini rising ask for communicating what's on their mind to get in ressonance with the world around them, if this energy is not integrated the native might be the one that starts different projects for their life but never finish any of them, also there's the risk to get everything through the rational mind blocking the physical body and the feelings jumping between the most familiar options but not making anything solid for their lifes. When Gemini gets hyperactive in their searching of mental stimulation, sagittarius in the descendant appears to make something useful and inspiring with the knowledge Gemini have picked up but keeps in their mind like a human enciclopedia.

- Some physical traits of this rising is they tend to look always younger than they really are, also they se to have long bodies and slender constitution, they give the impression of being light and swift like a feather. They use to be tall, with long hands or fingers, also their body tend to be flexible and agile.

- Key words: Comunicating, intellectual stimulation, socializing

- Famous with Gemini rising: Juliette Lewis, John Krasinski, Judy Garland, Misha Collins.

·♋ Cancer rising -> In my experience, these risings tend to go to the dark part of the Cancer energy, they are soooooo sensitive to the energies and emotions that surround them since they are children that they learn to wear a shell that protects them to be harmed and reforces everytime someone hurts them. If you have Cancer rising you must learn to use your sensibility, sensivity and intuition to improve the beautiful energy that this rising sign has to offer. Cancer risings tend to be tender, generous and affective people, they have the innate need of nurture and taking care of the ones they love and their emotional needs. They intuitively know how people feels so they can get lost in trying to help them, in those moments when the emotions are overwhelming Capricorn in the descendant tries to find more practical and rational points of view, helping Cancer to ground.

- Some physical traits are round and charming faces, like the moon. They could retain lliquids on legs and hips. In women they use to have well proportioned bodies but with tendencie to gain weight in times of crisis, the chest area and the collarbone use to be very beautiful. Their energy is very motherly and kind making people feel attracted to them easily and feel by their side like they are in a safe place.

- Key words: Sensibility, nurture, mother energy, protection, intuition, moon energy.

- Famous with Cancer rising: Margot Robbie, Paul Rudd, Angelina Jolie, (my husband even if he doesn't know yet) Emile Hirsch.

· ♌Leo rising -> I'm a Leo rising and I must say... Damn we are very complicated. We are very intense and extravagant people but for ourselves, one of our hardest lesson is to learn to shine and feel comfortable being the center of attention, I've seen 2 types of this rising, one of them are very extroverted but in a short radius where they can control the situation, the other type, the one I relate prefer to keep in a second place. We are very energetic people with a lot of love and warm to offer to the world, also we are very creative but we need to learn to channel all that energy in ourselves in a healthy way because even if we reject it, deep inside we want to shine and feel important, and show the world all the treasures we hide inside. When this rising is frustrated for the attention it wants but also rejects appears Aquarius to make us see the things from a higher level and a different perspective.

_ Some physical traits of Leo rising are our amazing hair and the posture of our body, automatically we get an upright and svelte posture. We usually irradiate an authority energy that catches the eye even if we try to get unnoticed, also we have shiny faces mostly the eyes, like the Sun and warm smiles.

- Key words: Leadership, creativity, shine, warmth, sun energy.

- Famous with Leo rising: Selena Gomez, Martin Scorsese, Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Depp.

·♍ Virgo rising -> In karmic astrology this is one of the signs that bring most karma to pay (sorry Virgo rising, you're so lovely but Universe is wise even when is hard). This rising is loyal and helpful, they will always try to make your life easier by useful and practical ways, they are very aware of the physical body, its needs and how to take care of them. Somehow life always puts situations in their life where they have to improve their routine, mostly with work and health, if they don't do it they tend to suffer of psycosomatic illness, also if they don't get satisfied with their daily habits can tend to pessimistic attitude and exacerbated self criticism. Bad aspected this rising can became extremely perfectionist and exigent with others and themselves, they put for themselves very high expectations and when this darkest side of Virgo rising comes out Pisces in the descendant comes to say "just relax and flow", to help Virgo watch the situation in a more empathetic and compassive way.

- Some physical traits of this rising are a younger and fresh appearence, with graceful features. The have a clean, pure and sofisticated aesthetic and very elegant but calmed moves. They usually have slender and tall bodies (Mercury influence), in women i've seen they have nice hips and well proportionated body.

- Key words: Acts of service, duties, health, daily habits, neatness, perfectionism.

- Famous with Virgo rising: Elizabeth Olsen, Andy Samberg, Eva Green, Steve Jobs.

I feel like I left a lot of details about every rising behind, every sign has a deep meaning as an archetype so I feel like every rising sign deserves a post for each one to really understand them.

Of course the next astrology post will be the second part, but I would like to know if you prefer to know more about the rising sign, the sign in the 12th house and the karma they have if the both placements are the same or different, or if you prefer a post about Venus sign and what kind of energy makes us feel atracted to, let me know what you would like to learn about.

Comment your rising sign, i'll be reading you! 🥰

[winslowat3am]

Ur the only rich person ik who isn’t detached from the reality of privelege u have, i just got into ur yt and just wanted to say I like ur honesty, the transparency about ur life (I knew ur a model b/c I saw u in catalogs but i never knew u were homeless b4), and the advice u give ppl about money management

It would be awesome if u created some kind of post with links for educational stuff that could help for money management/increasing income and tips for some jobs and how to be successful on yt too, or if u just dived deeper into those topics here I think it would help a lot of ppl especially with the way the economy is spiraling atm

Rich people who are born into wealth don't understand how fortunate they are because they're detached from reality. Or rather, they live a totally different reality from yours, & often have nepotism play a huge role in their success. I wasn't born into a rich (I hate this word, btw) family. My parents had average jobs & worked hard to provide for myself & my siblings. We were poor. I worked my ass off for years to get to where I am because I saw how my parents struggled to provide for us when I was a kid, they had to sell things we owned when they didn't have enough money for bills or food. & it sucked. I knew at a young age that I didn't want to be in that position, unironically it's why I didn't go to college. I got in, but ultimately I changed my mind cause college is stressful if you're not committed to finishing, which I wasn't, & it creates a huge amount of debt for you as soon as you're considered an adult, I've always kind of seen it as like, a "set up" for failure. On purpose. Specifically American colleges. I know that's weird if you don't get it. I have friends who have dropped out of college & know people with degrees who couldn't even get a job at McDonald's. At the end of the day, even if you go to college & graduate you most likely will still have to qualify for the average job & end up working for someone else. While in thousands of dollars of debt. Let that sink in. That's my point, I sat & thought about it one day & I wasn't okay with the idea of working my entire life for chump change until I'm considered "too old" to work. It's so fucked up how this world uses people & tosses them away. So I ditched the college thing & became an entrepreneur, which thank God I chose to do. I started reading books, taking business courses & studied the industries that I was interested in *hint hint*. I actually do talk a lot about this & give advice on IG/YouTube (GRWM playlist), but if you just want me to post educational stuff here I can, but I need specific context recommendations other than $$$ management. Like, what jobs are you interested in? What are you trying to accomplish through YouTube? Are you trying to advertise on there? Do you have or want to start your own business? Anyway. If you want to be happy, you have to work for you. I've been through so much bullshit throughout my life, I deserve to have an easier & happier rest of my life (& you do, too). That was the first thing I learned. That reminder helped me make a lot of tough decisions.

