#{ FLIMSI STAR CHART }

[crazilust]

My thoughts on these placements

based on my last lover. PSA: this might be biased. don’t take it TOO seriously, it’s mostly for me to purge this relationship. LETS GOOOOOOO !!

1. Gemini rising

Have you ever felt hella special to someone and then you see them interact with someone else and you’re like “oh. i’m… i’m just another one of their friends.” this is what it feels to be around a gemini rising sometimes. most of the ones I know, are either extremely popular, know alot of people or at the very least just hang out regularly with a bunch of people (might just be colleagues and not necessarily friends but they’re often surrounded). And they have this way of making you feel special, and funny and entertaining but most of the times, they’re the ones controlling the discussion and the flow of it.

when it came to my ex, he knew so many people and every person he was interacting with, he knew a little detail about them, and it made the person care so much about him. Even though he didn’t as much. Somewhat flimsy, it’s hard to know a Gemini rising’ true intentions with you.

2. Sagittarius sun

Sags don’t have the best reputation in my book, and he certainly didn’t help the stereotypes. The thing with Sags sun that I find hard to understand is the constant lie they have between who they truly are and who they want to be. It’s a constant battle of “don’t look too hard into my flaws bc soon enough I’ll be this grandiose super star and therefore you can forget about the awkward nerd you have in front of you.” Most of them are nerds, truly. But they hate it. As opposed to Aquarius sun’s desire to be different and their ability to stand on their two feet even tho they’re being outcast, a Sag sun’s deepest fear is to be seen as the weirdo they are. (that unfortunately they associated with being a loser)

If you’ve never been close with a Sag, you’ll be the first to deny this claim. “What?? The Sag I met was THE life of the party! No weirdo here.” or “The Sag I met was a boss ass btch, she had everything under control and very educated!!”

And that, my friends, is what we call a front. Sure, they can be the life of the party, usually very keen on getting their diplomas, but if you don’t know them, that’s the only part of them you’ll get to see cause it’s the part they deem acceptable.

I’m not even gonna comment on the commitment issues, cause yall… you know it already lmao.

3. Virgo moon

Nobody hates an underdeveloped virgo moon more than they hate themselves. So critical, judgemental and harsh. They notice absolutely everything that you do and instead of going to you and confront you about the issue, they’ll keep it in, and throw it back to your face the minute it’s convenient for them (when they effed up). Very hard to love because they simply can’t accept that you love and accept their own flaws. I remember my ex asking me litteraly all the time “How can you love me if I’m not as pretty as before” (it was in his head, he was just as cute) “How can you love me if I don’t have a job?” (He had lost his job for only 2 months at that point) No matter what I’d say, he couldn’t believe that I loved him wholeheartedly, no matter what.

Sometimes, when I look at a virgo moon, unevolved ofc, all I can see is pain. Virgo is an already hard sign to have imo (sorry!) but in the moon placement, it’s just sad. These natives are so harsh on themselves and accept no help whatsoever. And if you do try, they’ll do everything to push you away and trust me, one thing Virgos do is succeed.

4. Libra Mars

As a scorpio mars, libra mars is not my favorite placement. But as I checked my vedic chart and I do, in fact, have a libra mars, I hate that I understand why they act the way they do.

They care so much about everything being perfect, everyone getting along and most importantly being at peace with the ones they love. The cliches are true for a reason, they dislike conflict and yes, are passive agressive but it’s because they don’t want to lose the people they love with petty drama.

So they don’t say anything, and they accomodate even tho that one thing irritated them and then when you confront them about something, they bring you everything you’ve done wrong for the past six months. That’s the part I hate, ofc, but I also hate that I get it.

I get it. They’re the biggest people pleasers and when they don’t say anything about something that upsets them, they actually think they’re doing it for the greater good. They obviously analyse everything you’re doing wrong, but they don’t mind not saying it cause they’d rather be at peace with you. So how dare you don’t do the same for them?

That’s the mentality. Unfortunately for them, it brings bigger conflict because then you feel betrayed they never said anything to begin with. UGH.

SPEAK YOUR MIND, Libras of any placements actually <3

5. Sagittarius Mercury

If you consider yourself soft, delicate, sensitive, do not date a Sag mercury. These people are ruthless. As friends, I find them hilarious and fun to be around, but as lovers I would never do that to myself again. Just never <3. They are very blunt (which doesn’t mean they won’t lie! We’re talking about a Jupiter ruled sign here yall), but in a way that won’t make you feel good about yourself. They’ll often use humour to attack you and then use it as a shield the moment you call them out on it (i.e : It was just a jokeeeeee!)

Gives very good advice, I’ll give them that. I think sometimes I can have a little bit of tunnel vision and with Sag mercuries, they’re able to tap you on the shoulder and be like “Have you consider this tho?” in the most casual way and you’re like “oh.. no. yes. you’re right”

6. Aquarius Venus

If you love the friends to lovers trope, you’ll just love dating an Aquarius venus because that friendship-like relationship will be the foundation of your dynamic. Everything feels fun, the complicity is at an all time high.

But the commitment.

Now, I’ve read multiple times here that Aquarius venus is actually very committed to the person they love when they like you. Well, I guess I wasn’t his person cause I only felt the commitment phobia.

Anyways, I still loved the dynamic of the relationship, but I can’t lie, it didn’t feel serious at all.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~••~•~•~•~•~•

Well that’s all for me, today. Love yall!!

Remember, these are the big 6 of my ex so it is biased nothing to take too personal but if it applies and resonates, great💛

B.

[hlficlibrary]

✤ Wedding Fics ✤

A series of posts with the top five fics of each category by kudos plus five more hidden gems from that category! Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find the library's other recs here.

- Top 5 H/L Fics -

1️⃣ Escapade by dolce_piccante {M, 146k}

In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He's rich. He's handsome. He's reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

2️⃣ Perfect Storm by @cherrystreet {E, 80k}

What do you do when your best friend asks you and your (now) ex to be the best men at his destination wedding? You can either tell him the truth, tell him you’re not together anymore, and deal with the consequences, or you can pretend you’re still together and roll with it, just pray you don’t spiral. Fake it ‘til you make it. You know, for the sake of the wedding.

Harry and Louis choose the latter.

3️⃣ don't tell the gods (we left a mess) by barchive {E, 71k}

After a misunderstanding with Liam’s mother, Louis agrees to accompany his best friend to a family wedding and pretend to be the world’s best boyfriend. But their simple plan goes awry when he learns that Harry, ex-boyfriend/ex-love of Louis’ life, will also be in attendance. (aka: fake!boyfriends with a twist ft. bromance, romance and cake.)

4️⃣ Truth Be Told (I Never Was Yours) by JustForTommo {E, 76k}

Harry watches Louis as he scrunches up his nose and bites the end of a pen in concentration. He’s been working on seating arrangements for the past hour and getting more frustrated by the minute. Louis huffs out a breath and glances down at Harry with a soft smile on his lips before he returns to the task at hand. It’s easy, right then, for Harry to let himself believe that they’re planning a seating chart for their own wedding and bickering over who is going to sit where from a list of their own family members. He can let himself daydream about a white picket fence and a dog that they could have within the next year.

It’s like a cold slap in the face when Harry looks to the top of the page to see “Aiden and Louis Grimshaw” at the head table, and Harry has to mentally remind himself for the thousandth time that Louis is not his. Never was, really. He’s just the wedding planner that’s been in love with Louis since he was sixteen.

(or the one where Louis and Harry have a complicated past, Louis is getting married to someone that’s not Harry, and the universe has decided to have a laugh and make Harry the wedding planner.)

5️⃣ (your heartbeat) rang true inside my bones by flimsy / @flimsi {E, 32k}

Harry goes as Louis' date for a weekend wedding. He ends up taking the role a bit too seriously.

“Hey,” Harry hears himself say just as Louis climbs back into the car. He ducks down, holding onto the roof to look at Louis who cocks his brow at him and says, “What?”

“I meant it,” Harry starts. “Like, I’d do it. I’d be your date for the wedding. If it’d make you feel less awful about being there and if you want me to, I’ll do it. I promise I’ll be good.”

HIDDEN GEMS:

💎 no heart for me like yours (no love for you like mine) by @phdmama {E, 46k}

When Harry Styles, wedding dress designer to the stars (sort of) and Louis Tomlinson, wedding planner and relationship expert (kind of) meet on the occasion of their sisters' engagement, sparks fly. But not the good kind. Louis thinks Harry is a dick and Harry thinks Louis is an asshole.

