#ANOTHER PART wants to draw unique marriages

[enkibutnice]

one part of me knows a Marriage is stronger than alone

another part things theyre very cute as their own people and wants to keep my cute lil pixel friends

[tookishcombeferre]

So spoilers for some thoughts I’ve been drawing together based on today’s panels below the cut.

So, I’ve been having LOADS of fun chatting in the form, but I wanted to distill some of the thoughts that have been bouncing like ping pong balls around my head here on my tumblr.

The first thing I want to discuss is how impressed I am with the lodgers who seem to “get” Jekyll to varying degrees. And, I wanted to call attention some of Jekyll’s intersections.

First of all, Jekyll is NOT English! This important! Jekyll is from Glasgow. Now, when his family got there could be really interesting because, much like the infamous potato famine of Ireland, there was a famine in Scotland as well during the late 1840s and early 1850s that was incredibly brutal.

And, while Glasgow was seen as another wondrous and incredible city during the Victorian era, the Scottish people themselves WERE NOT treated with the same kindness or respect as people who spoke with the proper British accents or were part of proper British culture. Much like in Ireland, the Scottish language and culture was almost eradicated in favor of conformity to English custom. This was really beautifully illustrated at one point when I believe Lanyon comments about how Jekyll could “barely be understood.” I get where Lanyon is coming from, I guess, but you’d think bro-bro would be more empathetic given his own sets of intersections? But, I suppose it also shows how well he has been indoctrinated/ had to assimilate into English culture himself.

The Society is comprised of a BUNCH of immigrants who have, actually, been allowed to retain bits and pieces of themselves and their uniqueness. Despite losing himself to conform, Jekyll has never made it a requirement that the lodgers lose themselves in the balance. Instead, he has built the society as a safe haven. Not JUST for science, but for people.

Second, Jekyll is queer. This is like SUPER important. In Victorian society, this would have been fairly taboo despite the fact that it was the worst kept secret that people dabbled in queerness all the time during the Victorian era. Just like in the modern era, some folks compartmentalize their feelings better than others. Jekyll doesn’t. Period. He sees his attractions as bad and something to be kept secret because, at every turn, that’s what other people are doing.

Lanyon gets married to someone of the opposite gender for saftey. Lanyon has learned the art of blending in because Lanyon *has* to! He may not want to, but, for his safety he has to! We as readers see this. We get it. We see Lanyon’s intersections and the complexity of his character. But, Jekyll doesn’t. He’s human! He’s hurting!And, he doesn’t want to show that because he’s worried about losing Lanyon because of what he’s seen Lanyon do to all the other boyfriends before Jekyll. Pain is one heck of a blinder, and Lanyon and Jekyll are both wearing them as they pull the carriage of the Society side by side.

So, Jekyll swallows his hurt towards Lanyon’s arranged marriage too. He swallows the pain of abandonment. Jekyll doesn’t understand that Lanyon sees them as equals. He can’t. He’s not of the same class as Lanyon or anything. Lanyon has bought him everything, has taught him everything. So, Jekyll has no one to confide in because he constantly feels like he has something to prove because he is not good. No one of his sexuality or place of origin could ever be good in high society! Jekyll has had to learn everything! He feels as though he owes Lanyon everything! How can he not!? So, Jekyll has to be perfect for everyone, to deserve anything, because he has no value. No one of his class, his place of origin, or his sexuality has value in the society in which he lives. His country, his people, and his city are a tourist destination for rich people. He’s a toy for rich people. And, Lanyon doesn’t see that or think that at all! However, Jekyll can’t unsee that. Yet, neither of them communicate, and that is the beginning of the end. (I love these two so much. I understand every single choice both of them made and why they make it. I just want them BOTH to be HAPPY!!!! UGHHH!)

All that to say, Jekyll learns to swallow his emotions. He learns to swallow his culture, his music, and his accent. He learns how to bury his sexuality. He even learns how to swallow his over-eager child-like curiosity because no one wants it.

And, the question is, how far do we go before we really do shatter apart?

It’s clear that the lodgers who really seem to get it are the ones who share some of those same intersections.

Miss Ito and Jasper, who have secrets of their own they wouldn’t share with just anyone. The people who know what it’s like to have a “secret hidden person” living inside them for a long, long time as they try to figure out who to tell, who it’s safe to tell, and if it’s not more loving never to tell? (I say this as a transmasc person who at about a month shy of 30 is still navigating coming out in my entirety to my family.)

You see the lodgers who understand what Jekyll has sacrificed in terms of time and how much they’ve all fought him on everything. They see how tired he is. Given that, I have hope for Lanyon getting it completely. I really do. I have hope for him. He’s a bit lovably thick at times, but I have hope for him. He’ll get it, and he’ll be helpful. He’ll feel guilty as hell. But, I have hope for those two lovable doofuses to finally talk and understand each other.

But, you also see the very valid concerns of the people who just cannot understand those mix of identities because they’ve never had to live them. I see where they see Jekyll putting them in danger. I can see that concern. I understand their fears. So, I don’t have much more to say on that. I see their concerns. I do. But, I also have SO much sympathy for Jekyll and for the Lodgers who see what he’s given them because I’ve been Jekyll. I’ve spent 9 years not telling my family who I am in the fullness of myself because I love ‘em too darn much. I tried to bury my trans, queer, and autistic identities for the sake of my work as a school teacher because my district required me to do so, and it nearly drove myself to the brink of a long term meltdown in the process. It’s hard not to feel sympathy for the Jekyll’s of the world because even if the end results SUCK the intention was, mostly, pure.

And, as for Jekyll himself?

I’ve had this thought brewing for WEEKS. We know that, for the most part, Hyde, the Lodgers, and Rachel (to a greater or lesser extent) see Hyde as an entity unto himself. But, when Jekyll said he wanted to “see Hyde suffer?” Was he really talking to himself because he knows that Hyde is really just him, or, at least, a part of him. We know that Jekyll’s self hatred runs deep. And, if anyone knows that Hyde is Jekyll, it’s Jekyll himself. Edited to add: I now can confirm that Jekyll was aware of this fact. He absolutely knew and was punishing himself. Thanks to further dialogue in the forum with the lovely Puzzle. This theory is a confirmed theory. And, I am sad, but vindicated.

If you read all this, thanks! I needed to flush all my thoughts out coherently in order.

[greenleaf4stuff]

Of Convenience – Epilogue (Part 11.2)

(all previous parts of "Of Convenience")

Adar x Celebrimbor (silverscars) political marriage AU, 11th snippet / epilogue, part 2. Adar and Celebrimbor consummate their marriage, aka, make love to one another.

Here be smut! This is at least M rated people. Please mind the rating!

This is it, the Good Stuff(TM)! Again, this is smut, but there is also a lot of fluff and sappiness mixed in here. It's also the final bit for the 'main story' of this AU – though, who knows, maybe I’ll pick it up again for some interludes or some glimpses into everyday married life for those two in the future, though likely at a much slower pace than this one. Thank you, again, to everyone who has joined me on this journey. I appreciate all of you and your support means the world to me. (And also, hopefully, I’ll see you guys in the notes for any future fics of those two I might write. Because I still have a couple ideas and WIPs to work on.) Enjoy, and once again, Thank You! <3 <3 <3

Once they had separated again, Adar appeared much more confident. He used only his right hand as he reached down, grabbed the hem of his tunic, and then began to pull it over his head.

As his long hair began to tangle in the garment, Celebrimbor reached forward and helped him out of it. Like his own tunic and Adar’s armor, they let it drop to the ground, forgotten.

The uruk’s chest was littered with scars as well; burn marks and the remains of old wounds that the elf could not identify. Perhaps, Adar would be willing to tell him about each of them one day.

"You are beautiful," escaped the smith without his permission, but he couldn’t regret the words. Even as Adar stared incredulously at him. "I mean it. I look at you and see beauty."

Celebrimbor wanted to make himself clear. "Maybe not in the typical elven way, but I can see you have survived great strain and terrible hardship. I do not mind the scars. They are a part of you, and I love you."

He knew he was being awfully emotional about all this, but- he had to speak these words. He didn’t want to leave any doubt about what he felt for the other, or how he saw him.

The uruk closed his arms around the elf and brought the two of them together in another embrace. He kissed Celebrimbor’s temple, his cheek, his jaw, and then whispered against his lips. "It has been a very long time since I have been called ‘beautiful‘. And even longer, still, since I believed it. But I believe you."

A pause, a breath. "How have I gotten so lucky? The most decent, the most kindhearted of all elves, and I get to call you my own. You, the one who was willing to see me and my children as more than just Morgoth’s creations."

"You are more than Morgoth’s creation," Celebrimbor said with conviction. "And if you have gotten lucky, so have I."

He dared Adar to disagree with his words by frowning just the slightest bit, until the uruk laughed and pulled him close again. They kissed once more. As Adar let his hands roam, so did Celebrimbor.

Adar’s body certainly was not like an elf’s, but this was not a detriment in the smith’s opinion. He enjoyed letting his hands move over the scars, felt shapes beneath his fingertips whose textures felt new and unique and exciting to him.

Likewise, his husband seemed unable to let his own hands rest either; they moved over the expanse of Celebrimbor’s back and between his shoulder blades, to his arms, up to his neck and then down to his pecs, which the uruk squeezed. The elf gasped into their kiss as a result, and when Adar made to draw back, he caught the uruk's fingers to press them onto his chest again and moaned into the other’s mouth at the resulting pressure.

They soon shed the rest of their clothing, stepping out of their shoes and boots as well as their breeches. Adar’s mouth wandered from Celebrimbor’s mouth to his jaw, his ear, and then his neck.

He was soft with his kisses, mindful of the bruising, until the elf drew his head closer with his hand and groaned as the other sucked his own bruise into the hollow of his throat. 

Celebrimbor didn’t care in the least whether or not someone else would see it, come morning.

Moving against one another sent sparks through the elf’s body now that they were completely bare, and he felt heat rise up his body when he felt how aroused Adar was already.

The uruk grabbed his behind and drew them against each other fully. Both groaned at the contact.