[enjennie]

In The Limelight [chenle x reader]

Summary: Tutoring the CEO’s son, when you’re barely interested in business. And falling for him, when you knew nothing about love.

Genre: Fluff. Rich kid!Chenle Tutor!Reader

Warnings: None

a/n: not proofread! I’ve been in a slump lately ☹ my works haven’t been satisfying me but I hope you enjoy this! btw omg this is a reupload bc the first time... somehow, the paragraphs were jumbled up? 

 “Y/N, there are flowers on your desk,” your classmate gestures behind them to the classroom you were headed to before quickly passing by. You could only nod, a little taken aback by the sudden information you received. Flowers? As far as you know, Valentine’s had passed, so has white day and it’s definitely not your birthday.

But as you enter your classroom, the bundle of flowers catching your eyes, you knew one thing for sure was from who it was. As you approach your desk, you lift the thoughtful gift and inspect the small card attached to the string that tied it beautifully together. ZCH, it read in cursive.

 “How was your day?” Chenle’s voice can be heard from the other line, the smile on his face almost something you can hear along with it.

“It was great! Thank you for the flowers, by the way. They’re delightful,” you beamed, eyes landing at the arrangement that now sat on your vanity. Chenle chuckles, his laughter sending serotonin to run through your body.

“Not a problem, I’m glad you like them,”

“Though I’d appreciate if you gave them to me yourself,” you cheekily continued. Chenle could only smile, his face softening at your request. It was a simple request. Yet, he couldn’t do it.

When you notice the silence that follow, you immediately regret what you said. You desperately try to backtrack, sputtering out words. “Well- I mean-, It’s fine- Thank you, still! I love them,”

Chenle hums, “I know. Don’t worry. You’ll wait though… right? It won’t be long,”

You plant your feet to your carpeted floor and nod, even if he can’t see you. “Of course, Lele,”

 Zhong Chenle is the son of the most respected CEO of one of the biggest corporations in Shanghai the entire world. Chenle was the next in line to the company. After his brother had expressed how the business world didn’t interest him, the responsibility immediately fell into Chenle’s hands. And even if music was his love and calling, he had to let it go as to not disappoint his father.

Chenle had accepted it some time ago, going to school only for the degree so he could be eligible to own the business. He accepted the fact that he was going to be living the life his father made for him, not one he made for himself and it was the hardest pill to swallow. But things changed when he met you. There was more purpose to the things he does, it wasn’t just for nothing. Life had gone from monochromatic to colorful.

 “Miss, Y/N. Mr. Zhong just moved and he has to take this class to pass the semester. I trust you can fill him in with our module? Mr. Zhong, this is Miss. Y/N, she scored the highest during midterms,” your world economics professor had marched towards you after class, a tall boy following behind her. He looked just as oblivious as she did, to the sudden weight and pressure being put on you.

You merely nod and say a simple hello, not being able to say anything else. It wasn’t a question, this was a demand. Jeez if I was gonna teach your student I should get a portion of your pay. You thought bitterly. At the time, you were struggling to juggle a part-time job at a café while also maintaining your grades to keep your scholarship.

When your professor left you two, the boy kept his hands buried in his pockets. His clothes were semi-casual and his hair was styled nicely. Who the hell moves halfway through the year?

“So, Mr. Zhong-“ you take your books into your arms and lazily sling your bag over your shoulder, heading towards the door with him trailing behind you.

“Chenle-, You can call me Chenle,” he finally spoke, startling you a little with how cool and soft his voice is as opposed to his striking visual that intimidated you at first.

“Nice to meet you, Chenle,” you give him a smile.

You were gonna be around this guy for who knows how long, might as well try to be his friend. Maybe it’ll make the teaching less of a chore.

  “Wrong,” you huffed, marking his essay and adding in annotations. “Chenle, remember there is a specific way to start these essays and that’s by defining the terms you’re using,”

The boy sat opposite of you, arms crossed and back against the couch comfortably. You were in a café. The café you worked in, to be precise. Your schedule today overlapped with Chenle’s and as much as you didn’t want him to see you slaving around, you also couldn’t miss this paycheck at the café. You gave him an essay to write just to check on his phrasing and structure and left to buss some tables and serve orders. But when you came back, Chenle barely wrote anything and could care less about it.

“Can we not study today?” he whined.

You and Chenle have been meeting each other for a month now, and you’d soon learned about the type of boy he is, the life he led. In ways you didn’t expect to.

 The first time you found out about Chenle’s reputation was through the newspaper. No, not the school newspaper. Not even the local newspaper. But on the Wallstreet Journal, when you had to grab material from any recent article for a class. Chenle’s name floated along with the words ‘Young entrepreneur’ and their company’s name. You gasped so loud you had to excuse yourself from the library and leave in a hurry. That afternoon you smacked him on the shoulder with your thick world econ textbook.

“You’re from a family of business corporates and you’re learning world economics from someone who crammed the exam?” you exclaimed. He stared at you blankly, book in hand and pen in the other.

“And you don’t pay me!” you added. The fact that you’ve been tutoring someone as rich as Chenle just didn’t make sense to you. Why not go to a professional? Instead, he was here with a sleep deprived college student who sometimes mixes up business terms just because she couldn’t care any less. World Economics was a mandatory for you. You studied to pass, sadly.

“I could start paying you, name the price,” he said easily. But you shook your head.

“I didn’t mean it that way, sorry. I actually don’t care about the money,” You led him to the picnic bench with the table outside school grounds and propped your book on it along with your bag before taking out your bento box. “Just blows my mind how you won’t just pay for the classes. I don’t teach that well-” you continue.

“I like you, though,” Chenle calmly interjects. You look up at the boy, movements being halted by his bold statement.

“Pardon?” you felt the need to have him clarify what he said.  The boy leaned across the table, over your textbooks and notes. “I like you,” Chenle repeated himself, but the impact it had on you was just as powerful and hit you hard. Your heart was doing somersaults.

Chenle’s eyes grew thin as he smiled, backing away from you and sitting back down.