That doesn't last long.

The road to true love isn't always smooth or uncomplicated. Can two stubborn men find their way?

💎 Forget the Silent Nights by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup {T, 44k}

For years afterward, everyone who lived at 404 E. Redwood referred to that Christmas as The Christmas we stole a baby.

Technically, that wasn’t the strict truth, as Evie had already been five years old by the time she came to stay in their crowded (but loving) home. And technically they didn’t steal her.

Either way, the last Christmas with the seven of them in that broken old house on Redwood all together was probably one of the most memorable holidays each of them had, what with the wedding and the the snowstorm and the raccoons in their attic…

And the baby they stole, of course.

💎 Stranded In A Dream by @kingsofeverything {T, 12k}

Harry leaves everything behind for a job in Vegas which doesn't quite work out as planned. Feeling down on his luck, he meets Louis, a dancer for Britney Spears, who's determined to help Harry turn things around. They may or may not end up married.

💎 The Very First Words of a Lifelong Love Letter by LiveLaughLoveLarry / @loveislarryislove {M, 9k}

The prompt I picked was (lightly edited): "Harry and Louis have been best friends ever since they met through fandom (I picked Critical Role) twitter. Person A (I picked Louis) lives in New York City and Person B (Harry) lives in the UK. They’ve never met in person but they FaceTime and text daily. Person B’s cousin is getting married to a rich American who’s paying for the entire family to travel to The Hamptons for a summer wedding. Are Harry and Louis ready to meet?"

Harry thought he was just imagining things when the flower girl looked like one of the twins, but -- he’s almost certain that groomsman is Louis. The pictures he's seen haven't been the best quality, granted, but he knows Louis. He does.

Harry stares wide-eyed as he walks down the aisle in step with the bridesmaid, taking their places on either side of the stage. As they turn to look out into the audience, Harry’s strong suspicion solidifies into certainty. That’s Louis. He’d bet his life on it.

But Louis doesn’t look at him, and it’s not like Harry can wave. He can only stare, mouth still hanging half-open. Suddenly, as much as he loves weddings, he can’t wait for this one to be over.

💎 Have Me And Hold Me by @letsjustsee {NR, 5k}

His clumsy trips were now even more burdened by the sudden downpour. Twice he almost fell making his way back to the ceremony area, mostly due to his insistence on running across the lawn in between trips. The rain was relentless, coming at him from all angles with a deafening wind that muted everything outside of his own heavy breathing. He felt like he was making pretty good headway, all things considered. His pace was stalled only momentarily when, on his tenth or so trip, he thought about what someone looking out the window at that moment would see. Louis in his formal shirt and trousers, barefoot, stomping through the muddy lawn to gracelessly lug two chairs at a time towards the building.

Or, a wedding day AU in which Louis will let nothing stand in the way of a perfect day - especially a little rain.

[electronickingdomfox]

"Black Fire" review

Novel from 1983 by Sonni Cooper, and as far as I know, the only TOS novel from this author. This one was pretty fun, fast-paced, and a real page-turner. It's also notorious for being totally nuts, and having Spock going rogue and doing all sorts of crazy things. The intro was written by Theodore Sturgeon, no less. It's also very, veeeery spirk-heavy (and so far, the only K/S novel I've read that seems to get their relationship right, without going over-the-top).

Spock is the central character, and for the most part, the story follows his solo adventures, though Scotty shares some of these exploits in the early chapters. Amazingly, and despite all the unusual stuff that Spock gets involved with, he manages to stay believable. The other characters are all well-written too, even if they take a background place. And the same goes for the original ones, in particular Desus, the Romulan befriended by Spock.

The story takes place shortly before TMP. One thing that surprised me, is that this novel doesn't seem afraid to modify canon in substantial ways. Most of these books are more timid when playing with the characters, and focus on self-contained adventures that have little impact on the whole. Main characters are rarely put in real danger, or suffer grave injuries. Here, on the other hand, we have the entire primary hull of the Enterprise being destroyed and jettisoned in the very first chapter (a year before The Search for Spock blew the ship to pieces). The TMP uniforms are introduced already by the end of the five-year mission. Spock suffers a disabling injury, portrayed with realism, and not resolved immediately and easily with a magic pill. Also, this book gets pretty dark at times; Spock tries to kill himself not once, but twice... And a popular guest character from the series is also killed for real.

Some spoilers below the cut:

The Enterprise is in a routine mission, training cadets fresh from the Academy, when a massive explosion in the bridge leaves the primary hull destroyed, Kirk in critical condition, Spock with a splinter lodged near his spine, and many cadets dead. The primary hull has to be evacuated and separated, while the rest of the ship limps back to a starbase. In the following investigation, Starfleet declares that everything was a mere accident. But neither Spock nor Scotty are satisfied with this answer, since nothing on the bridge could cause an explosion of such magnitude. Therefore, they travel back to the jettisoned hull to find clues.

Spock is suspicious of some new yeoman, who entered and left the bridge shortly before the explosion. In her abandoned quarters they find two clues: a piece of paper with dots, which seems to be a star chart; and a ton of depilatory cream. However, Starfleet isn't convinced by this flimsy evidence. So Spock starts the first of a long series of reckless actions, and steals a small ship with Scotty, to travel to the star system depicted in the paper. Spock is in severe pain (and having suffered a similar injury in the past myself, I can testify: he IS in pain), but leaves nonetheless before undergoing the necessary surgery (I told you Spock is nuts in this novel). Meanwhile, Kirk's still recovering and has no clue of what's going on.

When Spock and Scotty arrive at the only habitable planet of the star map, they find out that a Romulan and Klingon ships have also been lured to that place by similar maps. Everything was a trap, and all of them are captured by the Tomariians, and brought to their home planet in an ancient rocket. The Tomariians are short, stocky and very hairy aliens, living in an extreme cold environment. Being poor and primitive, they've turned to scavenging, adapting the most disparate technologies to expand across their sector of the galaxy. Spock and the others meet the Tomariian leader, Ilsa. The one who disguised herself as a yeoman to plant the explosive in the Enterprise (hence all that depilatory cream). And she takes a liking to Spock, just as every other woman in this book.

The Tomariians plan to test their captives' strenght by sending them to different battlefields. This way they could determine the weaknesses of Federation members, Klingons and Romulans, in order to expand later through their territories. Spock's injury worsens, to the point that he's left immobile from waist down. But due to her attraction for him, Ilsa spares his life. Meanwhile, Kirk has found clues about Spock and Scotty's whereabouts, so finally, the Enterprise rescues them in the nick of time.

Back in the ship, Spock has to fulfill the promise he made to the Romulan woman captured with him: to warn the Empire of the Tomariian threat, should she not survive. After this, Spock has to face a court-martial for all his offenses: stealing a starship, and above all, establishing secret communications with the Romulan and Klingon empires. Charged with treason, he's sent to prison, where he meets and befriends the Romulan pirate Desus.

I won't spoil anything more (this is about halfway through the novel). Suffice to say that, after this, Spock gets involved in a prison break. He becomes a pirate by the name of "Black Fire", and gains a following of fangirls that write love poems about him (an amusing parody of real-world fandom). And finally defects to the Romulan Empire, creating massive drama with Kirk. Of course, there's a satisfactory explanation for Spock going amok, at the end.

Spirk Meter: 10/10*: Kirk and Spock are separated most of the time and have little physical contact, but the story truly reads as a break-up/reconciliation one. Specially with the introduction of Desus as a rival for Spock's affection. In the first chapter, Kirk is partially healed by a mind meld with Spock, and sighs his name upon waking up. Then Kirk anguishes over Spock's disappearance, and risks the entire ship to go rescue him (well... and Scotty). And there's a lot of commentary about how Kirk is Spock's only close relationship, and how his defection to the Romulans is a particularly painful blow for Kirk. The whole issue of Spock's treason has Kirk on edge and in a foul mood, to the point that other crewmembers are afraid of bringing the subject in his presence. As other books with a lot of spirk content, it's difficult to pinpoint single scenes, since it's a general theme all over the place. Add to this, Spock's absolute indiference towards all the women swooning around him.

Then there's, of course, Spock and Desus' extremely close friendship, said to rival that with Kirk. At one point, Desus reads aloud some of the love poems that Spock has inspired as "Black Fire". And one has to wonder if he isn't adressing the words to Spock himself.