"Celebrimbor-" Adar began. He already sounded breathless.

"Tyelpe," the smith replied, quickly, before Adar could finish his sentence. At the other’s questioning look, Celebrimbor drew him forward and kissed him, before he repeated. "Call me Tyelpe. It’s short for-"

"Telperinquar," Adar finished. He sounded reverent as he said it. Celebrimbor felt himself shiver at the sound of his name on Adar’s tongue. He nodded to confirm it.

"...Tyelpe," Adar repeated the name as if tasting it. In turn, Celebrimbor moved forward as if to lick it out of his mouth. The kiss left them both breathless and flushed.

"...let us move over to your bed," the uruk suggested, quietly, and the elf let himself be walked over without hesitation. Instead, he tried to catch Adar’s lips again. It was like he had gotten addicted to them – their warmth, their softness, the pressure. He couldn’t stop seeking them out.

The uruk was careful as he helped his husband lay down and then moved on top of him. He caught Celebrimbor’s eye as he kept himself suspended above the elf, and only laid down when Celebrimbor stretched out his arms and beckoned him to do so.

Soon, they were moving against one other, rubbing skin against skin as they kissed, hands restless on each other’s bodies.

"What do you want to do?" Adar asked, once they managed to break their kiss for a moment. A fine strand of spit hung between their mouths and neither of them was willing to move far away from the other.

"Whatever you want to do," Celebrimbor replied. To make himself perfectly clear, he untangled his legs from Adar’s and loosely wrapped them around the uruk’s hips, who groaned deeply and thrust down against the elf in response. "If you’d let me, I’d want all of you."

His hips moved up into Adar’s thrusts all of their own. Both of them moaned at the feeling of them sliding against one another.

They could barely control themselves, and Adar eventually had to use his hand to grab Celebrimbor’s hip and pin it to the bed – though gently – so they would not finish too soon.

"Do you have any oil?" He sounded hopeful, even if he looked a bit skeptical.

His expression changed to one of surprise when Celebrimbor reached across and over the side of the bed, only to produce a small bottle, which he pressed into Adar’s hand. The smith felt rather proud of himself in that moment.

The uruk raised his eyebrows. "Do you always happen to have some spare oil nearby, or…" He suddenly narrowed his eyes, though it was clearly playful. "Did you hope this would happen?"

The elf grew just the slightest bit sheepish and fluttered his eyelashes at the uruk. "What can I say? If the the last two days have taught me anything, it is to always be prepared – and not let anything go to waste by holding back."

Adar looked at Celebrimbor with wide eyes for a moment, and then he smirked and shook his head, before he gave his husband another peck on the lips. "My dear, you are full of surprises. I hadn’t expected that you’d be quite so bold in this."

A pause. "I think I like it."

The uruk was careful as he prepared his husband; he took the time to warm the oil, helped Celebrimbor place a pillow underneath his hips and placed one of the smith’s legs over his shoulder. Before he touched the elf, he kissed the side of his knee and leant over him to have a good look at his face.

"Are you still certain?"

The smith smiled brightly at the question, and nodded. "Yes," he took a shuddering breath. "A bit nervous though, I’ll admit. I haven’t done this in a long time."

The uruk leant down to press his lips to Celebrimbor’s forehead, then kissed him deeply. "Me neither. I promise I’ll go slow."

The elf nodded, and held onto the side of the uruk’s face and his upper arm. "I know."

And indeed, Adar took his time. Not only did he stretch his husband, but he also stroked him as he knelt before the elf, twin sensations that kept Celebrimbor relaxed and in a state of near perpetual pleasure.

The elf languished in his position and how it allowed him to watch his husband while the other worked. There was a look of concentration on Adar’s face while he alternated between focusing on his tasks and Celebrimbor’s face, as if to make sure the other was truly enjoying this.

Celebrimbor smiled and made no attempt to hide his reactions; he looked at Adar with hooded eyelids and his mouth half-open, spilling sighs and gasps whenever the other touched him in a particularly pleasant way.

He could tell the uruk was slowly but surely becoming more impatient, though he was good at hiding it. He hadn’t once touched himself, so Celebrimbor stretched out a hand and tried to motion the other to come closer, "Let me do something for you, too."

Adar smiled gently, and used one hand to stroke the space between Celebrimbor’s leg and his lower stomach for a bit. "You don’t have to do anything but lie back. I’ll take care of you tonight."

"Next time, then," the elf insisted cheekily, and then moaned and arched his back when Adar found that sensitive spot inside him.

Whether Celebrimbor’s reaction had been the final straw to entice his husband, or whether he simply deemed him ready, the elf would never know, but Adar soon finished his preparations and began to arrange the elf’s body to his liking.

Legs wrapped high around Adar’s upper body, ankles crossed at the back, the elf let his lower body be hoisted up by an arm around his hip while Adar reached down to line himself up to Celebrimbor’s entrance.

The elf cupped his husband’s cheeks once more, stroking gentle fingers along the scars there. Their faces were so very close. Adar’s eyes were almost black with how dilated his pupils were by that point. He was a sight to behold, with sweat beading on his forehead and strands of his hair stuck to his skin.

And yet, his expression remained so gentle, so attentive.

"May I?" the uruk asked. Celebrimbor nodded, not quite sure if he’d be able to manage any words.

They both sighed and pressed close when Adar began to sink into Celebrimbor’s body. This was not just warmth, but heat that spread through him now.

There was no pain, only a stretch that felt wonderfully intimate, and Adar who seemed to fight his own pleasure to keep his eyes on Celebrimbor, to make sure he was alright.

Trembling with how good he felt, the smith let himself spill whatever words came to him. "You feel wonderful," he said. It was true. "You’re being so gentle with me, so careful, nobody has touched me with such reverence."

"I wish you could see yourself right now. I could look upon you all day. Want to-" his breath hitched and he moaned once more as Adar finally sank in to the hilt and crowded close, rubbing their noses against each other as the uruk tried to catch his breath. "Want to sketch you like this, so you can see how radiant you are-"

With a loud groan, the uruk brought their lips together. The kiss was deeper, more urgent now, it almost felt as if he wanted to drink Celebrimbor down. He wrapped his hands around the elf’s shoulders and behind is head.

They both were breathless when they broke apart.

"Can I-?"

"Yes, please, move-" Adar laughed, very softly, at Celebrimbor’s eagerness, and pecked his lips before he began to follow his husband’s request.

The friction felt downright otherworldly, and the pleasure was only heightened because the elf got to experience his husband’s as well. They moved with each other and quickly found a rhythm that worked for them as they slowly built up the pace.

Still, Adar seemed to hold back. "I’m alright, I feel good- you can let go. I want you to. Please," the elf coaxed the other. It was clear the uruk was enjoying this, with the way every other breath turned into a deep groan and how he couldn’t quite keep his eyes open.

Adar needed a moment to find his words, and moaned when he found a good angle on his next thrust before he answered. "I’m- quite strong-"

"I know," Celebrimbor remembered Adar’s battle prowess. He curled himself up and brought their foreheads together as he clenched down onto the uruk. "I want to feel it. I don’t care about bruising – you won’t hurt me. I know you won’t. I trust you."

This time, it didn’t take long to convince the other, and the smith soon held onto Adar with all his limbs and pressed his face into his neck as his voice rose in pleasure.

Adar hadn’t lied when he said he was strong; the way he snapped his hips down now was intense, but good. He managed to hit every single sensitive spot Celebrimbor had and still, nothing he did hurt, there was only pressure, and bliss.

"It’s good, it’s so good-" the elf reassured the other, encouraged him. "Please, don’t stop-"

They both were reaching for their completion now, desperate in how they scrambled against one another. Celebrimbor smeared spit onto Adar’s cheek as he attempted to speak, could feel the groans – no, growls – the uruk let out against the junction of his neck and shoulder, the way he mouthed at the skin.

"I’m close-" Adar warned through clenched teeth, before he brought his and Celebrimbor’s eyes into alignment again, both their hands around one another’s shoulders and on their cheeks now. "You feel so good, I’m so close-"

"I am too," Celebrimbor replied, breathless, eager, near overcome. "Please, you can-"

"Come for me," Adar asked him instead, and the elf was powerless to do anything but comply with a long moan of Adar’s name. Judging by the way Adar thrust down with all his strength and then shouted, loudly, he was quick to follow.

They were both shaking as pleasure washed over them, their hands slipped on sweat-covered skin, but then renewed their grip and held onto one another.

Celebrimbor couldn’t speak for himself, but Adar was quite the sight. His face was completely open now, and there was no strain, only the euphoria of release and underneath, the love he held for his husband, clear as day.

What a gift, the elf thought, that he got to see the other so unguarded and so content. Would get to see him like this, again and again.

The two husbands collapsed onto the bed in the aftermath. Adar was pressing Celebrimbor into the bed with his own weight, whereas the elf cushioned the uruk’s body with his own. Their grip on one another loosened as they caught their breath, but they did not fully let each other go.

Celebrimbor continued to rest his legs over his husband’s back and stroked fingers up and down between his shoulder blades. When Adar shivered and grew restless at the light touches, the elf moved his fingers into Adar’s hair instead, slowly carding through the soft strands and scratching his scalp.

Adar, too, seemed unwilling to move. His head was tucked under Celebrimbor’s chin where his breath fanned out over the elf’s collarbones. His right hand stroked a thumb up and down Celebrimbor’s hip, whereas his left one – the one usually in his gauntlet – sought of Celebrimbor’s free hand and linked their fingers together.

It was the elf who brought their hands to his lips for another kiss. Adar sighed in response, and rubbed in nose into Celebrimbor’s skin when the elf kissed the top of his head next.

They should probably move and get cleaned up, sooner or later, but for now, Celebrimbor just wanted to enjoy this moment.

He smiled, happy and exhausted, when Adar lifted his head. The uruk, too, looked like he’d soon fall asleep. Which was probably a good thing – both of them still needed to recover from the previous weeks.

As Celebrimbor stroked the back of his hand across Adar’s cheek, the other smiled back at him.

"I love you, Tyelpe," he said. Celebrimbor hadn’t ever seen him look more at ease, more happy, than in this moment.