“So, chapter 12,” he starts flipping his book nonchalantly, leaving you out of breath with a heart hammering in your chest.

  “What do you mean not study today? You have an upcoming quiz with Mr. Byun this Friday and mind you, that man searches for wrongs, not rights,” you raised a finger at him, shaking it matter-of-factly.

“No, let me help you. Do you usually run the café on your own?” he closes the book and takes his essay from your hand. You’re left slack jawed.

“No. I- Johnny couldn’t come in today,” you explained. Suddenly, you were stammering as if explaining to your boss. At first, you were doubting if it was the same Chenle you were reading about in the articles. The boy you were tutoring didn’t come off as someone who would be running corporates and buying stocks or whatever. He was more laid back and relaxed. Aside from the way he dressed, nothing gave it away that he was indeed the CEO’s son. But there were times where you got a dominant feel from him. Times when he stood with much authority and didn’t accept no for an answer. In those moments, you realize how Chenle’s presence alone demanded respect.

Soon enough, you found yourself behind the counter with Chenle beside you tying the apron to himself. He looked cute, somehow. The way he smiled at customers and tried giving them their recommendations set butterflies run free in your stomach, you almost swooned. He didn’t get much studying done that day, but you surely did. You learned the fact that you falling slowly but surely with Zhong Chenle.

  There were two chapters you’re left to cover. In the short month and a half, you managed to teach Chenle six month’s worth of topics. Seeing him every other day made Chenle a familiar face to see around. Of course, you never actually got to see him around campus when you weren’t tutoring him. It left you wondering if you were actually teaching a ghost. But all doubts went away when the girls in your class started whispering about the cute boy waiting outside class. You quickly found out it was Chenle who they were talking about, and he was there for you. It was safe to say he wasn’t a ghost and is in fact real.

Carrying his book bag, he was stood against the wall with reading material under his arm.

“Chenle, we don’t have a schedule today,” you walk up to him, trying to avoid the dozen pairs of eyes that watched you. Chenle nodded, “Sorry, I won’t be here tomorrow. My father is bringing me on a business trip,” he states.

It wasn’t new for you to hear this coming from Chenle. Just the other week, his father brought him along to Japan for a company deal and Chenle came back with a little keychain souvenir for you. The same keychain dangled from your bag now as you both walked to the exit of the building. “Are you free?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t bring my book with me tod-“ you begin searching in your bag, even if you knew it wasn’t there. You were just trying to ignore the way his question made your heart jump.

“I mean… for dinner. Are you free for dinner?” he places a gentle hand on yours, stopping you from looking further in your bag. Chenle’s bold movements sometimes took him by surprise as well. He quickly retracts his hand, shoving it in his pockets. You let go of your bag, placing your hands on either side of you.

“Why?” you squinted at him suspiciously.

Chenle’s smile is small, but doesn’t go unnoticed by you as he turns his head towards his car then back down at you. “Listen, you don’t have to overanalyze this. I just want to treat you,”

  Chenle had thought about it a hundred times or more, before finally making a decision. Although you’ve been seeing each other in cafes and libraries for some time now, he didn’t want to consider those as dates. Sure, it gave him time to admire you up close and get to know you but he wanted you to know his true intentions. The only problem was boy, was he a wuss. And were you oh so dense!

Despite the subtle and not so subtle hints he’s given you, you remained clueless about his feelings. Unsure, confused and just downright oblivious. From the way he looked at you to how he vocally told you he liked you. You shoved everything under the rug, afraid that this boy was just toying around with you and having a laugh. He found it cute.

 It didn’t matter that you were in your school clothes, carrying about three thick books in your shoulder bag. He thought you looked stunning. You ate at a pizzeria just in town and he expressed how it tasted just like pizza from Italy. You said you wouldn’t know the difference since you’ve never been, and had a laugh about it.

The walk from his car to your apartment wasn’t that far, it’s just that he had to park a little further since there was no more space left in front. As you walked together, you noticed how the vibe and atmosphere between you two that developed as the night deepened, was different. More lax, comfortable. Like friends? You were both silent, until Chenle piped up.

“I lied, I didn’t just want to treat you,” he muttered, looking into the distance of your quiet street.

You turn your face towards him and you catch a glimpse of his face in the moonlight before looking away. He’d taken your bag from you and had it around his shoulder now. Him in his white polo shirt and brown suit jacket. He was always dressed like he was attending some kind of formal event. That’s Chenle for you. Mr. CEO’s son.

“Then?” you prompted him to continue.

Chenle averts his attention towards you as you finally reached the front of your apartment. You both stop walking, facing each other with the moon as your spotlight. You look at him from the light of the moon, it illuminated Chenle’s features perfectly. You would be able to inspect him when he studied, but each look at him made you breathless every time you had to look away. Much like right now.

“I wanted to take you out. Like, on a date,” Chenle confesses.

You could never wrap your head around how bold Chenle could be. Always leaving you flustered after saying such things, this boy was your weakness. But you didn’t give in. At least, you tried not to.

“Oh,” was your only response as you put your hands together, looking up at the tall boy. You hoped it wasn’t obvious that heat was rushing to your cheeks and ears by now. You could practically feel your blood flowing through your body, making you feel warm all over. “It was fun, I enjoyed it,” you shyly admit.

Chenle takes a step forward, raising his hand to palm your cheek gently. It’s the first time he’s ever gotten this close. “But I’m not sure you’re ready for my world yet,” his voice is lower, cool. Like wind.

You part your lips slightly, willing yourself to breathe. Your breath is unstable, shaky. This time, you take a step forward. “Are you underestimating me?” You don’t know where the surge of confidence came from, but you were thankful for it. The look of surprise is quickly melted into amusement as this was definitely the first time you ever made the second move to the dozens of times he’d left you flustered.

Chenle dips his head down close to your face. Eyes trained on each other, you tried to get yourself to breathe. He looked alluring, and you watch his eyes drop to your lips. Your head had become blank, nothing in mind. Just him. Chenle, and nothing else. His calm eyes, button nose and plump lips that you so very badly wanted to press against yours. “Are you sure?” he whispers.

You close the space between you and Chenle, lining your lips with his and connecting them together. The sensation almost sending you on your knees, you grab onto his shoulder for support and he holds you up by the waist, swiftly wrapping his strong arms around you. It felt like such a big relief, you almost sighed.

When you pulled away, Chenle’s smile comes into view as you fluttered your eyes open. He places his hand at the back of his head and scratches, suddenly becoming shy. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

“You’re something else,” you giggle, smacking his arm before snatching your bag from his shoulder and turning on your heel to leave. You feel his hand against yours, forcing you to stop. “I’ll see you after my trip?” he asks.