McCoy doesn't appear much in the novel. But still gets some McKirk and Spones. In the beginning, he's devastated by Kirk's serious injuries and his inability to cure him, crying about the prospect of losing "the man he both admired and loved". Then, at the end, McCoy asks Spock to sign his book of love (and erotic) poems dedicated to him (!!!???), as an excited fangirl. "To belong to this man of fire, if only for a moment. - My flaming love." he reads aloud. And Spock even gives him his pirate earring as a gift. The novel closes with these lines: The black jewel gleamed its strange luminescence in McCoy's palm, but it was no match for the gleam in Spock's dark smiling eyes.

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[astrogre]

Jeffrey star Birth chart Part 1

Jeffrey star is an Internet personality that grew into a business owner and celebrity with a net worth of over 200 million. He is often times known for his proficiency in cosmetics, a controversial personality and his integrity when speaking of his experiences

Neptune 1st house

Neptune can show you what you dream of, it basically shows you the life that you manifest for yourself especially when in 1st house, Jeffrey has his in Capricorn 1st house also conjunct ASC and his moon. This shows he has always dreamed of having a business, climbing up the ranks and amounting to emotional stability. The only struggle with this placement is that natives may aspire for so much but never act on it, Jeffrey on the other hand is blessed with strong action placements like Mars conjunct MC that prevent that from happening.

Now with this Neptune placement conjunct moon, it also shows for him emotional stability can come from his ideas and dreams for what he can be in the future, can also indicate owning his dream home as moon represents the home too (which he indeed did do), this placement displays how it makes him feel really good to work on himself and act on his dream. This is because Capricorn shows where we climb, what were successful in, where we are the best of the best.

With it in his first house he makes sure that he is the best of the best in terms of identity, he wants to be the best at what he does no matter who is in that room, he probably likes the concept of having a diversified life due to Neptunes flexibility and it being conjunct to the planet of emotional needs, it may bring him pleasure being able to have had many different dreams because he can feel wise and well versed in all aspects of life. E.g how he has started business in SO many different industries, here’s the proof:

Jeffrey star has so many businesses and likes to be self reliant as he does it too. I really think this is due to his 1st house Neptune placement in Capricorn, if he has a vision he ties it to his identity and acts on it. A reason why hes so successful is also because his name, so when he ties his brand to it, it becomes extremely successful and well respected due to the guaranteed high quality reputation that his Capricorn rising gave him. Neptune Capricorn is in a sign of action, but a planet of fantasy, this has an outcome of gradual success.

If you didn’t know, It took him so long to be finally recognised, but once he was everyone wanted to be like him, wanted his reputation, wanted his success, his credibility, his competence, his knowledge of industry, his string sharp bone structure, his way of approaching business. (All Capricorn traits). These natives tend to be the gatekeepers of their industry and can choose who to let in after being disrespected.

He also having this conjunct moon can indicate that he dreams of having high status. Of course I must admit though his fondness of business is shown alll over his chart. Take his Jupiter 2nd house as an example and his 10H ruler in the 10H, that’s another thing: if you’re going to be wealthy, famous, powerful or checking anything at all, it will always be shown in the chart with at least 3+ indicators.

Capricorn Neptune Ruler in 11th house

Can I also mention that his Neptunes ruler (Saturn) is in the house of goals and aspirations, 11H represents our aspirations, wealth gained from career (and other things that I will mention in part 2). Knowing this, his dreams are so tied with what he wants to be that it’s not just a flimsy ideal to him it’s his reality that he believes in, something he’s always working towards. With Saturn also being here it shows he takes it very seriously and is rather strict in himself and others to reach those goals. This is honestly the sign of someone who networks like a power horse using those connections, income from career and all such to fulfill his dreams. It’s all over his chart how motivated he is.

Aquarius Jupiter 2nd house

Yes THE wealth indicator, this is the placement that shows someone who is abundant in possessions and valuable assets, earnings and savings. Not only this but they tend to have an air of non chalance when their self value is being put down because they have such a positive and optimistic attitude towards themselves, with this placement nobody can tell them shit or try to devalue them. With his being in Aquarius, Jeffrey may own possessions that are niche, rare and perhaps one in a kind made due to Aquarius representing uniqueness and his Jupiter ruler (Uranus) in 12th house he has very obscure things that he values but are non the less worth a lot of money and VERY difficult to get a hold of, he may even talk about them as his 12H Uranus is conjunct his mercury, with his mercury in sag- (a sign of brutal honesty..) if you asked him nicely he’d probably tell you how you can get the things he has. He may also say it because he wants people to elevate themselves as that Uranus 12H shows a desire for upgrading humanity collectively.

[gavincreel]

i know it is probably only speaking to me because at heart i am, after all, just a mid-forties white gay man living in new york city, but just in time seems to have done everything right. the marketing has worked pretty much immediately, because i wanted to see the show before it even hit rehearsals, but the fact that it is somehow effectively bridging multiple generations via casting, production and promotion is stunning, considering the subject matter (who cares about bobby darin in the year of our lord 2025?). it is an incredibly american subject matter, too, which is why it does lend itself to broadway and investors, but all of this would mean nothing if jonathan groff would not be at the helm of this project. utterly captivating, infinitely charming, with a voice that could melt butter. that colbert late night show performance of beyond the sea made me want to chart a plane to nyc and see it immediately. if the category wouldn't be as crowded as it is, and if the probability of jonathan winning back to back wouldn't be as flimsy as it is, he would be a very easy choice to win the tony. an absolute star turn. so very classic broadway and yet so modern and timely. i am truly amazed by how well this show has been made, and how insanely well cast jonathan is. wow.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 25th December

And finally, Christmas, and with it, the final song of 1963, a year that has seen a seismic shift in the UK charts. This might quite literally be the most significant year we've had yet, full stop - from the shift away from rock and roll and towards Merseybeat, to the rise of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound R&B and finally, the convergence of those two trends as acts like the Beatles begin to conquer the US, it's been an absolutely wild year, and the music you're seeing charting now is completely different than what you would have got at this point in 1962, in a very exciting way. And yet, we're not finishing with a Merseybeat smash, either...

Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa - Gene Pitney (peaked at Number 5)

Instead, we open with horns, and an initially laid-back sounding bit of steel guitar, conjuring a sort of country mood. Except you've also got something very funky and almost Latin going on with the beat, and the metallic, jangly percussion that you've got in the background. Add in some big, stabby horn hits and some dramatic backing singers, and you've got something with a pretty unique sound, not quite country, not quite pop.

But the star of the show has to be the lyrics, which are confessional, in the mould of songs like Leroy Van Dyke's Walk on By, painting a small, realistic picture of an affair. Except unlike Leroy, who's trying to cover things up, Gene's a bit more open, with the song more taking the form of a letter, confessing to a partner that he's been unfaithful. Dearest darlin', he sings, the regret already palpable in his voice, I had to write to say that I won't be home anymore / 'Cause something happened to me / While I was drivin' home / And I'm not the same anymore. You see, he was a mere twenty-four hours away from getting home, and from being back in his first love's arms. Except en route he saw a sign, a hotel where he decided to stop for the night. And there she is, a woman, waiting to show him where to get something to eat. She takes him to a café, hangs around, and in a moment of madness, he asks her to stay, she says okay. The jukebox started to play, Gene admits, and night time turned into day. They dance, they kiss, and he promises never to leave this new woman. I hate to do this to you, he concludes, but I love somebody new, what can I do, / When I can never, never, never go home again?

In all this, there's a lot of ambiguity. For one, is Gene supposed to be sympathetic, here? Part of me thinks so - you can hear the regret and the self-hatred in his voice, and the song clearly paints him as somebody who was taken completely by surprised by love, caught unaware, but too smitten and too honest to try and carry on the affair more secretly, even if it means blowing his old life up. All of which is noble, in a flawed kind of way.

Except you can't avoid the fact that this is a letter he's writing back to his old love. So there's a degree of unreliable narration going on, Gene pushing this picture of himself as this tragic figure, reluctantly doing the honourable thing, however much it hurts him. Which makes it all about him, for one. Plus, once you think of it like that, bits of it do sound like quite flimsy excuses. Like, sure, you "lost control". Sounds totally believable. And the "I love somebody else, what can I do?" line sounds particularly flippant, given this. The picture's coming together, in my mind. You've got Gene, a man who clearly travels a lot for work, who perhaps sleeps around a little, but whose extracurricular activities have finally made their way back home to Tulsa - hence this rather sorry dispatch.