His own resulting smile felt so wide the elf wasn’t sure how it could still fit his own face.

"I love you too, Adar. My husband."

The uruk reached over and brought their lips together once again. "Indeed. My husband."

[blooming-violets]

just finished five minutes. what other angsty goodness do you have to offer?!

Something Unforgivable

Peter cheats on his depressed, grieving girlfriend and feels like shit about it (as he should!!) and then part three randomly turns into a sex trafficking ring and murder fest story to spice things up.

Dancing On My Own (and the sequel)

People literally despise the fuck out of Peter in this fic. I seemed to have managed to make a typically beloved babyboy the most hated character. Then I tried to redeem him a bit but only made it worse and made people hate him more...but it's angsty af. And I personally think the ending fits their characters perfectly and makes total sense based on how I wrote them/their trauma/backstory buuuut it doesn't make people happy! ANGST

Nicest Thing

Honestly, this fic was written way before Dancing On My Own but they sort of have very similar vibes and I used a lot of inspo from this one to write DOMO. Like they could be the same Reader character person just in a slightly alternate universe. Peter's bff who's in love with him but he loves Gwen and then she dies and he's depressed and his friend tries to help him but it's hard to help grieving angry people.

Pinky Promise

there's children trying to jump off buildings and terrible fathers and attacks on nyc and two sad people just trying to find love in the midst of it all

Imminent

you see the future and that future shows Peter Parker's death. This is one of my favorite things I've done and I don't even think it's written that well but I think it's a unique concept and therefore it's my fav

Creature Like Me

This is my pride and joy. It's my baby. This is the most "I'm writing for me and only me" story I've ever done. It's just me pumping out chapters and like three people reading and cheering me on. And I have genuinely loved every single second. I. Fucking. Love. This. Story. So. Damn. Much.

Don't

This is short. Peter's an asshole during a fight. I like it because Reader stands up for herself and draws some boundaries. Don't let men treat you like shit. That's the message.

Are You Real?

Someone asked to me write fluff but I didn't see that so I defaulted to angst instead. A touch starved reader in a long distance relationship with Peter.

Touch Starved

Another touched starved but it's Peter who's in need of love.

From my Hurt/Comfort Bingo (that I should get back to completing some day): Caring for Reader's Wounds After Fight (home break in), Look At Me (stuck in an armed robbery), Car Accident (title speaks for itself, ended up as a 3 part mini series), Bring Your Kids to Work Day (reader is stuck in a fire with two kids and no way out)

Smut with Angst elements:

Cheating With Peter

Your marriage sucks, you're in love with Peter, all he seems to want is sex from you though and nothing more so you give it to him bc at least it means you'll be his in some sad pathetic way

In The Dark

Depressed reader needs Peter's help to find her way out of the darkness of her mind (through anal sex, apparently)

Ok that should be more than enough to keep you satisfied.

[jev-urisk]

Writing thrupples with a 'hinge', from someone who falls asleep in the middle every night.

A hinge thrupple is where two people are dating the same person, but not one another. So, not a triangle.

I don't know any thrupples with a childish Jacob-Edward rivalry over the 3rd person (annoying, overplayed)

I don't know any always lovey-dovey thrupples where the two suitors don't do anything outside constantly showering their 3rd with affection (honestly a bit creepy to me)

I'm bi/pan and nonbinary/fluid. My partners are a big burly cis dude and a tall snarky androgynous lesbian, they're not at all attracted to one another. Sexuality/gender plays a big part in dynamics and what I'm called (one calls me Wife and the other calls me Boyfriend).

Many poly peeps set out with intention to have multiple partners, my situation happened accidentally with some help from my autism. Basically I fell in love with two people like the movies but instead of drama I had an honest conversation and they both agreed to try it out. 🤷

I call both my partners 'babe' which in hindsight maybe I should've used 'hun' for one of them, but it's also so cute when I say babe and have two people turn to me. ❤️ They do have some unique, less appropriate pet names tho.

So so so much communication is needed to make sure you're on the same page as your partners. Google calendar helps, as do chore charts. I have 2 date nights a week, one for each partner. Holiday plans are discussed months ahead of time.

Relationships develop at different speeds! One partner may be ready for a milestone a month in, a different partner may be ready for the same milestone in 4 years.

So many perks! Splitting bills, splitting chores, coordinating when emergencies happen, and VOTING! With 3, the discourse for deciding anything from what to eat to what color to paint a room is SO much quicker.

I think the biggest difficulty was getting over my fear that I was doing something wrong, that I was selfishly drawing 2 people into something that would end in heartbreak. I was also afraid my partners wouldn't get along. 😵‍💫

Minor difficulties include deciding who to take for events that are +1 only, remembering who we've come out to, and getting crushed in the middle of the night when both partners roll towards the center of the bed where I sleep. 🪦

I can only be legally married to 1 partner where I live, but my other partner hates the idea of doing joint taxes so 😂 when we have a wedding one day, we're going to get legal permissions to, say, visit me in the hospital when I'm dying and call it good.

Yes, I can have another wedding and it will be just as beautiful and symbolic as the one that included legal paperwork.

Only two people can be on a marriage certificate, but three people can be on a mortgage! We've jointly owned a house for almost a year and a half and it's been so much work but so nice to have our privacy.

My partners get jealous of one another, that's normal. They know to communicate that feeling with me so I can give them some 1 on 1 time or special attention.

If me and one of my partners are struggling in our relationship, I DONT vent to my other partner and just give a basic 'I'm working through something with X right now'. I know too many polycules that have become a drama mosh-pit. 😓

My partners can be friends, or lovers, or simple acquaintances but THEY decide that and I don't push them to do anything except communicate when needed. My partners are introverts and it's taken years for them to build up their platonic relationship lol

Yes, I do occasionally get double-teamed in sexy ways (less than you'd think). 90% of the double-teaming I get is both of them calling me short or agreeing that I'm cute when I'm angy about trivial things, though. 😾

My partners now consider each other metamores, friends, and team-mates. My lesbian partner calls my male partner their 'husband in-law' sometimes, particularly when they want something from him.

Sometimes my partners bicker and I think it's cute bc it means they've become very comfortable with each other. If they have an actual issue I just encourage them to talk about it/I don't try to fix it for them.

We generally live a comfy, laid-back life and do all the mundane things you'd expect of mid-twenties to early-thirties folk- raising two dogs, fixing the sink, caving and ordering taco bell, forgetting to make that appointment, griping about the economy, bringing home plants, watching birds fight over the bird feeder, and sleeping in on the weekends. We just do it with 3. ☘️

Extra note: Polygamy is a term used in religious and male-centric plural partner situations. We use polyamory, polyfidelity, harem (jokingly), and thrupple to describe ourselves. Maybe some use polygamy and like it, but where we live (Utah) the term is generally reserved for fundentalist mormons.

There's probably a lot more to say, so maybe this is just a part 1. Feel free to ask me questions or comment with your own hinge experience (or tell me about your thrupple ocs)!

[vdragon-creations]

Meet Fortnite Sasha!

She's here!

Now, before we get started, i wanna make this very clear. I don't know the slightest thing about Fortnite Lore or Gameplay wise. and i don't care! This is just an excuse for me to draw Sasha with Fortnite Donnie and nothing else! (Tho it is fun to try and put another spin on my cheeb again.)

But without further delay, allow me to introduce...

Fortnite Sasha!

Design:

Like the Fortnite Turtles, this Sasha is a mix of some of the other versions! (I believe they where modeled after 2003, Bayverse, and 2007. With maybe a dash of 87 in there given the belt buckles with the letters on them. So i pulled from 2003, 2007, Bayverse and 87 myself)

Abilities:

This version of Sasha comes from a race of cat aliens who use a mixture of Technology and Magic. So this Sasha has access to mystical powers as well as being incredibly skilled with machines. And while she's not a Soldier, she's still pretty skilled in combat, thanks to her training as a Hunter! She also has a Multi Weapon Tool that has 5 settings! Dagger, Sword, Whip, Spear, and Bow!

Most of her mystical abilities are pretty tame, as a Hunter, she's no Master Spellcaster. She can levitate small objects, heal minor injuries, and teleaport over short distances. She can also spawn mystical arrows for her Bow and create small smoke bombs that can cause a target to see things. Her weapons and armor also have mystical properties to them, her mask in particular allows her to see body heat and can even help her track targets and aim more efficiently with her Bow!

Occupation:

Sasha is a Hunter, and it's exactly what it sounds like. Hunters are sent to live their lives out in the wilderness away from civilization. They provide the food thier people feed off of to survive and are highly trained in the art of The Hunt. Each lady is chosen for very specific reasons, Sasha in particular was chosen as she was a subspecies known for thier speed and ability to adapt to different climates easily. It's a very important job, but very hard and restrictive with how one gets to live thier life.

It's a ladies only position, and they are forbidden from Marriage or Starting Families. (Can't quite hunt while pregnant after all.) However, they are still allowed to have romantic relationships, so long as it's with other hunters. Meaning most hunters, Sasha included, are more often then not, Bi, Pan, or Lesbian.

Story:

Sasha was born a very small but far away planet inhabited by a race of cat aliens. This race was known for having the unique abilities to use mystical powers as well as access to powerful technology. Because of this reputation, her people were currently at war with a similar race of reptilian aliens who wanted to force them to give up thier secrets.

This conflict never really bothered Sasha much, spending her days hunting for pray among the brush of the desert plains or the treetops of the lush jungles she called home. That was untill, she and her fellow hunters were attacked by a squad of these Reptiles.

In an attempt to escape, she and her other hunter friends loaded into some emergency pods that would shoot them straight to the nearest city for help. But...she never made it to the city.

Her pod was attacked by an enemy ship and sent far far of course. Knocking her pod out into open space, and straight into a collision course with another planet. Earth to be precise.

Apon landing, Sasha was knocked unconscious thanks to the impact. When she finally came to, she found herself being pulled out of her pod by a tall reptile man. He was fairly built for one who seemed not much older then she was. He was a terrapin wearing a purple mask, and he wasn't alone. Three more just like him seemed to be standing by, looking at her with concern by wery expressions.