“Same time… for class,” you reply, looking back at him with a cheeky smile. Chenle lets your hand go, a smitten smile on his face and a warm feeling in his chest. Zhong Chenle wished things were simpler. He wanted to give you the world.

 “It’s just a black tie party and my dad’s forcing me to come with a date,” he fixes himself in the mirror. He looked handsome, as always. In an all-black suit that fit him perfectly. Dressed like he had someplace to be, people to meet.

You sat on your bed behind him, arms folded and face scrunched up into a frown. A date. Probably someone from a rich family, better than you, his future spouse. They’d have perfect little babies together. All these bitter thoughts were flooding in your brain. When he notices your unusual quietness, Chenle turns to face you and gives you a goofy smile.

“What’s on your mind?” he approaches the bed, placing either hands on the side of you and leaning in close. Chenle could tell when you lied and knew exactly how to make you crack. You pull your knees to yourself and don’t bother hiding the scowl forming on your face. You couldn’t do anything about it. After several talks with Chenle, he explained how much pressure he gets from the media and his family. How dating even became a hassle because of how the pressure would then be shared with his partner.

For years, it wasn’t a problem. He didn’t find anyone that sparked his interest, and only had meaningless one night stands. He was fine with it, really. But all of that changed when he met you. For once, he wanted to go after something he loved. Not let it go, unlike what he did with his own passion for the sake of his father’s dream and business.

You shook your head, ridding the thoughts in your head and throwing them out. “Nothing. I know it’s just business. Message me when you get home?” you didn’t need to ask, but you still do. Chenle always kept you updated, whether if it was how the party he’s in has a chocolate fountain or if the bathrooms have automatic toilets. It was always bizarre hearing about his stories and taking a peek of what his world is like. The world of corporates. You weren’t ready for it, and Chenle knew.

 The secrecy of your relationship didn’t last very long, soon enough it’s got media questioning who Chenle was seeing and your status. After a few run-ins with the paparazzi, you both decided it would be best if your meetups were more discreet. Luckily, the cameras hadn’t captured your face yet, but it was only a matter of time until they did.

To top it all off, the news had spread across campus. Girls left and right claiming they were the one dating Chenle, it didn’t bother you too much. You had a scholarship to keep and a job to go to. Sometimes, you’d find a single rose and a letter waiting for you in class, or at the café. Of course, you and Chenle had wrapped up the tutorial classes and he was able to pass the exam. He was one step closer to his degree, but happy wasn’t the word to describe him.

He yearned to be with you, have you in his arms and spend hours together just like you used to before things got complicated. Chenle grew lonely without your presence as months passed. Nonetheless, you hung onto the string of hope that maybe one day people wouldn’t care so much. That you could take all the criticism, the heat.

 It was around 2am when your phone rang, disturbing your slumber. It was a Friday night and you took it upon yourself to catch up on some sleep after the horrendous exam week you just faced. Chenle had said goodnight hours ago. You wondered who could be calling at such an ungodly hour.

You pick up without checking the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Y/N,” Chenle’s voice filled your ear. Your eyes snap open and you shot up from your bed, pulling the phone away from your ear. Sure enough, it was him. Lele, with a little heart beside the name.

“Hey, are you alright?” You ask worriedly. His voice sounded slow and there was rustling behind him.

Chenle lets out a groan, and your heartbeat picks up its pace. You knew better than to think Chenle would cheat, but it was definitely worrying hearing this without any idea what was going on. “I miss you,” he breathed, voice raspy and low. You couldn’t keep the smile from appearing on your face. In the darkness of your room, your heart swelled with joy. “I miss you too, Chenle,” you whispered back.

Distinct voices come through the line, and you make it out to be Jeno and Jaemin. They’re bickering and you hear a guitar in the mix. “We’ll leave you here, Chenle,” Jaemin calls to his friend before you hear a door close.

“Why did you call?” you ask but you were happy that he did.

“Because I can’t be there with you. Even if it’s all I want right now,” he confessed. Your smile faltered and a hint of sadness falls upon your face as he continues. He was obviously drunk, but Chenle has always been really honest because he couldn’t lie. These days however, you haven’t had the time to talk much and you knew there was a lot on his mind. It hurt to know that it’s been this, and you couldn’t do much about it. “I just want to tell everyone about us. Screw what they think, YN. You’re perfect to me,”

Hearing his words gave you a glimmer of hope. You wished he was right, you wished you could believe it.

“Chenle-“ you sighed. “I want that too,”

There was a moment of silence before his voice came through again and you thought he’d passed out drunk already. “I love you, Y/N. I’ve sacrificed so much for my father, but you’re not going to be one of them,”

His words brought the smile back to your face, tears welling up in your eyes from how happy you were to hear them. It seemed at this moment that you could battle anything, because you were with Chenle. Everything would be alright. He was here and you are too, it’s the two of you against the world.

“Tomorrow, let’s make it official,” Chenle proposed.

You bring your hand up to your lips and bite on your nails, now fully awake more than ever. “Okay,” you agreed. Chenle grins, getting up from his bed. “I’m coming over,” you can hear him walking around now, keys jangling and shoes on his wooden floor.

“You can’t drive-“ you hurriedly try to stop him, keeping in mind his state.

“I don’t drive a Tesla for nothing,” he chuckles. “I’ll be there soon,” The outgoing beeping of the call followed afterwards as he ended the call. The realization hit you a moment later.

 The next day, you and Chenle arrived in school together. He stayed the night, carrying a change of clothes in his bag. For someone who was smack drunk, he sure did pack well.

From the moment you stepped out of his car, many students were around to watch. Exchanging whispers and staring, your cheeks set aflame when Chenle pulls you by the arm, your hands connecting between you and threading together naturally. It drew the attention of many onlookers and you chewed on your bottom lip, not used to the attention.

“They’re staring,” you whisper close to him.

“Let them,” He responds. Chenle tilts your head up to meet his gaze before planting a lingering kiss on your lips, confirming people’s already forming suspicions. “You’re my girl, aren’t you?”

[goldnkuro]

´ ´ noir’s backstory  ` `

warning: mental abuse, some physical abuse, stalking, paranoia, cussing, crying, panic attack (it isn’t detailed, although i have it written on another note), child neglect

a/n: i think this was the one who took the most of my brainpower, but i guess i’m pretty satisfied with the result. this is pretty lengthy btw, i think the word count reached to 3,7k words.