And yes, much of this is me reading into the song. Because, like I said, it's ambiguous. Both readings - or neither - could be true, and Gene's delivery doesn't give you much to hang onto, interpretively. He sounds broken up, but you can't quite tell why, or how much of it's a front. All you can say, in the end, is that there's a vulnerability to it, a willingness to paint yourself as this weak, imperfect character. It's the sort of thing I could also imagine Roy Orbison pulling off - like Gene, he's got a way with these complex, confessional lyrics, just specific enough for you to speculate, but just vague enough that you can't really reach any solid conclusions, and just stopping short of melodrama.

Instead, there's a low-rent seediness to it all, the lady in the motel, Gene's travelling work as a salesperson, or something of that ilk, the all night café they repair to - it's never outright lurid, but there's so much implied smallness and sketchiness to it all, and so much pain and hurt, just past the edges of the narrative, as well as an aching, slightly strained quality to Gene's performance. Whatever he's aiming for with this letter, you also get the sense he's ashamed of it all, not at all proud of himself. And the distance, the fact that he was only a day away from getting home... again, you really get a sense of the tragedy of it, but also the mundanity, the everyday, low-key grimness of it all. Which is honestly quite something to a 3-minute song.

(I should also note, finally, that it does feel like the spiritual ancestor of Hotel California. It's a bit more mundane and prosaic, sure. But one bad trip, and you just know that Gene would be on his merry way down that dark desert highway...)

I'm going to go out and say it, this song should be better known than it is. It's great, a little short story that feels straightforward, but soon proves to be more complex than you expected. It's a bit pop, a bit country, a bit rock - and while none of these were "the" sound fo 1963, they're all sounds that have quietly been throughlines. For every thumpy beat hit, there's been one or two of these, solidly well made country or pop ballads that are quietly exploring some sometimes quite interesting territory. As an end-of-year hit, then? Not bad at all.

Favourite song of the yes-I-maybe-overanalysed-it-but-I-had-a-lot-of-fun bunch: Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa

[safanoorpk]

Shop It Like It’s Hot: SAFANOOR 3-Piece Unstitched That Feels Custom

Why SAFANOOR Is a Cult Favorite

SAFANOOR is not just another name in ethnic fashion—it's an emotion. From moms to millennials, everyone swears by its timeless elegance and modern edge. What makes it a consistent chart-topper? A smart combo of classic design, wearable fabrics, and collections that hit all the right notes.

Anatomy of the SAFANOOR 3-Piece Unstitched Set

Shirt Fabric – Designed to Impress

The shirt fabric in SAFANOOR’s unstitched sets is the showstopper. Embroidered borders, digital prints, or minimalist patterns—there’s something for every mood and occasion.

Dupatta – The Statement Maker

Whether it’s a net, chiffon, or printed lawn dupatta, this piece takes the whole look up several notches. Draped right, it can be the wow factor of your outfit.

Trouser Fabric – Simple Yet Elegant

The understated star. Straight pants, cigarette cuts, or palazzos—you get enough fabric to do it all. And the quality? Spot on.

The Art of Detailing

Embroidery That Elevates

You’ll find delicate threadwork, tilla embellishments, and mirror detailing that don’t just sit on fabric—they enhance it. That’s SAFANOOR’s power play.

Borders, Tassels, and Intricate Elements

Even the borders are thoughtfully designed, offering the option to create high-end fashion from something as simple as an unstitched piece.

Fabric Focus – It’s All About the Touch

Lawn, Cotton, and Blends

SAFANOOR is picky with fabric—thankfully. Summer collections boast lawn so soft it almost feels like butter. And for the cooler months? Cotton karandi, linen, and jacquards that bring both warmth and style.

Light Yet Luxurious

The best part? These fabrics are breathable without feeling flimsy. Perfect for long days, special nights, or just looking glam at home.

Prints That Pop and Colors That Speak

Trending Hues This Season

Expect a mix of muted earth tones, refreshing aquas, and dusky rose shades. SAFANOOR has its finger firmly on the trend pulse.

Classic Neutrals and Timeless Prints

Not into bold colors? There’s plenty of ivory, beige, and midnight blues to give you that graceful, timeless vibe.

Why It Feels Like a Custom Designer Piece

Fit, Fabric, and Finish

It’s unstitched, yes. But when styled well, it feels more luxe than many designer prêt pieces. It hugs where it should, flows where it must—and that’s the secret sauce.

Compliments Guaranteed

Step out in one and wait for the compliments to roll in. You’ll hear “Where did you get that?” more than once.

[stanislausg]

💪 TRX Suspension Trainer Basic Kit – The All-in-One Home Gym?

Ever wish you could do a complete gym session… in your bedroom? The TRX Suspension Trainer might be the closest thing to that dream. I tested the TRX Basic Kit + Door Anchor and here’s everything you should know before buying…

✅ Key Features

Full-Body Training: Use your body weight for hundreds of exercises targeting strength, mobility, and core.

Door Anchor Included: Easily attach the straps to any standard door — no screws or drilling needed.

Adjustable Straps: Customizable to your height and workout intensity.

Durable Build: Industrial-grade materials ensure long-term durability.

Free TRX App Trial: Access guided workouts, training plans, and video tutorials.

Lightweight & Portable: Carry it anywhere in the compact mesh bag.

✅ Pros

Versatile: Over 300 bodyweight exercises possible

No Equipment Needed: Great for small spaces

Easy Setup: Attach to a door, beam, or pole in seconds

Joint-Friendly: Great for low-impact strength training

Backed by Science: Used in rehabilitation and elite athletic training

❌ Cons

Initial learning curve for beginners

Price may seem high for straps vs traditional gear

Requires good form awareness to avoid injury

Needs a sturdy anchor point (not ideal on flimsy doors)

🔁 Comparison

🔹 TRX Suspension Trainer Basic Kit + Door Anchor:

Build Quality: Commercial-grade straps, durable carabiners, rubber handles

Portability: Extremely lightweight & packs into a mesh travel bag

Setup: Door anchor & suspension anchor included, fast to set up anywhere

Adjustability: Single anchor point system, stable but less customizable

Handle Comfort: High-density rubber handles, anti-slip grip

Exercises Supported: 300+ total body moves

Best For: Beginners to pros, athletes, home & travel workouts

Price Range: Mid to premium

Extras: App access with workouts, 1-year warranty

User Rating: ⭐ 4.7/5 (based on 12,000+ reviews)

🔹 Lifeline Jungle Gym XT:

Build Quality: Dual anchor system, heavy-duty webbing, plastic foot cradles

Portability: Slightly bulkier than TRX, comes with a carry bag

Setup: Dual-point anchoring gives more angle control

Adjustability: Dual straps can move independently, good for wider workouts

Handle Comfort: Rubberized ergonomic handles with foot straps

Exercises Supported: ~200+ exercises

Best For: Intermediate to advanced users, those wanting wider stance range

Price Range: Affordable to mid-range

Extras: DVD workout, laminated charts

User Rating: ⭐ 4.6/5 (based on 5,000+ reviews)

🔹 NOSSK Twin Pro Suspension Trainer:

Build Quality: Made in the USA, solid straps with heavy-duty stitching

Portability: Very compact & light, top choice for frequent travelers

Setup: Door anchor & loop system included, quick install

Adjustability: Dual-anchor, adjustable buckles for length

Handle Comfort: Foam grips, not as durable as TRX’s rubber

Exercises Supported: ~150–200 depending on skill level

Best For: Budget-conscious users, travel workouts

Price Range: Budget-friendly

Extras: Free PDF workout guide

User Rating: ⭐ 4.5/5 (based on 3,000+ reviews)

🗣️ People’s Reviews:

⭐ “Transformed my home gym — super effective!”

⭐ “Excellent for travel and quick workouts.”

⭐ “Built like a tank, but you need to know proper form.”

⭐ “Pricy but worth it. Better than cheaper knockoffs.”

⭐ “My core strength has improved in just 2 weeks!”

⭐ Star Ratings (Across Platforms):

Amazon USA: ★★★★☆ (4.7/5 from 9,000+ reviews)

Amazon India: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5 from 1,200+ reviews)

TRX Website: ★★★★★ (5/5 based on verified buyers)

✅ Conclusion: Is It Worth It?