Thinking they were part of the squad that attacked her people, she quickly kicked out of the grasp of the purple cladded terrapin and assumed the position to defend herself. She quickly realized her Lingua (an implanted device her people give at birth that translates all languages) had been damaged during the crash. She couldn't understand them and it was clear they couldn't understand her either.

It took some time, but after a bit of persuasion, she calmed down. They weren't going to hurt her, at least not now. And they didn't exactly seem like the same Reptiles she was familiar with. They seemed almost....nice. The one that saved her offered it seemed to make a device for her to wear that would translate for her, at least till her Lingua could be fixed. He showed her kindness and seemed to really be intrigued by her people's technology. He also seemed to take and intrest in her too, and...Sasha could help but think the same. He was pretty cute, in a turtlely way.

[denimbex1986]

'Andrew Scott felt no fear when the script for All of Us Strangers first came his way—a little surprising given that he saw everything the project would demand of him then and there. “I immediately knew that I would have to go to a childish place within myself, a place that I feel like I’ve escaped from—which is a place of real loneliness,” he says on this week’s Little Gold Men (listen to the full interview below). “There was something I saw in the role that I understood immediately.”

Fast-forward to more than a year later, when Scott, after both wrapping production and enduring a SAG-AFTRA strike that delayed his ability to promote the movie, finally sat in his first public screening of the film in Los Angeles. “I felt like I was sitting naked in a room of 350 people,” he says with a laugh. “I know there’s a certain degree of nakedness in the movie anyway—physical nakedness—but I was kind of alarmed by how raw it felt.” He then adds, “But that’s okay. That’s my job.”

Therein lies Scott’s unique ability to plumb emotional depths without hesitation while simultaneously seeing the bigger, richer picture. In All of Us Strangers, he plays Adam, a screenwriter who’s living alone in a London tower block and has his world turned upside down with a few chance encounters. One is with Harry (Paul Mescal), a neighbor he slowly falls for. Another is with his parents, who died 30 years ago—but appear to him now in the form of Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, as if they had never passed on.

The blossoming of these relationships, within writer-director Andrew Haigh’s daring metaphysical conceit, demands an extraordinary vulnerability from the film’s lead actor—in the biggest screen role of his career, no less. Scott, who is gay, deeply identified with the story’s careful psychosexual impression of queer life and pain, and he brought a great deal of himself to the part: “I’ve never met [Haigh’s] parents, and he’s never met mine, but I felt like that character had to be a weird marriage between me and [Haigh].”

Scott’s pressing of such tender wounds makes for one of the most devastating performances of the year. His tears flow onscreen with the potency of a volcanic eruption. “There’s no way that I was ever going to draw on anybody else’s experience but my own and bring that, even if that makes me feel vulnerable,” he says. “I don’t really mind. In fact, I think it’s a bit of an honor to be able to show that side.” He’s speaking for himself here, but you feel that pride, that gift, as a viewer too. The sense of heartbreak, longing, and hope is so clear, so present, you can practically touch it.

This is not the first significant role of Scott’s impressive career. His portrayal of Hamlet on the London stage earned widespread acclaim. His Fleabag Hot Priest still inspires memes. But as far as top-lining an Oscar-contending movie from a major Hollywood studio, it’s an obvious breakthrough. “Your hope as an actor is that you’re not going to get pigeonholed, or that people don’t cast you based on your box office opening or even the fact that you may not have played loads of leading roles in film,” he says. “When I was growing up, the idea that a film like this would even exist, and that I would be able to play that role in it—it’s miraculous.” And Strangers, hitting US theaters on December 22 via Searchlight, seems to mark only the beginning of a far more public era for the Dublin-born Scott. He has the titular role in Netflix’s fresh take on The Talented Mr. Ripley coming up next.

Yet the unadorned rigor of this stage-trained actor, who recently completed a tour de force Vanya run on the West End, remains firmly evident. He embodies Strangers’ Adam with an intricate attention to physical detail. “You don’t want somebody pretending to be a boy, but you want a sense of the vulnerability of a child, and also somebody who is learning to fall in love as an adult—and how those things are intertwined,” he says. “I don’t know if that is apparent in watching, but it’s a very, very tactile film…. Even the way he is able to be embraced by his parents, and then learns to be the embracer of Harry, it’s something that I had to map out silently for myself.” One lovely scene later in the movie finds Adam back in his childhood home, wearing pajamas and curling up into bed alongside his parents—with, again, all three actors in question roughly the same age. It’d feel absurd, bordering on campy, if not for Scott’s gentle verisimilitude. “I feel very proud of it,” he says of the sequence. “It takes work.”

For Scott, there’s a direct connection between the way he plays a moment like this and the many frank, sensual sex scenes between Harry and Adam. “Adam wouldn’t have really touched many people in a long time,” the actor says. Haigh devises an authentic and gradual trajectory for the character to find himself sexually with the new man in his life—and it’s sold by the sweet, subtle chemistry between Scott and Mescal, who’ve become close friends out of the production. “We have a very special bond,” Scott says. “I think it added something to this burgeoning relationship, because we had a burgeoning relationship ourselves.”

This did not mean the sex scenes were straightforward. The choreography, developed with an intimacy coordinator, needed to be balanced with spontaneity: listening to each other, being present in the moment. Of shooting these sequences with Mescal, Scott admits, “It was a bit scary at the beginning. Then you get more used to it—and he’s great fun. The good thing about working with somebody that you love is that the process is really enjoyable.” The changing dynamic between their characters presented its own challenge. “How do you portray nervousness? How do you portray lust? That’s a really interesting one, and Paul and I’s chemistry in real life is actually kind of irrelevant,” Scott says. “I was playing a very, very lonely, quite repressed character, which I don’t feel in my own life—and that’s a great challenge. It’s wonderful because it speaks to me of empathy, and that’s what our jobs are.”

There, again, Scott reflects on acting in terms of execution. He examines the work, even on a film as intimate and humane as this, like a technician, bringing his best solutions to the complex dilemmas presented by the script. For a film that hit so personally, Scott had to turn inward for answers. “It takes a lot of mental work and my imagination—about what note you should play and, more specifically, when you should play it,” he says. “Our first job as actors is to power into that imagination, so that’s how I would characterize my experience—to really engage in that part of me that exists and is within me in so many ways.” Watch All of Us Strangers, and you’ll see that side of him. To the movie’s ultimate credit, it’s unmistakable.'

[house-of-mirrors]

OK i am home now time for ask.... 12 for miles, 13 for O, and 19 for Sammy

12. how long have they been around? do you know their birthday? is their birthday the day you made them or another day? what do they think of celebrating birthdays?

Bit of a two part answer lol, I made the account in March 2021, Miles knocked in February 2022, I made a new account for "Miles" in July 2022 because I missed my horrible son too much. (No single thing shall be a single thing). Miles' birthday is on 26 February 1876. Not sure how they feel about birthdays. However high society in the era celebrated children's birthdays is what they grew up with. They probably began to dread them, because each year they got older, their parents got more insistent about marriage. In the Neath, they don't acknowledge it.

13. what languages do they speak? how fluently?

Oh boy. English and Irish Gaelic from childhood. Latter is important to him because of colonization. There are soft moments when he can speak with his one remaining family. Or if a certain space bat (I headcanon they can speak any human language they want) wanted to give more personal attention ;)

Oh boy lots to say about Orsinio for this one lol. English and Irish Gaelic from childhood. Latter is important to him with colonialism, he prefers to use it when expressing strong emotions, and he enjoys moments when he can talk with someone. He studied Latin when he was older in college. His brother Horatio was in the Great Game and wrote in a code that was a mix of all three languages, and Orsinio still writes in it with personal documents.

In the Neath, he's a renowned correspondent (SOTC 21) at a point he can read a sigil at a glance. He interprets the language of the stars in a unique way, translating it from celestial to mortal languages from the aforementioned multilingual viewpoint. It's what makes his work ~sparkle~ compared to others. He's also studied other Neath languages in enough detail for passable translations. He refuses to learn a word of Fr*nch. That's where he draws the line.

I joke that he refuses to speak English to Mr Pages to ruin everyone's day with its -isms as we see in the Mask demo with the Frenchman.

Lots going on with language for O, it's a major part of his connection to family and his scholarly work. Now, I headcanon the Masters can speak any human language, and if a certain one ever wanted to prove it paid attention to him, it could do something with language. ;)

19. are they quick to anger? what sets them off?

Samuel is a stoic man. It takes a lot to get him to show any emotion, but doing anything to insult or threaten his family is the fastest way to get him angry. He doesn't shout or make any facial expressions; he simply rolls up his sleeves and gets to Violence. Once the offending party is dealt with and having a trip on the boat, he calmly goes back behind the bar. He also has a temper when it comes to anyone (perceived) questioning his zailing skills or suggesting alternative ideas, which is something he has to work on.

[monriatitans]

MonriaTitans

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Welcome to Part 16 of the Let's Play Some Demos! | LPSD series! For those who are new, I aim to introduce gamers to, usually, Indie games and to provide commentary and feedback on the games for educational purposes! For this episode, I used some of the demos I had grabbed from the Cooking Fest and Cozy Quest Steam Events! I think. I grabbed a bunch during those events, and outside of them, so I don't know anymore…

Today, I played 4 demos for your enjoyment:

Cornucopia® - Early Access Game A nostalgic 2.5D farm sim with 74 exotic crops, loyal pets bred for amazing genetics, and 34+ marriage candidates—from spirited youths to wise elders. Master NPK compost, raise magical kids, conquer dungeons, and delight in whimsical scratch-card arcade fun. Your cozy story starts now!

Hipster Café - Early Access Game Ever wanted to design, build and manage a café on your very own home computer? Really? OK then... welcome to HIPSTER CAFÉ. Make stupid food, serve it on a skateboard, and impress your friends by drawing in your coffee.

Let's Café - Early Access Game Food makes everything better in this cozy café business simulator. Discover recipes and set your menu to rake in those tips and five-star reviews. Solve your fuzzy clientele's problems with the power of good cookin' and earn the favor of satisfied customers.