[ early life ]

kwon soo-young was born on september 16, 1998 in quebec, canada. daughter of the current ceo of a popular conglomerate company, kwon changmin, and of a renowned interior designer and administrator, kwon hannah, and younger sister of kwon young-joo, who is an entrepreneur that many consider to be a genius.

to say that soo-young never had the greatest relationship with her parents is an understatement. the only moment the older kwons ever paid attention to their younger child is when the media is involved or when she did anything that would disappoint them (even if it was a small thing that normal parents would consider to be meaningless), which they would punish and degrade her for it for weeks until they forget completely about her again. it would soon be common in soo-young’s life for her parents to heavily compare her with her older brother and say how she should be exactly like he is, which wouldn’t help her mental health in the future.

many would think that because of the comparison always present in her daily life, she would dislike her brother or even hate him, however, it’s actually the very opposite. even in her very young days, she would consider her brother to be her only light, how could she hate the only one in her family that genuinely cared about and for her. nowadays, while she’s always teasing him, she always reminds him how much he matters to her, more than anyone.

but not everything is a bed of roses, the bad news arrived when soo-young was 10 years old, young-joo was being sent to live with his uncle in south korea by his parents so he can prepare to study in a university his father chose. when the day came, and the siblings had to be separated for an unknown time, she knew that she had to endure hell for the coming years.

and endure it she did but at the cost of her mental health. the verbal abuse she suffered from those who were supposed to care for her just became worse with her brother’s departure, and it took a few months for her father to start abusing her physically, but not enough to cause permanent bruises.

only 2 years later that soo-young started getting a deeper and genuine interest in music after watching a band show that her school was hosting for a celebration she didn’t really care about. the way the band was being passionate even if it was performing for a bunch of kids intrigued soo-young. ever since, she started to get deeper and deeper in music until she found a kpop video, to be more specific, songs from boa, girl’s generation, and super junior. it was basically love at first sight, or first listen. that was the moment that she knew what she really wanted, she wanted to be part of that.

luckily for her, at the age of 14, soo-young's older brother was able to invite her to live with him in south korea, and of course, soo-young jumped at the opportunity to stay away from her parents while being able to get physically close to her newfound dream. in the beginning, soo-young’s parents didn’t allow the idea, but all it took was a little chat with young-joo, until this day, she never knew what her older brother said to their parents, all she knows is that he somehow was able to convince them, and she won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

[ life in korea ]

now living in incheon, soo-young started working on her korean right away, she took a whole day to memorize at least the basics while her older brother was finding a decent school for her.

the first week at school was rough for soo-young for 2 reasons, 1. she was in a new country that spoke in a language she wasn’t fluent in yet, and 2. she was aware that most of the kids there weren’t that open-minded towards foreigners, even if they looked asian, so it was really hard for her to make friends at first. but there was one kid who approached her without caring for the whispers about her, song mingi, who was 1 year younger than her. he admitted that he was shy to approach her at first, but they “clicked so well together, it was as if they were friends forever!”. mingi was a breath of fresh air for soo-young, even with her broken korean, he was still patient enough and helped her to communicate with him, it didn’t take long for both to become inseparable.

in the same year, mingi one day showed soo-young a leaflet showing that near their school there would be an open concert of a group of people who would perform local songs, with both of them interested in similar fields and soo-young wanting to show mingi – who never went to any show – how exciting it is, they wasted no time to ask their guardians to go watch. after that day, both friends started looking for places to take dance lessons, as mingi was more interested in rap while soo-young was more interested in singing, the two found a happy medium with dancing, and out of countless attempts, both were accepted into one of the joy dance and plug in music academy units in incheon.

in the beginning, soo-young was a goner when it came to dancing, only her vocals (which wasn't even that stable) saved her, and because of that, she used all her free time to practice non-stop, of course, she also rested so she wouldn’t go to her classes completely exhausted. but she would be lying if she said she regretted signing up with mingi.

unfortunately, young-joo was sent by his father to move to seoul, as there was little time until he was able to finally start working, so he thought it best to send the older sibling to live closer to his future job. and being responsible for his younger sister, young-joo had to take soo-young along, which broke the hearts of the two inseparable friends. before moving, soo-young – with her brother's help – bought two farewell gifts for mingi, one of the gifts was one of the most expensive cell phones at the time so they could always stay in touch, and a pair of rings, she told him to wear the sun ring on his pínky that she would do the same with the moon ring, and the two promised that they would be successful in the music industry.

[ the seoul life ]

soo-young's life in seoul was difficult, young-joo started to spend less time in the apartment they shared, so soo-young had to learn to cook to make it easier for the eldest, she had to continue to dedicate herself strongly to her studies so she wouldn’t irritate her father, and because of that, she didn't have time to look for another dance or singing academy, so she had to improvise. in terms of her dancing, she always watched as many videos and went to as many public performances as possible, soo-young always recorded dance covers on her cell phone for her to review later, so she could see the minor and big mistakes and fix them as quickly as possible. in terms of her singing, she would review what her singing teacher at plug in music academy taught her, and from there, soo-young started testing her vocal limits, like how high she can hold a chord without straining her vocal cords, and the lowest notes she could manage without making it sound bad for the ears.

[2013] just before graduating from high school in 2013, soo-young wished to see how far she could go with her own efforts and decided to audition to an entertainment company, wanting to try her luck, she auditioned at one of the big guns, which turned out to be sm entertainment. honestly, she wasn’t supposed to pass the audition since her dance skills weren’t really the best, but soo-young was told that “it would be a shame to lose such a gem just because it’s unpolished, and when we can polish it to the max”, and therefore, soo-young was accepted as the new trainee at the company.

during her time at sm, soo-young has always been dedicated to all her activities as a trainee, while never forgetting to take care of her own health. and apparently, there were some trainers who seemed to favor soo-young among some of the other trainees, rumors said that those trainers had a soft spot for the more passionate trainees, and it is known between the trainees that soo-young was one who had the most passion.

of course, she also made some friends while training to be introduced at “sm rookies”, most notable ones were won soo-jin and lee taeyong, they were the ones who helped soo-young the most and were able to conquer their place in soo-young’s heart.

[2014] finally introduced as one of the “sm rookies”, soo-young started to feel deep in her gut that something wasn’t right. she ignored it, of course, in her mind, if it was truly important then she would’ve remembered. but then the days went by and she started feeling eyes on her, even when she was by herself. she kept it to herself because she didn’t want to burden her friend and her brother, and because she wanted to confirm her suspicions. everything was going right according to her plan until one night she received a few messages from an unknown number, in there was a single “don’t think just because you’re living in another country, they won’t know. they will be always watching you.” and then there were lots of photos of her in her daily life, going to the company with her two friends, enjoying ice cream with her brother at a park, even more private photos like ones where she was cooking, when she was putting makeup after waking up, and even when she invited soo-jin to a sleepover. how this person was able to get such photos when she was living on the 10th floor, she didn’t know, all she knew is that she was right from the very beginning, she had a stalker and a creepy one at that.

that day was when soo-young had her first panic attack, and she unknowingly called her friend from incheon instead of her brother, mingi stayed with soo-young on call until she fell asleep and he hurried to inform young-joo about what happened. and it was like that how soo-young discovered from her brother that their parents hired someone to “always keep them updated about their dearest children”, and that was the official day when soo-young developed an unhealthy paranoia, knowing that every day from now on, there would be someone to report every thing she does to her parents.