If you're serious about building strength, mobility, and endurance from home or on the go, the TRX Suspension Trainer Basic Kit + Door Anchor is a rock-solid investment. It’s more than just straps — it’s a complete training ecosystem that grows with your fitness level.

Best For:

Home workout warriors

Travelers or small-space users

Beginners to advanced athletes

Not Ideal For:

People who prefer traditional weights

Those without a strong anchor point

👉 Click here for more

For reviews of other products, email silverscreen360@gmail.com

[penbybirdie]

One of my older pieces :)

Some say there is no worse fate than being alone, but she disagreed. The truest moments, ones she felt most herself, were when she was alone. Perhaps sometimes she would long for another, someone to hold, someone to laugh with, but those wishes were small and flimsy. The desires she most craved were the ones of when she was alone. 

The smell of old books is her favorite, it reminds her of home. She does not know where that home is, but it makes her feel that overwhelming peace that is only found being at home with oneself. Losing herself in the pages of a story is her favorite as well. There was no more simple yet absolute way to reach the level of inner peace that comes with reading.

The castle library is large, large enough that she has not read all the books in it although she had lived here for her entire life. Three stories of just books, words and stories piled high above. All the windows face to the north, a perfect view of the mountains, which at night makes the idea of leaving the castle seem inane. The fourth floor, an open roof full of astronomy equipment, star maps and charts, is the most beautiful place she’d ever seen at night. 

That is where she is right now. She does not know what time it is, but the moon is bright and full in the sky. All the stars are visible. And even though she was blanket around herself, she can feel the chill. 

She had spent the first part of the clear night mapping more stars, she thinks she may have seen a planet as well. The night was clear enough that she did not need a telescope. Now she needs to think up names for them, but that is a need for another night. Now her attention was one the book in her hands.

She does not know how one could feel lonely, as her brothers often complain they feel when they are alone. Her book satisfies any boredom, and the silence is soft and welcoming. The sense of accomplishment from her earlier star charting keeps her warm. But the true beauty is the pure peace of it. There is no peace she finds greater than in this silence, in these types of moments. There are no expectations, no overbearing people, no worries. Only herself, her book, and her thoughts. This is what true inner peace feels like. This is home.

[so-true-overdue]

Austerity: The Panacea That Wasn’t

In the grand theater of economic policy, austerity is the star performer that never quite manages to hit its mark. Heralded as the ultimate remedy for fiscal woes, it often leaves a trail of devastation in its wake, much like a bull in a china shop. The allure of austerity is as perplexing as it is persistent, yet its track record is a testament to its inefficacy and the havoc it wreaks.

The Illusion of Fiscal Discipline

Austerity, in its most draconian form, is the economic equivalent of a crash diet—promising rapid results through severe cutbacks. Governments, in their infinite wisdom, often resort to slashing public spending and increasing taxes, under the guise of fiscal discipline. The theory is simple: reduce deficits and restore economic confidence. However, the reality is far more complex and, dare I say, counterproductive.

Empirical Evidence: Austerity’s Dismal Performance

The annals of economic history are replete with examples of austerity’s failures. Take, for instance, the European debt crisis, where austerity measures were imposed with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Countries like Greece and Spain were subjected to stringent fiscal constraints, resulting in skyrocketing unemployment rates, plummeting GDPs, and widespread social unrest. The International Monetary Fund, in a rare moment of introspection, admitted that the fiscal multipliers were grossly underestimated, leading to deeper recessions than anticipated.

The Human Cost: Austerity’s Collateral Damage

Beyond the sterile world of spreadsheets and economic forecasts lies the human cost of austerity. Public services, the lifeline for the most vulnerable, are often the first to face the chopping block. Healthcare, education, and social welfare programs are decimated, leaving a gaping void in the social safety net. The irony is palpable—attempting to save money by depriving citizens of essential services only exacerbates inequality and stifles economic growth.

Preemptive Rebuttal: The Myth of Austerity’s Necessity

Critics of austerity often face the retort that such measures are necessary evils to prevent fiscal collapse. However, this argument is as flimsy as a house of cards. Alternative strategies, such as targeted investments in infrastructure and innovation, have proven to stimulate growth and reduce deficits in a more sustainable manner. The Keynesian approach, advocating for government intervention during economic downturns, has repeatedly demonstrated its efficacy in reviving stagnant economies.

Call to Action: Rethinking Economic Orthodoxy

It is high time we abandon the myopic fixation on austerity and embrace a more nuanced approach to economic policy. Policymakers must prioritize long-term growth over short-term fiscal targets, investing in human capital and infrastructure to build resilient economies. The path to prosperity is not paved with austerity’s harsh measures but with strategic investments that foster innovation and inclusivity.

Conclusion: The Final Act

In the final analysis, austerity is the economic equivalent of a placebo—offering the illusion of remedy while failing to address the underlying malaise. Its draconian measures are not only ineffective but also detrimental to the very fabric of society. As we navigate the complexities of the modern economy, let us consign austerity to the annals of history and chart a course towards a more equitable and prosperous future.

[jediaceanik]

dossier ; Anik Vosh

Given name : Anik Vosh

Monikers : Annie, jedi, Green Sun, Green Two,

Faceclaim : Ben Barnes

Gender : Cis Male

Birthday : 12th Forth 6 ABY

Species : Miraluka/Human

Homeworld : Hosnian Prime

Sexuality : Bisexual/Biromatic

Affinity : Grey Jedi (Main Verse)

Saber : Single Green blade

Form : Niman/Juyo hybrid

Occupation : Jedi Ace Resistance Pilot

Call Sign : Green Sun (Green Squad Two)

Languages : Basic, Miralukese, droid, wookie, various others.

Connections

Wacail Hyrias (mother) †

Oswal Vosh (Father) †

BB-12 (Stolen, heavily modified, FO BB-9E unit)

Eron Skywalker (childhood friend) (hopegained)

Physical

Height : 6'1

Hair : Dark brown almost black. Inch longer then the nape of his neck. Usually loose or tied back in a half up/half down. Short stubble beard.

Eyes : Dark brown, almost black.

Skin: Pale but slight tan. Not many freckles. Various burn scars across his arms and torso, faded with age. Scar across his shoulder from a flight accident.

Body Type : Athletic, slight muscular build.

Attire : Resistance flight suit with hand altered call sign patch. Loose shirts and pants with leather boots. Tones of brown and green.

Key Belongings

His father's dog tags.

His mother's wedding ring

His custom rebuilt Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor (Jedi Interceptor) called Green Sun Of Ashka.

His Custom X Wing in grey and green accents (Call sign Green Two)

Single bladed green lightsaber

His ex First Order astromech droid BB-12 (Bee Twelve) in grey/green

Abilities

Force Sight ( The ability to see with the Force ) Precognition ( Visions / Danger sense )** Force Sense ( Sense the changes in the Force ) Psychometry ( Sense Echo )* Force Healing* Natural strong force user Trained Jedi Skilled ace pilot Skilled mechanic Skilled bladed combat * - Currently lost ability due to damaged force connection. ** - Precognition's visions lost while lower tier ability isnt.

Background

Anik was born to a Miraluka mother, Wacail Hyrias and a human father, Oswal Vosh.

Wacail was a member of the Luka Sene, a group within the Miraluka who where highly force sensitive akin to the Jedi. In her early twenties she formed a Luka Sene school on Hosnian Prime to train the next generation of Luka Sene as she was dismayed by the increase in her kind falling to the dark side of the force. She met Oswal during an off world visit during the war and was charmed by him. Even though Oswal's responsibilities drew him away from home, they bore a child, Anik, who unlike his mother, as born with human sight, and unlike his father, also bore force sight.

Anik grew up mostly with his mother, learning things mostly by the Miraluka way with a heavy influence on the philosophy of the Greater Force. As he grew, he started to show signs in being strong in the force, so his mother trained him along with other miralukas till the age of 14.

Once he was old enough, he was sent to train at Luke Skywalker's Jedi temple, and there he met and became friends with Ben Solo and Eron Skywalker. He formed a close bond with both boys.

He only avoided the slaughter by his farsight causing him to sleepwalk out of the Temple to avoid the danger. By the time he awoke and returned, he was only in time to see Ben arguing with three of the Jedi from the temple. Anik cut himself off from the Force to hide his presence from the Jedi and Ben and hid at a distance till all four left.