Spells & Secrets - Available In this rogue-lite adventure, you free the Academy of Greifenstein from magical creatures by using your spells creatively. Explore this modern magical world alone or in local co-op mode with friends and family, customize your character, solve mysteries, and find powerful artifacts.

All links above are to the games' Steam pages.

The verdict? Via the "Layered Compliment Sandwich": Cornucopia®'s art style is ABSOLUETLY adorable! If you've been here a while, you know I LOVE pixel art! AND the tutorial felt like a tutorial. And was, also, a bit of a time waster. And made no sense, since we couldn't see the passage of time. On the way back from the hospital, we are asked to clear the roadblocks. How long were we in the hospital that we needed to clear up growing bushes in the middle of the road on the way back? Why was there a pile of giant rocks in the middle of the road? Why weren't folks in town keeping the roads clear? The tutorial could have, and should have, been done on the farm itself. The best part about it was the dog! And the mailman has a little chick following him around! Hipster Café gets bonus points for being unique. The fact they incorporate promoting your café on social media is brilliant! HOWEVER, it needs to provide more guidance. Figuring out what customers need can not be left to symbols. And, when we click on them to fill their coffee order, what they want needs to appear in the "Coffee Creation" screen. Being expected to remember is an unnecessary addition to the cognitive load. The art style is simplistically cozy. We could also say cozily simplistic. The Research mechanic was a bit overboard. What made me keep playing as long as I did, however, was the obvious jab at capitalism. We are specifically told we were able to get the café started with a trust fund. Brilliant! Let's Café was so damn cute! And, I didn't mention it in the video, it was another of those "make your own recipes" games that had me leaning on Maid Café on Electric Street for ideas. I would never have thought to make the different types of lattes, which lead to the different types of chai, otherwise. Also, their lack of a tutorial and throwing me in was ACTUALLY effective. The initial "here's what's going on" needs a font size increase, though. If I, with my glasses on, had a hard time reading it, I can imagine how others might feel about it. Also, this is a café, why isn't coffee ALWAYS being sold? Other than that, it was a lot of fun! And it looked like I could keep playing the demo; I believe I will! Spells & Secrets' art style was impressive, but the tutorial not only felt like a tutorial, it also wasted my time. And we are in the most irresponsible school ever. Why would you leave a first-year student (I wonder what the inspiration for the game was) to deal with intruders? Why wouldn't a professor, after finding a student, not teleport them to safety? And why would only certain items be able to be lifted with telekinesis? There were entire sections that could have been skipped. One thing I will give it, in regards to the intruders, was finding out I could use telekinesis to hit another enemy with them and kill them both. It was a happy accident. Why wouldn't any of the professors have a griffin's feather? Why would the teachers be perfectly comfortable sending you back into the castle to find the rest of the students? Why don't I have a party of professors going along with me? This game makes no sense. Hades and Harry Potter were combined horribly. Looks good, though. Work was clearly put into that. Overall, I want Cornucopia® and Let's Café, and they are on my wishlist. As a reminder, Cornucopia®, Hipster Café, and Let's Café are all in Early Access while Spells & Secrets is available.

And that's it for Part 16! Thank you for reading! If this series of videos is something you're interested in, the videos are available on YouTube, The Titans' Discord, Steam, Rumble, and Odysee!  Don't forget to hit the Subscribe and/or Follow buttons to know when there's more!

—

The Monday, January 20th, and 673rd, Artist Shout-Out goes to Chyam! Check them out here!

—

TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Welcome Gamers! 2:01 - Artist Shout-Out 6:09 - Demos' Intro 9:36 - Cornucopia® - Early Access Game 45:11 - Hipster Café - Early Access Game 1:18:20 - Let's Café - Early Access Game 1:50:49 - Spells & Secrets - Available 2:31:03 - Demos Line Up + Quick Desktop View 2:33:28 - Artist Shout-Out 2:34:38 - Thank You/Links 2:37:04 - Rendezvous Point Bookshop Plug 2:37:54 - Up Next/Farewell

—

"Let's Play Some Demos!" Video Series YouTube Playlist "Let's Play Some Demos!" Video Series Blog Posts

Pilot: CrossCode, Dumpy & Bumpy, Ynglet, Zero Ranger

Part 2: A Dance of Fire and Ice, 2064: Read Only Memories, Death and Taxes, Underhero

Part 3: TEKKEN 8, Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition, Secrets of Grindea, Forspoken

Part 4: Death’s Hangover, Fae Farm, Fate/Samurai Remnant, Mini Settlers

Part 5: All-Star Fruit Racing, Indivisible, SaGa Emerald Beyond, Visions of Mana

Part 6: Glorious Companions, Tales of Arise, Ultionus: A Tale of Petty Revenge,

Cozy Island

Part 7: The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Cursebane, Dex, The Lady Puppet

Part 8: Detroit: Become Human, Little Goody Two Shoes, Luma Island, Tinkerlands

Part 9: Backpack Battles, Glaciered, Ratopia, Slime Rancher

Part 10: Captain Contraption’s Chocolate Factory, Maid Cafe on Electric Street, Neon Noodles, Tiny Glade

Part 11: Critter Café, Grimoire Groves, Pixel Cafe, Wizdom Academy

Part 12: AdventureBarStory, Bone’s Cafe, DELTARUNE, Mudborne

Part 13: Food Truck Simulator, Magical Bakery, Magical Delicacy, Seaside Cafe Rush Hour

Part 14: Chef’s Tail, Espresso Tycoon, Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, Tavern Talk

Part 15: Chicken Journey, FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, Terra Memoria, Until Then

—

MORE INFO & TO SUPPORT - MonriaTitans | WGS Summarized- Rendezvous Point Bookshop- Artist Shout-Outs Criteria - The Titans' Discord- Throne Wishlist- #SubOffTwitch- YouTube- Rumble- Odysee- Twitch - Steam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Originally published to https://opinionsandtruth.wordpress.com on January 21, 2025.

[jesanstatam011]

Why Are Handmade Smoking Pipes So in Vogue Among Collectors?

Hello, pipe aficionados! Can't you just get the feel of the buzz around handmade smoking pipes lately? Collectors appear to go out of their way to buy handcrafted pieces. So, what is behind the hype, and why have handmade smoking pipes become in vogue among collectors?

To begin with, handcrafted pipes hold a craftsmanship and personal attention unmatched by mass-productive pieces. Every pipe is an exact expression of the artisan's artistry, meticulously crafted and polished to form a work of art.

Another reason collectors are attracted to handmade pipes is the history surrounding each piece. Each pipe has its own story, from the materials chosen to the actual process of crafting. Having a handmade pipe means owning not just a piece but a part of art history.

Let's explore why so many collectors accept the unique, truly handmade piece as a hot collectible in this blog.

Intricate Handcrafted Smoking Pipes Are the Buzzword Among Collectors

Hey fellow collectors, what is it that draws a majority of collectors to handcrafted smoking pipes? Is it a unique blend or attractiveness, or is it's market growth that lures the buyers? Let's take a look at the reasons below.

1. Unique Blend of Aesthetics and Functionality

Handcrafted smoking pipes are actually a perfect marriage of form and function. These gorgeous pieces are not only beautiful but perfectly usable. Each handcrafted pipe boasts an individuality that collectors just love, from intricate designs to vibrant colors and the feel to them.

2. Attractiveness to Collectors and discernings.

Many collector's guides explain why handmade smoking pipes are in demand by those who appreciate both beauty and functionality. Even an old-timer or beginner collector finds handcrafted pipes attractive value when aesthetics and functionality are placed together.

3. Market Growth Fuelled by Diverse Consumer Preferences

Global Smoking Pipe Market to Reach About $4.1 Billion by 2033, Growing at a CAGR of 5.0% from $2.5 Billion in 2023, as per Global Insight Services: Rapid growth is influenced by diverse consumer preferences.

While collectors and connoisseurs have been attracted to handcrafted pipes, the markets are responding to such a demand. Whether you are seeking a special addition for your collection or want to give that special gift for the enthusiast, handcrafted pipes are an excellent choice.

4. Investment appeal

Not only do handmade smoking pipes provide aesthetics, but there is much more. In fact, the potential investment makes them even more precious. The investment appeal of a handcrafted pipe is higher if the tobacco has the potential of being a stable commodity or an appreciating one. 

Therefore, regardless of whether you are an experienced investor or a beginner, you should really consider the handcrafted pipes.

However, the sustained popularity of smoking pipes among enthusiasts and collectors across the globe speaks otherwise. Unique and beautiful pieces that testify to the rich cultural history associated with pipe smoking make them cherished items.

So, what's your take on the matter, fellow collectors? What is it about handcrafted smoking pipes that fascinates you? 

Conclusion

Well, after knowing the reasons why collectors are bonkers over handmade pipes, you would also want to upgrade your smoking experience? Visit N Cubed Pipes for excellent handcrafted smoking pipes. From quirky designs to excellent quality, we have it all on the site to find the perfect smoking pipe for you.

Whether you are an old enthusiast or just starting, you'll certainly love the diversity and uniqueness of the hand-rolled cigarettes. New ones appear constantly, and something special is bound to catch your eye.

 Each pipe is crafted to ensure a smooth, enjoyable smoke. Take a look at our website and discover our fabulous collections, and it's time to find your ideal smoking pipe!

[sarah-dipitous]

Hellsite Nostalgia Tour 2023 Day 298

The Six Thatchers

“The Six Thatchers”

Plot Description: Sherlock takes on the case of finding out who is going around and smashing six unique head statues of late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

And here we are…the worst season of this show��it’s so mean that they put an ad for season 10 of doctor who on this dvd

Sherlock having a twitter account…sounds nightmarish

Ohhhh, the aquarium imagery reminds me this is when Mary dies

So Sherlock’s gonna just wait out and solve crimes while “Moriarty” makes his “posthumous” next move

Omg stop texting or whatever at your goddaughter’s christening, I don’t care if you don’t believe. It’s just rude

You can’t make demands of babies, Sherlock. I can barely make them of my cat.