[2015] almost 2 years later, soo-young was able to earn herself the internal title of one of the best female trainees in sm, due to her rapid development, wherein the beginning she was an "okay" level and now many considered her to be able to debut in a possible future female group of the company.

however, to the surprise of many, a new group debuted, but soo-young wasn’t included in the line-up. that was okay, soo-young was a bit sad at that but she soon got over it, there were a lot of other female trainees that in her eyes were way better than her, and the girls in red velvet totally deserved debuting. but then yeri was added to the group, and soo-young couldn’t help but let the jealous feeling and insecurity take over her at the moment. both soo-jin and taeyong did their best to comfort their friend, and at that moment soo-young was really grateful for having such great friends. but soo-young knew that one of them was hurting from this as well. while soo-young wasn’t even considered for the debut line-up, soo-jin was being prepared to be the 5th member of red velvet, only for the company to substitute her last minute for yeri, and while soo-jin didn’t show it, soo-young knew she was hurting from this.

in the same night, soo-young and soo-jin were cuddling together while binge-watching some disney movies at soo-young’s apartment while they were waiting for her older brother to bring takeout for them. soo-jin suddenly came with the news that someone from her family could easily get some spots for both of them to become trainees at cube, and that soo-jin already claimed one of those spots because she wanted a fresh start and wanted to know if soo-young wanted one too. soo-young was confused at the sudden talk but she still understood her friend’s point of wanting to start fresh after all that happened. it took some thinking, but soo-young decided to postpone her decision, she still wanted to have some faith in her company, and she also didn’t want to leave taeyong behind, but at the same time, she didn’t want to completely decline the invitation.

for soo-young, training felt a bit emptier without soo-jin training with her, but she was able to handle it by being more productive in the year. soo-young registered at a dance studio which was also located in seoul and had caught her attention when she learned that lia kim, one of the well-known choreographers that she admired, was the one who founded this studio that known as 1MILLION. there, she knew she would receive dance lessons that she would take for the rest of her life, as well as she could also evolve enough to create her own choreographies.

[ things started changing ]

[2016] one day, the ceo asked to see soo-young and another trainee she didn’t meet but definitely saw between the trainees. the ceo came with a proposition for both her and park eun-chae, the other trainee with her, for them to participate in a new survival reality show that mnet would host named produce 101 while representing their company. maybe the ceo chose both of them because he knew they would be desperate to debut soon since he wore a satisfied expression when both trainees didn’t hesitate to agree.

even when both soo-young and eun-chae never talked properly, when they started to train together to prepare for the show, they had a certain natural synergy, it was as if they trained together since their first days as trainees.

the d-day arrived and soo-young couldn’t be any more nervous, she and her duo weren’t the first ones to arrive and because of that, there would be other trainees from other companies who would see which company they were representing, and it would only be natural to have high expectations on soo-young and on eun-chae, which placed a heavy burden on the former.

everything was going okay while in the program, or at least, it was what it seemed to be for outsiders, but actually, soo-young was a pile of nerves during the eleven episodes. there was even a moment where she had a breakdown while training for one of the missions. she begged the staff to cut that part off of the episode and even asked her brother to back her up, who agreed with the condition she would tell him every single thing after the reality show was over.

fortunately, soo-young was able to finish on rank 4, therefore, she was a confirmed member of the debut lineup, soo-young was sad because eun-chae wasn’t able to debut with her, but soon she was assured that it was okay and she should enjoy the moment.

soo-young’s time during i.o.i was a dream come true, but she knew it wasn’t going to last forever since that was sadly a temporary group, so she enjoyed the times with her girls to the fullest. the last show she performed with the other 10 girls was one of the saddest days of soo-young’s life. but, life goes on.

[ things started changing, the sequel ]

[2017] some things happened at sm entertainment while soo-young was busy with i.o.i, eun-chae left the company and joined another one which soo-young didn’t catch the name of, taeyong debuted and became leader of nct u and 127, which soo-young congratulated him a lot and made sure to let him know how proud she was of him.

with her friends either busy with his own group or at another company, it didn’t take long for soo-young to start feeling really lonely, then she remembered the offer soo-jin made to her 2 years ago and decided that it was time to really consider it. one phone call and a deep conversation later, soo-young had her mind already set, she would leave sm and join cube.

said and done, it wasn’t difficult at all to convince the ceo, which made soo-young wonder if the ceo only seemed to care for her when she was in produce and on i.o.i, but she didn’t put any more thoughts on it since she was now out. now she did a few more phone calls and sent an audition video to cube so they could evaluate her, and now it was official, the 2soo duo was back together again, this time to wreak chaos upon cube.

to soo-young’s double surprise, she found out that eun-chae was actually on cube as well, and yet again, the ceo called soo-young for a “quick chat”, but this time with soo-jin and another japanese trainee, whose name she learned to be haruko, this chat was an invitation for yet another survival show, but the difference was that this one was going to be basically girls vs boys. soo-young almost declined, but soo-jin was able to convince her to at least give it a try, and so, soo-young was ready to face her second survival reality show.

preparing the songs for the audition was a piece of cake with soo-jin and haruko, soo-young used to train with soo-jin, so they already had a synergy, but haruko was quite helpful, although she was pretty quiet and didn't talk much, but she listened and did her role well.

the day came when the oh so great yg’s ceo, yang hyun-suk, alongside seungri came to cube as judges for the audition. soo-young was confident that the three of them were going to pass, they made sure to train enough and soo-young knew for a fact that soo-jin and haruko are really talented. both soo-young and soo-jin were able to get into the debut bus while haruko was placed with the other trainees.

to soo-young’s surprise, the bus’ next stop was at kq entertainment, mingi’s company. to say that soo-young was excited was an understatement, she heard stories about his group of friends, and they seemed like they were cool guys. while watching the group’s performance, soo-young couldn’t hold back the proud look on her face. when she heard that he was going in the trainee bus, she almost jokingly asked if she could exchange seats with either soo-jin or haruko just so she could talk with her old friend.

soo-young’s time while on mixnine while it wasn’t as rough as it was in produce 101, it still wasn’t a walk in the park. she managed to pull through thanks to her friends, mingi, soo-jin, and haruko, and also to the friends she made while in the reality show, who were there to help her with her struggles.