Anik spent many hours digging through burning rubble to attempt to find any of his friends alive and upon finding no one alive, he flew his ship home. By the time he returned to Hosnian Prime, he had severe burns and cuts up his arms, torso and hands but was in too much shock to feel it.

Upon returning home, he found out his father had been killed in the war while he was at the Temple. After healing for a year or so and reconnecting with the Force, he joined Leia's resistance in his fathers place so he could help fight the losing war. Self taught in piloting (with only some mentoring from his father in his early teens) Anik found he was a natural and learned to use the Force to aid him in flight. He proudly took the title as Jedi Ace, becoming one of the first new Jedi Aces of the Resistance.

During a mission to acquire information on the First Order, he found a BB-12 unit in a droid repair bay. Upon inspection it was found that the droids self First Order required preservation suppression system was faulty, causing the droid to act as its original programming instructed, as well as other body damage to the chassis. Seeing nothing wrong with the droid, he saved (stole) it and brought it back to the Resistance Base. Bee Twelve, who was on the chopping block to become scrap, happily followed and claims that Anik saved him from a terrible fate. Anik painstakingly repaired and repainted the droid, painting his call sign symbol from his X Wing, the Green Sun of Ashka on his bodywork and giving the droid a grey and green paint job.

During an offworld mission Anik found the shell of an old Jedi Interceptor and decided to rebuild it, using it as his secondary mission ship for stealth, where an x wing would be too obvious.

His mother lived on Hosnian Prime until its destruction by the First Order during the Hosnian Cataclysm, leaving Anik with only the Resistance left as his family.

[tennessoui]

Happy Monday! 🌹😊

hello!!! thank you for the flower :D happy wednesday now !!

i'm not sure how well this au is known, but someone asked for an epilogue/short continuation of my flimsi friends au (ficlet on ao3 here), which would cover the adjustment period of anakin and obi-wan learning how to be together in person after being friends/long distance for forever!

Suddenly, Obi-Wan finds himself in a new and rather startling situation: he is allowed to touch Anakin Skywalker whenever he wants, and speaking to him becomes a matter of tracking him down amongst the fields and administrative buildings. 

They no longer have to play a rather intense game of holo-call tag across star systems, and suddenly, Obi-Wan’s carefully crafted and extensive chart of time differences across the Rims and sectors of the galaxy is obsolete.

Anakin, for the very first time in their lives, occupies the same time sector as Obi-Wan does.

They share a sunrise.

Stars, they share a bed most nights, even when both are too tired to do much more than flop down onto the mattress beside the other.

It’s…strange, if Obi-Wan is being honest.

[milaswriting]

This is so irritating because I actually *did* have someone copy my project so I know what it looks like. And when I say 'copy' I mean the premise; character art; character backstories, personalities, speaking quirks, naming quirks; exact plot points and scenes; lore; worldbuilding elements and structure down to some of it sounding paraphrased, etc. We're not talking a general idea and some character archetypes. We're talking a five page chart listing all the exact details and general details.

We're talking similar characters having similar names, exact personalities, same speaking quirks, character art that looks nearly identical, similar back stories and family situations, etc.

And I get how frustrating it is to have someone do that to you. Real talk? It *sucks* to have a project that is not just a similar premise but tracks so similarly all the characters in the cast even have the exact same cultural heritage as their counter parts in the original project. That's how detailed this copy was.

It got me thinking a lot about plagiarism, copying, and derivative work; and what a problem it is in the fiction sphere (including VNs and IFs) - yet how difficult and sometimes impossible it is to address because it's such a convoluted and poorly defined thing.

It results in people thinking they can just change a few details and BOOM their story is totally original even though the entire framework and foundation is someone else's hard work while only a few flimsy details are original.

Meanwhile, it also results in situations like this where communities see a few general similarities and tropes that are *common in a given genre* and suddenly they're going to come at you screaming about you "copying" even though your project is vastly different from the other.

It's so frustrating because *both* sides of the coin are problematic and troubling. I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this crap.

Having *had* someone take (what in my opinion was) far too much "inspiration" from my project, borrowing numerous details and story elements...I can just say that a vaguely similar premise with a few superficially similar archetypes is not going to harm anyone. You can probably make a page long comparison between Star Wars and Harry Potter with their similar tropes and archetypes - down to the two "best friends" ending up as a couple. But no one is going to claim one is a copy of the other.

People need to chill, is what I'm getting at.

So sorry to hear that your project literally did get copied.

But yes, these tropes have been around for who knows how long, and one single author didn’t create them. And when authors literally haven’t ‘copied’ someone else’s story and gets accused of it, it’s really disappointing.

Thank you for your ask! 💛

~ xXx

[aliveandfullofjoy]

Dramaturg's Notes: Xanadu

Xanadu runs from October 21 to November 14, 2021 at Out Front Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia. Here are my program notes for whoever wants them!

Xanadu: An Everlasting World

“That is the greatest achievement any of you might hope for. To love someone else and to create art.”

-from the screenplay to Xanadu (1980), written by Richard Christian Danus & Marc Reid Rubel

When Xanadu opened in movie theaters at the end of the summer of 1980, it had a lot going for it: between Saturday Night Fever and Fame, glitzy, modern musicals were all the rage, and this one starred one of the most famous people in the world, Olivia Newton-John, just two years after Grease rocked the world. It was a surefire hit. What could go wrong? In fact, almost everything.

While initially conceived as a flimsy update of a mostly-forgotten Rita Hayworth vehicle from 1947 called Down to Earth, Xanadu’s script existed mostly in theory even as shooting was underway, and it shows. Words fail to truly capture the experience of bizarre experience of watching the film: characters behave with almost no discernible motivation and the songs (by John Farrar and the Electric Light Orchestra) are, at best, ill-fitting in the context of the plot, which is stretched so thinly beyond its premise that there’s almost no conflict. Both critics and audiences hated it: Xanadu barely made back its budget, and a review in Variety called it “stupendously bad.” Perhaps its most enduring legacy (other than the soundtrack, which went double platinum and charted five singles on the Billboard Top 20) is that it was one of the primary sources of inspiration for the Golden Raspberry Awards (or the Razzies, for short), an annual event “honoring” the worst films of the year.

Almost thirty years later, the stage adaptation of Xanadu opened on Broadway, one in a steady stream of Broadway musicals based on well-known films. Xanadu’s secret weapon turned out to be its source material: musicals like Hairspray and Spamalot and Legally Blonde are all based on widely known and beloved films and all have to contend with their audience’s memories of those films. Meanwhile, Xanadu is based on a film that (outside of a respectable cult following) hardly anyone likes. The songs may have considerable cultural cache, but the film itself? Not so much.

The other secret to Xanadu’s onstage success is the way the script (written by Douglas Carter Beane, who won a Drama Desk Award for his work on the show) actively encourages the audience to both laugh at the very premise of the story and laugh with the performers. This doesn’t mean Xanadu is a mean-spirited show: even as it laughs at everything from Australian accents to roller discos to musical theatre as an art form, there’s a real beating heart at the center of the musical that’s more or less absent from the film. This is a musical that’s deeply romantic about the artistic process, even (especially?) if the results are no good. The character Kira – that is, Clio, the Muse of History, in full Newton-John drag – sums it up best: “It’s awful, but I did it. And it’s there. Maybe for all time. Maybe for a long time, maybe for a short time, but it’s there.”

Director Paul Conroy is clear about why Atlanta audiences need Xanadu now more than ever. “We all joy. We all need to laugh,” he says, “It’s as simple as that.” He also wants audiences to come away with a renewed sense of hope: “This concept of “Xanadu” doesn’t have to be this unachievable thing. It can be as simple as falling in love with a girl you meet on the boardwalk and opening a roller disco. Find your own Xanadu – find your dream – and go for it.”

We could all use that push to “go for it,” as Conroy puts it. It can be easy to get caught up in day-to-day anxieties and to feel the weight of the world bearing down on us, especially as we’ve all tried to process these last eighteen months. Hope and joy are elusive. Maybe that’s part of what makes them so powerful. Xanadu might not fix all of our problems, but partaking in that ancient communal tradition – coming together with a room full of strangers to laugh at some seriously goofy jokes and to nod your head along to some genuinely great music – might just give you that elusive shot of joy.