Ok this case is pretty interesting…a young man who is supposed to be in Tibet is somehow found dead in his car after a drunk driver hits it and it ignites…however, that body was dead for a week already and the kid’s dad had talked to him on the phone more recently than that (my money’s on prerecorded conversation bits, maybe??)

How’s Sherlock gonna make comments about how John and Mary will be great parents because they did a great job dealing with him but then not understand the jokes John and Lestrade are making comparing him to the baby?

I’d start dissociating if I was in a home with a Thatcher shrine, too

Oh. Oh that’s tragic. The kid tried to surprise his dad for the dad’s birthday, suffered a medical emergency, died in the car in a costume meant to mimic the car seat, and because no one had any cause to go to the car, he stayed there til the drunk driver hit it

Mycroft reacting to seeing a picture of the Watsons’ baby is exaggerated but relatable. He’s also not good with people, but the difference is I at least sometimes strive to be

Is that Janine?? No. Just another detective who needed Sherlock’s help. Didn’t even look THAT much like her

How did the dog get in trouble with the US? So much so that charges were pressed and subsequently dropped?

(Megumi does not like this show…but considering she’s only seen part of one episode from season 4, who could blame her?)

Ok this case is no longer interesting…I take it back. Mary’s thumb drive was in the last of the thatcher busts, even though she said she destroyed it, all the dark secrets from her past

I don’t…maybe he doesn’t want to kill her but he knows someone DOES and THAT is why he said Mary is a dead woman walking (he being the guy Sherlock fought who was in an assassin team or whatever with Mary)

She drugged Sherlock? Come on…

Why does Mycroft’s office look so stupid? He’s better than this

There’s something distasteful about Mary’s cover on this plane…why is she drawing so much attention to herself??? Oh, she switched places with the flight attendant.

What ruins this is I know Sherlock and John will find her, and the way she gets caught by them will probably be really simple and obvious

YUP! He lojacked the memory stick…and it was John’s idea.

The number of lies she’s living is just astounding. I don’t know how john puts up with it…

Oh no. That guy definitely wants her dead. Being tortured got six years will do that to ya

Trying to remember if the women from the bus is Sherlock’s sister….that seemed….not random. It definitely is. She signed the number she gave John “E”.

John, I know your marriage has kind of always been in shambles but maybe cheating isn’t the answer

I can’t believe you’re texting Sherlock’s sister while your wife takes care of your daughter

I forgot it was Lady Smallwood’s secretary who betrayed Mary’s assassin team

Truly, I probably would have just shot Sherlock if he read me like that. Well, she tried…but Mary got in the way

This should be more emotional than it is. Even John’s sounds of anguish are not convincing. Sounds more like he’s having trouble shitting than mourning his wife

John Watson stop losing people in even numbered seasons challenge

Well, at least he went back to therapy……….I mean, he’s physically there, at least…I guess—Oh, it’s Sherlock, not John. Feels like a not so good idea that they both have/had the same therapist

Oof. That’s gotta sting. John would rather have ANYONE but Sherlock help him now that Mary is gone?

[stxrmnight]

One Gal's Descent into Insanity: A May Full of Housing

So, winning the housing lottery might've been the worst best thing to happen to my art career.

Not that I started drawing more, mind you, but think more of what it means to have a space where people live in it.

Sure, I might hear artists say wear and evidence of dirt and printmarks and scratches and time show life, and the choice of items and usage say a lot about a person's habits and ways of doing their needs. Even if you can't put that in cleanly built items in a 3D virtual space, you're left with the burdeen of thinking of what that looks like for your character (and gave such advice to a friend not knowing the answer myself)

So, how do you start addresing all this?

By fixating on the one sapphic pairing you have with friends, obviously, while deeply aware your long running joke is that your wol is a useless lesbian until Venat and Zero happened, but you don't know if the game will let the later live yet.

no, wrong answer, you make a fucking spreadsheet to make sure you don't hit the item maximum and scream at an impossible idea

I legit used the row numbers as an automatic counter. using another row for marking a house area with a number and changing cell color.

Thanks to this, I was able to look at the space available and open 1234322 tabs of the ff14 housing site and place and swap items as things clicked. I don't think Nemi would be so meticulous though. She did the same thing I did when I got the apartment first:

Throw all extra shit and rewards from MSQ and have an impromptu bed since you almost never use the space. She definitely bought it in 3.2 and didn't sleep in it

...It was not going well. As much as I wanted to show her love and respect for Ysayle, that rotating blue light was ruining the vibe. At least I was set on the walls and floor?? So I had to lay on the bed I made and changed the chandelier for an Odder Otter. Any progress on the apartment, which is her "bachelor" living space likely came after Tsukuyomi, and she truly finalized and rested in the place after Shadowbringers.

Though, this apartment was more of a "later" point, so I looked at was was quicker to complete: the outside of the small, with 20 item max. I already knew it was going to be the lovely marriage retirement home, so I set to make the most romantic space possible: all colors, water under the bridge and flowers, enough space to fight a dummy under a warm light (if I get it... Ala Mhigan striking dummy, you will be mine someday)

I did snip around the neighbors' yards and houses for inspiration, and found that people vied to glitch and section the space for more traditional modern looks. Dividing the space well by purpose felt like a good space, even if my aesthetic goals were much more different.

I appreciate that you can group now instead of having along column of images on tumblr.

I almost drew at first, but the sheet item listing ended up being more helpful. After picking main floor and basement colors, everything else seemed more akin to, what makes this place scream living room? What do I have to offer guests? Can some dyeable items and vases represent parts of Nemi's journey to preserve?

I'll make a post about those finer details another time, as I don't have screenshots of that... but these progress one of the apartment room and first floor give some ideas

that said, I can't believe this is who I got my floor from lol

But really, once you know what parts of a house you want and you want to make unique it all flows in such a fun way. The best part was setting the walls down and realizing I had more to say with what items were in Nemi's room! I feel like I advanced art wise even if I didn't draw anything, and the current light of the cottage base floor clips with one wall

Now rest well, you tired racoon

[punkpandapatrixk]

Scale and variety of fame are unique to each individual~

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Pile 1 - Industriousness

Priestesses of Fertility & Innocence

2 of Cups & Gold Astrologer (Simon Forman)

If you're gonna get famous for anything, it will be your assiduousness. This is a quality that makes a person very careful and attentive towards their Art. Whether you end up doing business or pursuing an artistic passion, Creativity reigns at the core of your activity. Your Art will be recognised as having a pure, innocent, childlike quality, but at the same time, respectfully high-quality. You will surprise the world with your level of professionalism that doesn't give way to the sacrifice of your innocence!

You probably have a strong Aries energy mixed with Scorpio in your natal chart. Either those are placed in Houses relating to your creativity, public image, or... they could simply be squaring or sextile one another. It is this combination in your natal chart what will get you respect and recognition—if that is seriously what you want.

If being in a relationship happens to be your thing, you could also gain recognition from romantic escapades. Something like your romantic life being in the spotlight and, for better or worse, people are gonna be watching you—your marriage and/or family life, including your children. Your children, too, could grow up to become famous people in their own regards. It's like a legacy thingy.

I'm seeing really, really powerful people attracted to this pile. But whether or not you can harvest these high-quality apples already destined for you, it also rests on your earnest efforts from today. If there's anything you need to prepare from now... it's gonna sound weird, but... you need to make sure your spirit doesn't turn rotten on the way to the plateau of success and fame.

Small advice for a pure heart🔻❤️

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 2 - Sawayaka na Personality

Priestesses of Healing & Patience

King of Wands Rx & Green Astrologer (Robert Fludd)

Okay, I couldn't find the super appropriate English word for sawayaka, so here goes. This Japanese word translates to fresh or refreshing, but what I truly mean is that you're going to be recognised for your aura and seemingly healing presence. It is because there's something exquisitely gentle about your Soul—this quality probably shines through your mannerism, too. You are a natural healer, whether you know it or not. You're gentle, but strong, and that's gonna draw people in.

In terms of career, I'm seeing you getting a lot of fans from doing something—anything—beautiful that has some healing quality to it. For example, PONY Syndrome creates makeup tutorial videos (girly beauty), and her quality and aesthetic are so top notch and watching her videos provide people with healing, inspiration and joy. -I can't be the only one feeling this, right??-🤣It's just one example, but I hope you get the picture, anyway.

Irrespective of your gender associations, this pile has a very sweet and feminine energy what will give rise to your becoming recognised and respected for your Art. Doesn't matter what variety of LGBTQ++++++++++++ you are, even if maybe you started from the bottom where everyone disrespected or underestimated or even bullied you, one day your undying, unfeigned kindness, sweetness and gentleness will show the entire world the true value of feminine power. It is not weak; it is patient and therefore it is healing. Same applies to those who don't resonate with being LGBTQ+++, by the way.

So anyway, a lot of the people attracted to this pile may be that type that finds it hard to express or channel anger in an honest and healthy way. Well, you are naturally patient and compassionate, so I'm also seeing you having empathy for even people who underestimate or treat you badly. Don't get me wrong, your empathy is your greatest asset, but you shouldn't allow that gentleness be your downfall. You can learn to not give in to other people's bullshit behaviours without losing the purity of your Soul.

Small advice for heart healing🔻🧡

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Pile 3 - Spiritual Magnetism——Magnetic Spiritualism

Priestesses of Faith & Opulence

XIV Temperance & Silver Magus (Merlin)

You may look or have a cute personality, but WOW are you Gandalf!! You have this softness about you that misleads people in perceiving your true capabilities. And with that, I'm sensing some of you—the bunch of you, actually—have felt disparagingly disrespected your entire life. Like, people haven't taken you for the serious magician that you inherently are.

When you're left to your own devices, you are more than capable of creating a magnificent Life that is just exactly what you envision for yourself. That's some crazy-ass manifesting power you have there. But the twist here is that you can't be selfish at all. Whatever variety and level of fame you're destined to achieve in this lifetime, you must get there with the sole intent (almost) of bringing some kind of healing, inspiration or motivation to other people.