[2018] unfortunately, mingi was eliminated from the reality show, and so was haruko, soo-jin and soo-young were able to get to the final line-up but their team lost the boys’ team, so they weren’t able to debut. however, soo-young can confidently say that she didn’t regret joining mixnine, she had a lot of fun, met wonderful people, and felt the thrill of a survival show once more, of course, she pitied the male trainees that were chosen for the final line-up since their debut was canceled.

the next few months were pretty productive for soo-young, she spent most of her time getting even closer with haruko and eun-chae and other trainees at cube, she practiced and even choreographed for some songs, which many were uploaded on her personal sns, and that was how she met one of her sunbaes.

a few days after she was tasked to create a choreography for btob’s ‘only one for me’, and she met peniel while she was using one of the free practice rooms so she could brainstorm since she found herself stuck at some parts, apparently the other members were busy doing something and he wanted to check on her. both of them spent most of the day chatting, but at the same time peniel was really helpful, he gave his opinion on the choreography she had ready and gave some ideas based on a few options on which soo-young was stuck. their close friendship came naturally as they talked more. she met the rest of the group on the day she had to teach them the finished choreography, the boys were very receptive and it wasn’t difficult to teach them, although the fact that soo-young was a very good teacher did help, the atmosphere was light and it felt like they knew each other for years, which was a very good thing in soo-young’s eyes (even nowadays, peniel jokes around saying that eunkwang adopted soo-young the moment they first spoke to each other).

as if life wasn’t done rewarding her, a month later, she received the news that she was chosen as one of the girls who would debut in a new girl group that was being prepared, and it was asked of her if she would accept it, and her answer was pretty obvious, she accepted it. luckily for her, when she met the other girls that were confirmed in the lineup with, she knew most of them, with the exception of the youngest, and to soo-young’s surprise and happiness, eun-chae, soo-jin and haruko were in the lineup as well.

soo-young suffered and shed a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get where she is now, but now she has a place to call home with people to call family, and she couldn’t be happier.

[ratingtheframe]

Why Armie Hammer’s Scandal Is More Than Kink Shaming

The 34 year old actor has had numerous allegations thrown his way this past month, from cannibalism to an obsession with BDSM. But do these allegations go beyond a widely accepted community of kink lovers and venture into deeply rooted misogyny?

Warning: this article contains mentions of cannibalism and sexual assault. 

For those of you who aren’t aware of Armie Hammer’s presence on screen, you may be scratching your head and wondering what on earth people are talking about, seeing the cannibalism aspect to this all as face value without making the connection between Hammer’s past behaviours and current allegations. The actor who rose to prominence in Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher’s The Social Network (2013) playing both of the Winklevoss twins, has become quite the favourite amongst the film industry. His role Oliver in Luca Guadagnino’s Call me by your name (2017) has sent Twitter into a permanent frenzy as memes and daily adoration for Chalamet and Hammer’s on screen romance continue to thrive even 4 years after the film's release. As well as Call me your name, Hammer is known for roles in Sorry to Bother You (2018), Rebecca (2020), On the Basis of Sex (2018) and soon to be released, Death on The Nile (2021). He currently has another film due to be released and a Call me by your name sequel in development. Sounds as if he’s got a lot going for him and despite him not being the biggest star to be churned out of Hollywood today, the recognition is still there and with that, he’s still being paid. 

The Allegations

At the beginning of the year, an account emerged under the handle of @houseofeffie, that was created to expose some lurid and unpleasant communication between several women and Armie Hammer. Some of which he had relations with whilst married to his now ex wife Elizabeth Chambers. The nature of these dms are incredibly disturbing and worrying considering that Hammer not only has children but as an actor, spends a proportionate time around women.

These are just a few of the messages that were exposed that led the media to brandish Hammer as a “cannibal”:

Hammer:

 “You are the god damned standard I hold women to in terms of kink and enjoyment of fucking the[n]...”

“I need to drink your blood, why the distance?” “...thinking of holding your heart in my head and controlling when it beats”

“I am 100% a cannibal...I want to eat you....Fuck...that’s scary to admit..”

“I’ve cut the heart out of a living animal before and eaten it while still warm”

“You were the most intense and extreme version [that I’ve ever had]. Raping you on the floor with a knife against you. Everything else seemed boring”

“You [were] crying and screaming, me standing over you.  I felt like a god. I’ve never felt such power or intensity.”

“You just live to obey and be my slave”

“Would you come and be my property till you die? If I wanted to cut off one of your toes and keep it with me in my pocket so I always had a piece of you in my possession?”

“I want to see your brain, your blood, your organs, every part of you… I would definitely bite it...100%”

...O-kay. Lots to unpack here. First and fore mostly, I’d like to address the kink shaming element to all of this. I personally don’t see any harm in kinks, BDSM, pornography, as long as people are consenting and aren’t inflicting unsolicited pain upon people. Therefore, kink shaming and finding Hammer’s taste in sexual preferences isn’t what we are here to discuss. In fact when I first read the allegations, that wasn’t even my initially thought. CNN posted an article two days ago titled “Armie Hammer May Be Disturbed, But Is Shaming Him the Answer?” an opinion based article by Aaron Weaver that explores the allegations and believes Hammer shouldn’t be shamed for his kinks. But this begs the question whether Hammer was actually being shamed? I didn’t see much evidence for this seeing as people were mostly horrified by his taste in human flesh than anything else, a kink that is uncommon in the BDSM community and is only practiced by the most extreme. 

Kinks aside, the most worrying thing about the DMs above is the way in which he views women and their bodies. It’s clear to see that he might not have much respect for women seeing as he proudly states his willingness to cut them up and drink their blood. And funnily enough, the sexual objectification of women’s bodies for one's own sexual pleasure without considering their comfortability is classed as misogyny. A reddit user made an extremely good point on a thread about Hammer’s scandal stating:

“To me, the problem is not that he’s into rough sex, or that he has kinks some people find scary. It’s not about yucking his yum, so to speak. I’m more concerned that he may have ignored safe words and pushed his partners beyond their limits. I feel like the media is focusing so much on his kinks and sexuality as opposed to his ignoring of consent, which is a complete and utter inversion of priorities”

Past Relationships

Another example of Hammer disrespecting the boundaries of women and sexual pleasure would be his past girlfriend Paige Lorenze. Lorenze is a 23 year model and former professional skier who has shone a light on Hammer’s worrying behaviour and his involvement in BDSM activity. The sources of Lorenze’s allegations are highly unreliable, which is one of the most frustrating things about this entire charade. The BBC BRIEFLY covered the fact that Hammer dropped out of his latest film amid the allegations, without fully going into detail about the allegations or the abuse subjected towards his former partners. It just goes to show we’re rubbish at taking abuse seriously enough to the point where people are punished for their wrongdoings. Had a more reliable news source covered this story, then it’d make it more viable to the public. Even though this scandal is in its early days, that doesn’t necessarily mean it's unimportant or should be swept under the rug along with the hundreds of other scandals that Hollywood refuses to expose.