—Elliott Folds, dramaturg

with the support of Daria D., assistant dramaturg

[sullustangin]

Fluffy February #11 and #27

To atone for yesterday’s fail:

11. Stargazing

3637 BBY (16 ATC)

After Yavin, Before Ziost.

“Hey, Cap.”  Corso’s voice echoed through the corridor.   Eva looked up from her project on the lounge floor.

Ever since she’d spaced her nav computer en route to Rishi, Eva had started replotting everything on the old paper star charts that had come with the ship eighty some-odd years ago. Not flimsi – paper.  Trees gave their lives for these astrogation charts. They predated the War.  Planets had changed hands.  New colonies were made.

And until Eva could track down a secure astrogation computer that worked with the Thief’s ancient interface, that was how she was flying.  She knew most of the hyperlanes by heart anyway, and she’d long memorized the coordinates of Coruscant and Pub Fleet.  

Ok, so maybe she had overdone it with her effort to spite Theron and make him panic… just a little.

Corso came to an abrupt halt at the doorway of the lounge.  “Dead man walking,” he commented to himself as he considered stepping on a page, then reconsidered it.  “You got a message on the Holo.”  

Eva’s hands went to her vest pocket, only to find her commlink missing.  Corso silently held it up.  Eva’s eyes lit up, and he tossed it to her.  The commlink jingled its tune again.

Theron.

A smile broke across her face.  They’d exchanged the odd message since the op finished up six weeks ago.  Last she’d heard, things were going well between him and his mother, he was back in good graces at SIS, and he’d found this place in some seedy area of Coruscant that made bacalhau like they’d had back on Rishi.

Next time you’re here, we’ll go together, my treat.

Eva opened the message.

Hey there,

Next time you’re on Pub Fleet, look up a hangar reserved for ‘Zho Till’in.’ Someone scrounged up an XS Light astrogation computer – should be a good replacement for your nav.

Trant says you’ve received your retainer backpay.  Tell me if that’s not the case.

This might sound weird, but I got used to seeing you.  

T.

Eva let out a small whoop and began to roll up the star charts.  She liked playing with them, but they weren’t exactly the most efficient way to get around the galaxy.  She also turned over Theron’s last sentence a few times.  She got the implication, but he couldn’t directly say it…  

Eva got to her feet and headed toward her comm unit in her office to craft a reply.  

So, when do you have a spare weekend?

**

3629 BBY (23 ATC)

“Theron, if you wanted me to hold your hand and cling to you desperately, you could have just asked instead of bringing me out here.”  Eva had her head on a swivel; this was probably one of the worst areas of Corsucant, systematically ignored by law enforcement and social services.  

She was the Voidhound, and it gave her the heebie-jeebies.

“It’s worth it, I promise.” Theron flashed her a grin.

They finally stopped in front of a small shop – nothing impressive, with worn curtains and old neon lighting that had seen better days, but it was neatly kept. Eva peered in. She saw the food.

Then she closed her eyes and remembered. “We never did make that spare weekend.”

“No,” he affirmed.  “I got wrapped up in planning the Ziost op.  Then everything else.”  Theron squeezed her hand.  “So I figured, since we’re celebrating a slightly late second anniversary and the galactic threat of the week hasn’t appeared yet, we’d make up for it.”

“Still your treat?” she asked, teasingly.  

“Still my treat.” 

27.  Spa Day

“Remembering when I first did this?”  Her long, thin hands ran over his back.  Eva kept the pressure firm, but didn’t dig into the hinge of his shoulder.

“It rained on Yavin for nearly a week straight.  Between the logistic problems and my arthritis, my back decided to go on strike.”

“You never did tell me how you hurt your back.”

“Statute of limits wasn’t up yet.  I think it is now.”  Theron let out a small grunt as her hands slid down to his lower back, fingertips dipping into old scars.  “Broke in and entered an Imperial building.  I jumped a few stories off a building, landed on my feet and probably rattled every vertebra in my back, then dropped on my shoulder.  Dislocated it.  That was the first time I was on Ziost.”  

“And let’s not talk about the return visit.”  Her hands worked his back, progressively lower and lower.  “Did the landing cause the knee problem?”

“That was me getting drunk and fat when I thought you were dead.  Let’s not talk about that.”  Theron sighed into Eva’s touch.  “Let’s talk about how you learned this instead. You never told me how you came to moonlight as a masseuse.  Ummm.. ahhhh.”  

“Keep making noises like that, and someone will barge in on us with all sorts of ideas, just like Yavin.”

“And they would be disappointed, unless they had a foot fetish.  You are going to do the back walking thing, right?”  

“Yes.  But you seem to forget you were shirtless, and that was of interest to most of the planet.”

“I probably enlightened a few enlisted about themselves, unexpectedly.  But I’m interested in how you got so good with your hands –” Theron’s breath hitched as he felt her weight and the careful tensing of her toes as she balanced.  “—and feet.”  

“It’s a ridiculous smuggler story, as usual.”

“As usual.  Get on with it.”

“A VAT came through – a Very Awful Thing – that needed Risha and me to hang out at a bathhouse of ill repute for a few weeks so we could ‘take care of’ a Pub mobster.  The owner wasn’t going to let us just lurk there, so we had to work.  Went well, since we had a cover and established ourselves.  Fortunately, the madam understood our job – he’d gotten rough with a few of her girls in the past – so she gave us the regulars that actually did want just a massage or just a skin treatment.  Then I let her watch Risha break his neck.”

“With her feet?”

“No.”  Eva ran the toes of her right foot down his neck at that moment, and he stifled a laugh. “You’re the only person that has gotten a massage from me since.”

“I’m flattered.”

“As you should be.”

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes as she focused on the task at foot.

Then she asked, “Any skills you have hidden away that I’ve benefited from?”

“Card dealing,” Theron teased her.

She tsk’ed at him.  “I know I’m good; you only helped a little, if that.”  She climbed down, her feet back on the floor.  

Theron slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position.  “Fine. Slow dancing. Part of a security op for SIS, I escorted some diplomat’s sister to a dinner. Did a few of those. Never made it to the ‘we go to weddings and formal dinners together’ stage with a partner.  Well, I did go with someone to his brother’s wedding, but it was a stand-up at city hall.”

“So, as yourself, am I the only one that you’ve danced with?” Eva stood next to where he now sat.

“Yeah.”  Theron reached out to draw her close to him, hands on her hips.  “…as myself, you’re the only one, full stop.”

She clasped her hands behind his neck and let him pull her in close, tipping her forehead down to his.

“We get so romantic over the most awful stories.”

[datawyrms]

Electric Influence

Danymay2020 day 10- Corruption

It was easier to ignore the fact Danny should not have walked out of that portal alive. Tucker ignored any ‘shock’ his friend must have gotten would have been lethal. Sam pretended the scorching stench of flesh burning was only the ectoplasm of the portal. She didn’t kill one of her best friends on a dare.

He’d fallen out of there, after all. Cold, glowing and terrified once he had seen himself, but it was fine! He just. Stopped being that way. He breathed, his heart raced and his grip was warm when they hugged, so tightly as if they let go they’d be separated forever.

Did it have to make sense that Danny was somehow a ghost while also being human? So their friend had ‘ghost powers’. Powers that he struggled with, but they were there to help and support him. What kind of friends would they be if they didn’t?

Sam and Tucker didn’t seem to hear the low constant buzz that felt like it was trying to rip out from under his skin. They didn’t jerk away from him, or hesitate in helping as he started falling through the floor, even though at those times it was louder, more like something clawing at his ears and demanding his attention. He didn’t want to worry them, so he didn’t mention the noise. It did make it hard to concentrate. Tucker did manage to help him without knowing about the problem, though it had been a bit of a joke.

“I swear I’m not trying to fall through every floor in the school!”

“They’re your powers dude. Maybe try thinking loud thoughts?”

Loud thoughts had actually helped. If he tried screaming in his head, louder than that irritating low hum, his powers actually seemed to respond. They still went off basically at complete random, but he could at least stop the falling or the vanishing once he noticed it. It was awkward, but he’d take anything at this point. Tucker and Sam had convinced him that letting Mom and Dad know wouldn’t be good. They might think he was dead, or something like that. With how much they seemed to focus on ghosts, he really didn’t want to be their new ‘special interest.’