I'm seeing here that your current incarnation is almost solely for the purpose of being of service to others. And the downside to this is that you may have had many experiences of people walking all over or taking advantage of you in really horrible ways. This is your Soul's challenge to strengthen your spiritual prowess, though—in this selfish world, whilst maintaining the balance of giving and receiving.

You are a giver, yes, and you're meant to continue to give and share until the day you leave this world. But at the same time, because the world is the way that it is, you also need to learn to guard yourself and not lose to parasites. Don't give or share too much with parasites who don't deserve your charity. Above all, learn to recognise causes that are worth helping~ Your energy is too precious.

No matter what line of career you choose, if you've been called by this pile, there's a certainty of your leaving a legacy for this world. You might even become something of a legend. Trust that! WOW.

Small advice for power generation🔻💗

Access full reading + cards on Patreon🌸

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

Feel free to support me on Patreon if you love this kind of content🍑I create stories and tarot readings that calm the mind & heal from within🍒

[Back to Masterlist] [Part 1] [Part 3]

[brielledoesastrology]

Chiron - Juno aspects in your astrology natal chart / birth chart

All credits to : 12andus.com

Chiron asteroid number : 2060

Juno asteroid number : 3

Chiron conjunct Juno

Your past wounds and traumas may easily lead you to attract your romantic partner.

You may feel compelled to remain in partnership where you see your past traumas and wounds reflected in the experience of your loved one.

You can work through challenges in the partnership and maintain your sense of commitment because of a strong desire to help your loved one heal their own wounds.

Your most prominent partnership may be the one that exposes the healing you have yet to do while assisting another with their healing.

You may easily express your intuitive guidance as a wise and compassionate healer to the person you commit to as a spouse or partner.

You may feel a strong sense that your life partner or long term partner was meant to be with you. Part of this feeling of a destined connection has to do with unresolved wounds that your partner helps you to deal with because of their own need for healing or guidance.

Chiron sextile Juno

You can easily find healing and intuitive connection to your life partner.

You are destined for a long term committed relationship and may find it easy to attract a spouse or partner who awakens your unique intuition and potential for healing.

Your past wounds and traumas may connect you to a partner or love interest whose similar experiences are part of the key to you unlocking your deeper healing.

You may also have the key to leading others to find deeper healing and advancement on their path.

One of your best vehicles for this healing is your committed relationship.

Chiron square Juno

You may be drawn to a long term committed relationship but at the same time have to deal with unresolved wounds and the need for deeper healing.

Your past wounds can clash with your serious partnerships and although you have good intentions of being a devoted partner and fulfilling your obligations, you will need to deal with your past wounds or potentially end up sabotaging the relationship.

When you work to resolve your old wounds and follow your unique intuitive wisdom, you can find greater connection with your spouse or long term partner.

Chiron trine Juno

You can easily find your long term partnership or potential marital partner.

Though you may seem lucky in love, attracting your long term partner with little effort, it is because your past wounds and unresolved traumas have a connection to the healing your partner needs.

You may find it easy to fulfill your obligations and responsibilities because your unique wisdom and intuition help you understand the needs of your partner.

You can easily work through issues in the relationship by drawing on your past experiences.

Chiron opposite Juno

You may have a strong desire for marriage or life long romantic commitment.

Yet at the same time, your past wounds and traumas stand in the way of you being able to fulfill your obligations and maintain a smooth path with your love.

When you are able to balance your healing needs and the needs of your partner, you will find it is much easier to keep your commitments and nurture your partnership.

Until deal with your own past wounds and traumas, however, jealousies and insecurities may run rampant through you your partnership.

Your relationship may be destined to expose something about your need for healing or the nature of your intuition and past wounds.

you need to be willing to confront your fears and insecurities so that you can heal Yet more fully.

Your relationship with your partner can be a vehicle to help you do this but only if you surrender to the process and stop resisting your deeper need to let go.

Chiron quincunx Juno

You can find it difficult to channel you're your intuitive wisdom and healing perspective into your committed partnership and long term relationship.

Though you want to stick with your partner through thick and thin, you may have to first work through your own insecurities and traumas from the past.

Until you do this, you may feel jealous and possessive of your partner and this can undermine your attempts to fulfill your obligations.

When you work through your insecurities and jealousies, you can find the confidence to commit yourself to your partner and the relationship can be healing and transformative.

[sirthisisa-wendys]

The Emperor: Toji Fushiguro x Fem!Reader

synopsis: Being a servant of the Emperor is a unique position that requires multiple positions.

wc: 1.7k

tw: NSFW

masterlist

As you stare at the pink moon hanging low in the sky, you try to remember every single moment that brought you here to the Imperial Palace.

Studious.

You had been a girl who sought to put her head in books instead of learning how to be a wife. There had been five of you in your little group of young girls who sought to improve their minds instead of improving their station by marriage.

And the girls who sought to marry well were not wrong for doing so. Neither were you wrong for wanting to improve your mind with the other men, with who you would never be caught dead socializing. As far as everyone knew, you would not subject yourself to the torture of being affiliated with dalliances. No, you didn't have time for that.

But...

Then you had been snatched from the halls of the library and drug back to your home, the hands of the Imperial soldiers carrying you past your mother and father, who chased after you - horrified and tearful.

At first, you thought you had committed some unfathomable crime and would be punished by the Emperor himself. All signs pointed to you being a criminal due to how the soldiers threw you into a dingy and cramped carriage, one that was not fit for even a lowly citizen to ride in. But when you arrived at the Palace less than an hour later, you stepped into an uncertain future.

With tall walls covered in flowers you didn't know the names of - yet - and fountains in a courtyard made of azure tile, you were sure that you had been deposited in a place too grand for a criminal. There was no way the men who dropped you from the carriage and into the garden were going to kill you. And after a man with long, blonde hair and a bored look approached your stunned figure in the midst of all of the beauty, he held out a hand, called you by your name, and told you he would be your attendant.

But despite the fantastic set of arrangements, the reason why you were now in the palace of Emperor Fushiguro set in before anyone told you.

"Concubine." The word floated around your town when the Emperor's wife died several years ago, but to your knowledge, there had been many women picked for His Holiness's pleasure after that. You'd be the first in over six years, as far as anyone was aware.

And you were.

You are.

You're reminded of this when there's a knock on your door, startling you out of your reverie and bringing you back to the present.

"You may enter," you whisper, pulling the pins out of your hair. Emperor Fushiguro likes your hair down. The large man enters the shadowy room silently, his robes swishing about as he approaches. You stand from your bed and exhale softly, eyeing the green-eyed royal as his feet step to your own.

"How have you been since I last saw you?" he wonders, tilting your chin up with his index finger. "Are you sleeping well?"

"I'm fine, your Holiness," you reply, touching his hand tenderly. "I am well. How are you feeling?" Toji looks at the moon outside, the scar on his lips twitching up slightly.

"I am exhausted," he admits, shoulders slumping.

"Tell me about your day," you encourage him, motioning to the bed. "I am here to listen." And Toji begins regaling his day to you as you rake your fingers through his hair and hum at the appropriate times, letting him be heard in the dim light of your bedroom. When he finishes (usually him just trailing off and staring at the ceiling), you press a kiss to his forehead.

"I will go to the temple in the morning and pray for a resolution to your issues, your Holiness." Toji reaches a hand up to caress your bottom lip, looking into your eyes.

"You are the only concubine who has extended such kindness to me," he breathes. You know this is not true and that's he's just buttering you up for what comes next. Though, you're not sure why.

Because every time you lay underneath him, beside him, on top of him, however he desires to have you that night... you enjoy it. You genuinely enjoy it.

And as Toji disrobes you carefully, fingers raking across your skin like the breath of the wind, you tangle yourself around him, holding his face in your hands, holding him close, holding him for as long as you can, which he adores.

Tonight, you hold him against you as he kisses your lips, your fingers tugging his short black hair as your body squirms underneath his massive frame.

"Eager," he hums against your skin, and you moan as two fingers dip into your core, playing with your slick while the other grabs your breast. Whether it's his practice with the other concubines or his deceased wife, you don't know. But it seems that Toji can play you to his liking, drawing sounds out of you like a skilled harpist. And every night he'd come to visit you, it would be the same way - he'd make a small symphony, then leave when the sun came up to return to running the country.

Toji reminds you of his skill as he rubs your clit repeatedly, lips latching onto your nipple and toying with it before moving to the other.

"Your Holiness," you exhale, but the Emperor whispers,

"Please. Call me Toji while I am with you, y/n." You nod as he kisses down your stomach and lifts your legs over his broad shoulders, hands roaming over your thighs as he spreads them apart. When his cool tongue sinks into your cunt, you stiffen, grasping one of his hands for leverage.

"Toji..." you moan, but he doesn't answer you as his tongue flicks back and forth, preparing you and tasting you at the same time. His eyes flick up to watch your face, which makes your toes curl. Just like he knew they would.

As he toys with you, you can hear his soft grunts of pleasure, feel the kisses, touch his soft hair as his head moves around, and watch him devour you earnestly. All of your senses light up at once, bringing you to a climax you didn't expect when his hands tug your nipples until you're overstimulated and shaking underneath his mouth.

"Oh, gods," you cry out, and Toji hums, speeding up his movements. "I'm going to cum," you pant in response, but he doesn't let up, tipping you over the edge with his ministrations and making your body quiver violently.

You only stop shaking when you feel his cockhead at your entrance, and you wonder how long you'd been trembling as he shirked off his clothes.

"Oh!"

Toji slides into you easily, his girth the only one you'd ever felt in your entire life. When he bottoms out inside of you, he moans, then leans down to capture your lips in his.

"Slow, slow..." you whisper, pressing your hands against his shoulders.

"I know... Shh, shh, shh..." he replies, kissing down your neck and removing your hands tenderly. "I know you like my own mind, my little nightingale." You exhale slowly, legs still shaking as he pumps into you carefully. "You're the only one that sings for me like you do." Another kiss is pressed to your lips. "The only one that attends to me like you do." And another. "The only one I can trust."