Only the Daily Mail, The Sun and Page Six seem to have gone in depth with the accusations, making the entire story rather murky for the reader. Anyhow, Paige Lorenze said to the Daily Mail that Hammer had carved an ‘A’ above her groin without her consent and licked it whilst it bled. He had also reportedly tied her up and hit her with paddles to fuel his BDSM obsession and sexual desires. Lorenze was quoted saying 'Any man who is fantasizing about crushing bones, eating them, having sex with female limp bodies is a danger to all women'. Hammer insisted to Lorenze that his behaviour was normal, and that there was an entire community of people that carried out the same things he did on her. This is partially correct seeing as the global sex play market is worth over $30 billion, with practices in such activities dating back to the mid 19th century. However, the one thing the BDSM community doesn’t condone is not giving consent, which is where the fine line is drawn in between Hammer’s sexual preferences and the BDSM community. His choice to carve that ‘A’ into Lorenze isn’t backed up by a wider community of people who enjoy a variety of sexual pleasure. Lorenze claims he also DMed nude photos of her being tied up to people without her consent, further perpetuating Hammer’s lack of respect towards people’s boundaries. This is a serious incident, that sees someone with more power (Hammer is 6’5 and Lorenze is 5’6 btw) assert their dominance and by doing so, degrades and harms someone else. We shouldn’t be kink shaming Hammer, but shaming him for thinking that this behaviour is acceptable.

Hammer’s previous relationships can also draw some light into his lack of respect for women. He and his wife Elizabeth Chambers divorced in July 2020 after a decade of marriage. Though it's unknown what triggered the separation, these recent allegations may have something to do with it. Furthermore, two other women have come forward to express their distaste towards Hammer and his questionable fantasies. Entrepreneur and ex-girlfriend of Armie Hammer, Courtney Vucekovich, told Page Six that Hammer wanted to “break [her] rib and barbecue it and eat it”. She also expressed how easy it was for Hammer to charm his way through into getting women, especially young women into doing what he wants through “active manipulation and making you feel like he’s never felt this way about anybody.” Lorenze was also subjected to similar retort after reporting that Hammer too wanted to barbecue one of her ribs because she “didn’t need it”. Writer Jessica Ciencen Henriquez took to twitter last summer after a lunch date with Hammer and expressed that she had blocked him on Instagram. She later went on to tweet this:

“If you are still questioning whether or not those Armie Hammer DMs are real (and they are) maybe you should start questioning why we live in a culture willing to give abusers the benefit of the doubt instead of victims”

Exactly my point here. There’s not much to this scandal other than the fact that several people were hurt and undermined and someone else caused it. Someone who is societally above everyone because of their race, class, status and gender, with a well connected and dominant family support system. 

His background and past 

Hammer comes from a very powerful and wealthy family. Hammer’s great grandfather, Armand Hammer, was the chief executive officer and president of the Occidental Petroleum company founded in 1920. Now if you’re wondering the exact scale of such a company that is still running today, they are the 4th largest oil and gas acquisition in the entire world worth over $100 billion. ONE HUNDRED, BILLION, DOLLARS. Not all actors in Hollywood can say that their great-grandfathers were worth that much, which gives me little hope in seeing Hammer be held accountable for what he’s done. He was also kicked out of UCLA after apparently not “being able to do it”.  Just another rich white male with enough power, malice and money to work his way around any struggle.

Now that we’ve established Hammer’s allegations, it’s worth looking back to see whether the signs of such behaviour were already prevalent in the numerous interviews he partook in over the years. Complex highlighted an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 2017, where the host brought up Hammer’s obsession with knots, to which he laughed off and claimed that “knots make sense” that they are a “language” and referenced how man used knots before the wheel. Valid points but ones that are debunked in light of his interest in BDSM. during a 2013 interview with Playboy (appropriate) Hammer expressed that his “sexual appetites changed'' when he married his wife and that hair pulling used to be something he enjoyed but could no longer do now that he was married “even though he wanted to”. This is quite the backwards comment when we’re talking about respecting boundaries and it's clear to see it was only a matter of time before his desires could no longer be repressed.

Since this whole shit storm began to travel Hammer’s way, he has since dropped out of the film The Billion Dollar Spy, which would’ve seen him star alongside Jennifer Lopez. BBC News reported that this move was made as Hammer stated that “I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for four months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic” following the ‘vicious’ online abuse he’s been subjected to. Hammer was again put in the firing line by Grand Cayman law enforcement for lying about a woman provocatively shown in a video was Miss Cayman of the Miss Cayman beauty pageant that’s held on the island. He and the woman were warned for their misconduct and had confirmed the matter is now closed. 

Final Thoughts

There are enough red flags in Hammer’s behaviour to open up a flag store, and I would go as far as to say that this isn’t the end of it. For someone who’s grown up having the majority of things they want, it's easy to want more beyond morality and despite the discomfort of others. Hammer’s move to drop out of his latest film was an attempt to lessen the blow of hate being turned towards him as opposed to the benefit of those he’s hurt. So far, him and his lawyer have denied all allegations and further action hasn’t been taken against the Hollywood star. He’s apologised for the DMs and brandished his actions a “foolish attempt at humour”. 

Wrapping his own behaviour up in humour is an attempt to detract from the severity of the behaviour itself, whilst excusing it, something he can get away with because of his status. 

Major media outlets haven’t done much in even attempting to expose this man’s behaviour and have left it up to unreliable sources to piece together the true persona of Armie Hammer. Though innocent until proven guilty, common sense is widely available to the general public meaning we should be delving into the past a little and comparing it to these allegations. Along with Hammer’s character, family and unnerving Instagram posts of cutting up meat and eating raw steak, there doesn’t seem to be much in the actor’s favour. 

All I would say is as a director, producer, writer or actor, would you feel comfortable in being associated with someone who believes they're a cannibal and marvels at the idea of drinking human blood? Or someone who goes as far to objectify women to the point where they become nothing but sexual fulfilment and pieces of meat? 

That’s all I’ll say and those who do feel comfortable doing such a thing means that Hammer may still have a career at the end of the day. One point to Hollywood, no points to political correctness and respecting women.