They weren't sure how to react when Danny became that inverted self again. The dead-no he wasn’t dead. His ‘ghost form’. He seemed proud that he had enough control to do so intentionally, so they smiled and congratulated with a few jabs about practicing not vanishing as often. They ignored the hissing voice in the back of their minds, insisting their friend was dead. Dead people couldn’t just stop being dead with two rings of light. The small spike of fear Danny caused when he was glowing was just because of the temperature drop. He was still their friend, he wasn’t acting like some out of control monster like the Fentons said all ghosts were. So he couldn’t really be a ghost. When the black haired boy suggested he might simply be half ghost, they latched on to the excuse, not thinking very hard on why their friend even thought that.

The never ending noise changed after he figured out how to switch between himself and the green eyed ghost form he’d gotten. It was less a meaningless irritating noise, now it seemed to vary and change depending on what he was doing. At first he figured it was just more noises he had to mentally ignore, but they started to be consistent. When it pitched low with a steady pulse it became easier to become invisible, not needing the mental shout to get his powers to play along. The times he unintentionally went invisible out of alarm also dropped, now that he knew if the weird energy scrabbling at his skin was making that sound, he could shout over it before it happened.

He still failed to catch it sometimes, the odd ectoplasmic song was just a constant background noise to him now. If he didn’t tune it out from time to time, he probably would have gone mad. It was more manageable now. When he became that second self, his ghost self, the crackling sound wasn’t trapped under his skin. More that he was wrapped in it, protectively swaddled in the noise that swung from beautiful to nails on a chalkboard irritating depending on his mood. The powers always came easier like that, as if being under his human flesh made it hard to exert his will on them. More surprisingly was when he managed to just instinctively do things. He had no idea he could fly, until he had started hovering because it ���felt better’.

He didn’t really need to think too hard, or struggle to control anything with the sound outside. He could just relax and just do. His head pounded less as his capabilities broadened. In fact it almost seemed like planning too far ahead weakened him, or had him take the wrong choice. His hangups about being a poor ghost fighter led to so many unneeded hits against Bertrand, more so when the right answer came to him too late. The self doubt and shame was a weakness.

It was easier to be reactive, to let these instincts do as they will. After all, he was getting better at all of this, Sam and Tucker said so. Relaxing into the steady buzzing confidence felt right, and seemed to be working out fine. It was still part of him, it wasn’t something to worry about.

Danny was really getting the hang of this ‘being half ghost’ thing. That should have been a good thing, that they didn’t need to fish their friend out of walls or hiss at empty air to ‘show up’, but something felt off.

He’d stopped using his powers for his own gain. Sure, Tucker was glad his friend wasn’t casually possessing people after the whole Poindexter thing, but the slow shift from occasional ghost pranks to practically none was strange. Sam would say he was just ‘more mature’ now and didn’t want to blow his cover over something stupid. Yet even she would admit it was weird he wouldn’t brag to Tucker about sneaking into locker rooms he did not belong in anymore. He just ‘wasn’t interested’ in doing that sort of thing anymore.

More disturbingly he seemed to reverse that opinion shortly after the Freakshow incident. He slipped back to ‘before the accident’ Danny, more interested in space talk than ghosts, openly offered to help sneak them into a movie for free and seemed to avoid ‘going ghost’ as much as possible. Were they bad friends for not noticing Danny had practically dropped any ‘negative’ trait like being selfish or spiteful? Surely he had only been trying to ‘not be like Vlad’, or be like a comic superhero. After all, their friend slowly slid back to his new normal over a few weeks.

Sam didn’t tell Tucker that Danny had come to her one night, eyes wide with a strange mix of terror and exhaustion.

“He would have let you die! I-I broke free but I’m so, so sorry!”

“Danny, you didn’t do anything wrong. You broke free when it counted.” she reassured her friend, trying to ignore how fragile he felt as she forced the trembling boy into a hug.

He’d shaken his head. “I let him-I didn’t even realize-”

“You couldn’t help it! It can’t happen again, don’t beat yourself up about it.”

It was only weeks later that it occurred to her that Danny might not have been talking about Freakshow that day.

The sound was too much. His skin felt stretched tight simply containing his now ever present companion. Every movement, every action felt like this would be the one that would split him open and let the crawling screaming noise devour him whole.

Though it wasn’t really a noise anymore. It could talk. It had been named, though he wasn’t sure if he had named it, or the sound had named itself. He remembered the conversation, how Tucker had called him out for such a terrible alter ego name, but he couldn’t remember if he had answered back as himself, or if Phantom had done it. They were always influencing one another now, the ghost had practically trained him into letting it take control through the constant ghost fights. Danny didn’t know how to fight, Phantom knew almost nothing but. Of course it had made sense to just let the noise prompt and delegate his actions, of course it had been easier when he didn’t try to struggle control away with a half baked plan.

Yet apparently this throbbing pulsating thing wanted more than that. Being the hero that forced ghosts back wasn’t enough, because apparently Danny was misusing their powers. Danny was their weak link.

Didn’t his friends deserve better than some slacker? Didn’t he want to be the best he could be? He’d stumbled through fourteen years with minimal success, while the new self under his skin was practically a hero within a year.

It wasn’t a fair comparison, and he was only struggling so much this year because of all the ghost fights. Yet who’s fault was that? Who was the one who let them all here to put everyone in danger?

It was his responsibility to fight it. Shirking it just showed he wasn’t a very good human.

Their only real compromise was they couldn’t worry their friends. So Danny was still present in a way, a flimsy bit of cloth hiding who really was in charge a significant amount of time.

He had always wondered how Vlad could have gone off the deep end, to turn so violently on people who were once friends. Now he was fairly sure it was easy because Plasmius barely knew the Fentons at all, and warped Vlad into whatever best suited him.

His friends didn’t say anything about it. Maybe they liked him better this way, dragging them into adventure and danger because of ghosts instead of throwing out star charts and insisting on nights they needed to watch the skies.

Phantom was always happy to remind him that Sam and Tucker liked him better than Danny nowadays. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. Yet the shrieking in his ears was getting harder and harder to ignore.

The Master of Time broke him. His ghost half, his dead self, whatever Phantom was would no longer stand for Danny to put their friends at risk. He made a bad choice. He got all their friends killed. HE plunged the world into ruin by trying to escape his guilt! He’d asked Vlad to remove his humanity after all, and wasn’t Danny always insisting that was him? He couldn’t risk any of that happening, not when Clockwork gave them a second chance. The uneasy status quo was torn asunder as Phantom attempted to claim dominance over both forms by force, the static sound a shrieking agony, like knives being driven deep into his brain. He wasn’t needed, he wasn’t wanted. No one would know that Danny was gone. He was just getting replaced by a better version of him in every way. The one who didn’t almost drive the world to ruin over being an immature child.

He was a child! Of course he was! He wasn’t even sixteen, he was allowed to make mistakes. That didn’t keep the ghost from shoving him deep down, too convinced in his own way to even consider letting his other half do as much as blink.

The sound finally stopped, but he couldn’t even feel the pain that should have been put in his stomach, disconnected as he was from himself. Now he was the quiet humming nudge, aware and ever constant, but unable to act without permission.

He was fairly sure his sound was not like the electric hum Phantom had been. At least, he had no trouble ignoring him. He’d listen when talking to his friends and family sometimes, but that was it. The ghost eventually got to the point that Danny didn’t even have much to add. He already knew what to say, they were his friends and family too.

Maybe he was pointless. Trying to fight for control was exhausting, and even if he won there was nothing to do. Sam and Tucker wouldn’t know what he was going on about if he said he was trapped in his own body. Being split apart never seemed to go well, and his ghost self was vehemently against it thanks to Clockwork.

He had to just stay put and watch someone else live his life. Someone that was basically him, but not quite.

Yet as time went on, he almost started to believe Phantom. Maybe this was for the best. He’d never reach his own dream now. No one cared that Danny wasn’t actually Danny. They liked this one just fine.

He could feel the strange pressure that seemed to be trying to crush him completely. Yet it was warm and comforting instead of terror inducing. A warm weighted blanket that slowly squeezed ever tighter. He’d be whole again. Not the same, not himself. Assimilated, overwritten. Replaced.

He couldn’t bother to keep fighting it anymore. Besides, the ghost’s whole name was Danny Phantom. Maybe he was meant to have been devoured like this way back at the accident. He didn’t even need to bother to ask the ghost to protect his loved ones.

They were more Phantoms’ family now anyway.