His words sink to the pit of your stomach, and you feel some sort of emotion welling up inside of you. But it's quickly pushed down when Toji's teeth sink into the fleshy part of your ear. You jerk a little, clenching around him, and he hisses before chuckling. "Works every time."

And you love it, every single moment of this. Toji speeds up his strokes, making you moan and pant in time with him.

"You're the only one that really enjoys this," he breathes, sweat dripping down from his forehead. You look into his eyes and nod, biting your bottom lip. "I even took your maidenhood and you never resented me for it."

"Never," you agree, nodding again before shuddering. "Toji, just like that! Please..." Toji obeys, silencing himself as he pumps into you even faster, almost reaching his climax with you, hips stuttering and jerking as your walls clench around him rhythmically. Toji groans loudly, his body heaving as he comes down from the short high and then rolls onto his back after pulling out of you.

"Come," he whispers hoarsely, tugging you close to his side and drawing the sheets around your bodies. He nestles his face into your hair and murmurs, "You are the only concubine I feel close to. Only because you love and cherish Princess Tsumiki, and you tend to my needs when you see me."

"It is my duty, is it not?"

"You could be resentful like the others."

"And they let you touch them?" Toji grunts once.

"I touch them, then I leave. It is unbearable at times, but... it's my duty to produce a male heir at some point." You look over your shoulder at him and smile.

"And you will have it."

"I'm hoping I will have it by you so that I can get rid of these other women." The implications of his words are so startling that you flinch in shock. "No?" Toji wonders, frowning as he touches your cheek.

"N-not no, but... Me? From concubine to consort? No other concubine will give you a son?"

"No other concubine can give me a son. That was why I picked them in the first place," he sighs, pulling you even closer. "But now... I am ready for another child. A son to take on the Imperial reign. Through you." He splays a hand across your belly, rubbing it tenderly before yawning loudly.

"Sleep well, your Ho- I mean, Toji." But he's already asleep, nose tucked into the crook of your neck and arms around your frame. Just like you like it.

Concubine to consort? You think to yourself in the moonlight. With an Imperial son?

A smile creeps its way across your face at the thought of being pregnant with Toji's child. Toji's son. To be the vessel of such a treasure... it would make your worth in his eyes that much more.

You fall asleep with that thought, and add "pray for a son" to your list of petitions to the gods.

_____________________________________________________________

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[pale-silver-comb]

So I know absolutely nothing about Leverage except what I've been seeing you post lately and I have to admit you're making it look tempting to watch! Can I ask what are some of your favorite things about the show/reasons you would suggest people watch it? And is there really a poly relationship that is canon?

Okay. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. I am going to do my best not to just “asdfghkjl” at you and answer coherently.

In a nutshell, Leverage is about 5 people. 4 are criminals (Parker, Hardison, Eliot and Sophie) with different and unique skill-sets and 1 is an ex-insurance investigator (Nate) who, at one point or another in his career, has tracked down (or at least attempted to) the other 4. The whole show is essentially: man reluctantly reforms 4 criminals to use their criminal powers for good and 4 criminals move into man’s life and stubbornly refuse to leave because, goddammit, now they have morals. 

I’ve got a lot of favourite things about the show but the main ones are as follows:

1. Found family. And I’m not talking about loners who come together to fight crime and happen to co-exist to the point where they realise they happen to have found themselves a family. I mean, Nate and Sophie are the Drunk Uncle and Wine Aunt who somehow become Mom and Dad to 3 beautiful criminal children. Mom and Dad love their criminal babies and the kids love them (as well as each other, but we’ll come to that in a moment). You get amazing family moments such as: Mom and Dad packing the kids lunch before sending them out to kick corporate greed’s ass; Mom and Dad giving the kids ridiculously expensive and personal Christmas presents causing their most Grumpy Kid to go very very quiet and soft as he runs off to gleefully play with his new murder toy; the kids interrupting Mom and Dad’s big Movie Style Kiss to ask if they can please keep their new underground layer and huffing and puffing when Dad tells them no.

2. Found family: the OT3 edition. To answer your question, the OT3 is indeed canon, confirmed by the creator. Now, usually, “confirmed by the creator” infuriates me because most of the time it’s a way for a creator to be seen as “progressive” without doing anything to actually be progressive. That isn’t the case here. The OT3 are built up carefully and while it is obvious the creators didn’t originally intend for all 3 of them to become a relationship in the romantic sense, by mid-season 5 we are given a very clear picture of where Parker, Hardison and Eliot are heading in their relationship. There aren’t any kisses at the end to signal this but there are solid marriage vows in not only one but two episodes. (And by marriage vows I mean literal equivalents of marriage vows: “for better or worse” and “’til death do us part”. I’m not even exaggerating). The OT3 also doesn’t need explicit romantic narratives to convey how much they love each other. Their love is laced through the whole show, from the way they teach each other things to the way they respond to each other and work as a unit. The way they fiercely protect and admire each other. Like someone once said, if you need characters to kiss or say I love you to let the audience know they love each other, you are writing them wrong. 

Aside from that, each of the parings in the OT3 are just. Gah. They are so well done, with friendship being the solid basis for them all. The creators never expect the audience to assume anything about them or fill in the gaps. They give us their relationships on screen and reference many things off-screen to show us how these relationships continue to build in between episodes.

Hardison and Parker are a canon couple and date in the show: it’s approached slowly and they are so goddamned sweet. They are basically every fluffy slow-burn trope with a healthy dash of mutual pining in the mix. They are basically that quote “love is patient, love is kind”. (I would like to add their romance never becomes the focus of the show or overrides the importance of any other relationship they have with the other characters, especially Eliot.)

Hardison and Eliot are the Old Married Couple and from day one are already bickering and looking at each other/making comments that are found in every UST fic ever (not to mention Hardison has a very good knack for making Eliot grin like a little kid, when usually he’s basically an Angry Little Chef Man). They argue, they play, and love each other plain as day. 

Parker and Eliot are more subtle but every bit as wonderful. They have an unspoken connection and understand each other on a level no-one else can. Parker and Eliot are not good with giving themselves over to affection for different reasons (and Hardison plays a central role in helping them realise it’s okay to want it and have it- that boy has endless patience) but there is something so beautiful in the way the two of them come together on their own and develop their own special bond that works for them. Parker and Eliot are that trope where the characters don’t need to speak to understand each other perfectly. They just do. Their love language is a lot of the time non-verbal but speaks volumes. (Parker also likes to annoy the hell out of Eliot and Eliot....just.....lets...her. Because he’s soft. The softest, grumpiest boy.) 

I could go into so much depth for each pairing and their dynamics as a 3 but that's for another post.

3. Subverting stereotypes. There is the occasional hiccup in the show regarding stereotypes but ultimately, Leverage gets an A+ when it comes to writing characters and making them 3 dimensional people who are not defined by certain characteristics or events. Nate could so easily fall into the White Man Pain trope where he uses the trauma of losing his kid as a reason as to why he is entitled to act like a dick. Nate is a dick but he doesn’t use his pain to excuse it and I appreciate that. Hardison is a black man who is soft and nurturing. Easily the most empathetic and patient of the group. He’s nerdy, an actual genius, and has the biggest heart of all the characters. Nate is maybe the glue but Hardison is definitely the heart. Media’s usual aggressive, amongst other, racist stereotypes can fuck right off. Parker is canonically autistic (I am sure this was confirmed by one of the creators) and she is not defined by it. It’s not written as some kind of singular personality trait. It’s part of what makes up Parker but it’s only one facet of who she is and not once is her actions, thoughts or feelings treated like a joke. Sometimes people don’t understand why she does and says the things she does but it’s met with patience and fondness over the course of the show. Equally, it’s not met with over-caution. Parker is just Parker. No-one tries to change her. The other nice thing is Hardison, who always makes sure Parker knows she’s amazing because of who she is and not in spite of it. Finally, Sophie is in her 40s. She’s not treated like she’s past her prime. Ever. She’s sexy, smart and never is she pitted against or compared to Parker (who is younger) for anything. Sophie is amazing and there’s never even a conversation of “I may be older but I am still *insert adjective typically associated with younger women here*”. Sophie is possibly the first female character I’ve ever seen who isn’t just unapologetic about her age but has never had to apologise for her age. It’s a non-issue and that’s that. The women on the show are written so well, right down to secondary characters and it’s beyond refreshing.  

4.) It’s just fun. The show has a “monster of the week” type format. Except instead of a ghoul or a ghost, the monster is some corrupt wealthy and powerful individual or organisation. The show draws on real-life individuals to do this and therefore closely parallels real-life people and events. It addresses important political, economical, social and environmental issues while at the same time remaining fun and light-hearted. The characters constantly get the chance to play dress up and by GOD do they have fun with it. You get to watch Eliot beat up bad guys in the most delightful of ways, usually after a witty non-sequitur and with a weapon you’d never think could be a weapon. The dialogue and back and forth between the characters is everything. And finally - my favourite thing- the team can never resist striking a dramatic pose after they’ve taken down the bad guy, making sure the bad guy sees them. I mean, they COULD just walk away, satisfied they’ve taken the person down, but nope. They gotta be dramatic bitches 24/7 and pose like they are models for every single month of this year’s Criminal Calendar.  

5.) Competence Porn. So. Much. Competence Porn.  

Honestly, I could list a thousand reasons for why Leverage is amazing but to list them would to be spoiling so many amazing moments you’d get to discover for the first time on your own if you do choose to watch it. It’s the kind of show you can watch with an eagle-eye and sink your teeth into. But it’s also the kind of show if, you would prefer, put on in the background for something entertaining while you do something else. Each episode is about the job at hand but it’s made up of so many moments between the characters that show how much the creators and writers care about them. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll do whatever it is you do when something Soft and Wonderful happens that makes your heart melt. I am so beyond grateful for Leverage. It’s everything I always wanted in a show. Nearly every show I’ve watched in the past 10 years has disappointed me in some way, usually either because the writers run out of steam or characters who I love are treated poorly or given some kind of unnecessary “shock value” arc. Leverage doesn’t do that. Leverage is what it says on the bottle. Fandom isn’t something I joined because I needed canon fix-its. Fandom only enhances and celebrates an already excellent canon.