#Attractive ad design services.

[googlepd]

شركة GooglePD - احترافية التصميم والإبداع الرقمي

مرحباً بكم في GooglePD، شركتكم الرائدة في تقديم الحلول الرقمية الحديثة والخدمات الإبداعية. نحن هنا لنرتقي بأعمالكم ونحول أفكاركم إلى واقع ملموس بأعلى معايير الاحترافية.

خدماتنا:

التسويق الرقمي نضع خطط تسويقية مبتكرة ومدروسة بدقة لتعزيز وجودكم الرقمي وزيادة مبيعاتكم.

إدارة صفحات السوشيال ميديا فريقنا المتخصص يقدم إدارة احترافية لحساباتكم على مختلف المنصات، مع محتوى يجذب الانتباه ويزيد من التفاعل.

إنشاء المواقع الإلكترونية تصميم مواقع مميزة وسهلة الاستخدام تناسب هوية علامتكم التجارية وتلبي احتياجات جمهوركم.

تصميم الصور صور إبداعية تعكس هوية شركتكم وتجذب الأنظار، مع مراعاة التفاصيل الدقيقة والجودة العالية.

إنتاج الفيديوهات نصنع فيديوهات إبداعية تُبرز منتجاتكم وخدماتكم بأفضل طريقة ممكنة، مع مراعاة الجانب الإبداعي والتقني.

تصميم الشعارات نبتكر شعارات تعبر عن رؤيتكم وقيمكم، وتترك انطباعاً لا يُنسى لدى عملائكم.

لماذا تختار GooglePD؟

إبداع بلا حدود: نقدم أفكاراً فريدة ومبتكرة تعزز من تميز علامتكم التجارية.

احترافية مضمونة: فريقنا من الخبراء يضمن تقديم خدمات على أعلى مستوى من الجودة.

دعم مست��ر: نحن هنا لنكون شركاء نجاحكم في كل خطوة من رحلتكم الرقمية.

انطلق بأعمالك إلى آفاق جديدة مع GooglePD. لأننا نصمم المستقبل بأيدي محترفة!

[brucewaynehater101]

Just a warning, this au strays a bit close to NSFW territory in that it does talk about Sex Workers, but it does not mention or describe anything specific, mostly just discussing how they operate and some dangers they may face working in Gothem.

So, we all know that Tim would do a lot for the mission right? More than most people would. I mean, just look at Brucequest or the fact he came back after his 16th birthday or his first few months as Robin when he was basically Bruce's nanny. He also has many false life's he can slip into at the drop of a hat such as Alvin Draper or Caroline Hill. So why not add one more to those personas? A woman named Jane Doe, a sex worker who works just outside Crime Alley who everyone knows and knows everyone, but no one truly knows her nor have they ever seen her face, if she even is a woman as she uses all pronouns to get just a little more mystery added to them. Their outfit is constantly changing but also very specific, a short and highly attractive dress that doesn't look cheap and a full face mask in the style of Venetian Carnival Masks, Volto design specifically so that it covers his full face but shows striking blue eyes. Those he has colored contacts that he switches around constantly.

The reason that Tim does this is simple. Information. While Jason may be able to ask the sex workers under his protection questions, they wouldn't be as open with him as they would another sex worker. Tim can get information from them, the clients, the shop owners of the area, the homeless, anyone and everyone who is often on the street or connected to it that none of the other Bats would ever be able to get. And through his... services he gets a lot of information about up coming things thanks to a special discount everyone knows about. If you tell Jane a secret they don't already know, you get 10% off his services. Tell him 2 and you get 20%. So on and so forth, but it has to be things that Tim didn't already know and he's more than happy to hear about which rouges are hiring at the moment and when they stop hiring, after all, what easier way to predict when they are gunna do stuff than by when they get new henchmen?

A lot is known about Jane Doe, yet also nothing is known. Jane doesn't keep any of the money he makes, giving it to the other girls and often extra as well. No one knows where she keeps getting 100s of dollars to just *give* them but she does. Jane has three brothers, a sister, and a father but no mother. They don't know their names, simply knowing them as N, H, C, R, and B. Whoever they are, they're a well off family but they aren't good to Jane, bad enough that Jane feels safer on the corners of Gothem than the comfort of her home. They know from "funny" stories he tells about his family or via them asking about scars he forgets misses when he covers himself in makeup (there are so many, what have they done to you child?) And him always telling something close to the truth.

They know that N is his oldest brother and the only one who cared about him for a long time, who helped him and was the first person who ever made him feel truly happy. They also know that N took something very precious from Jane Doe without Jane's permission and shattered their trust in N. Tim never told them what was taken or that it was Robin, but in a profession like the one he shares with them, they all come to the same conclusion about what was taken and why Jane might seek comfort in this line of work.

They know that H is also his older brother and has hurt Jane often. They know that the slight scar on his neck he covers with a choker or makeup was made by H, as was the bullet scar in his leg. He laughed about that one, telling his friends how H had set down one of his guns after cleaning it, R picked it up and accidentally fired it, and it bounced twice before going clean through Tim's leg. He laughs about how mad H was at both of them and how he yelled at them to not tell B or else, using a mocking tone and laughter that only causes the others to glance at eachother in worry over their friend. Tim makes sure to reassure them that he got to the blood before it dried so it wasn't to hard to clean up. Tim may have read it as anger in Jason's voice when he said to not tell, but actually it was panic and worry about Tim's wound and how Bruce would react.

They don't know much about C, only that she managed to escape the hell hole known as Gothem and lives in another country. Sometimes she comes back for visits and Jane is always very excited when she does.

The other Sex Workers don't like R. They know that R has either threatened Jane with sharp objects or actually harmed her with them many times but has never gotten in trouble for it. Any time Tim has some left over injuries from patrol, he plays it off as either R or H getting agressive with him again and tries to calm them by saying, "oh come on. Both of them have only tried to *actually* kill me twice! It's fine guys, they won't seriously injure me." While having 5 stitches in his arm.

Jane doesn't talk about their Dad much, always getting quiet and looking away when he's brought up. They ask if B has ever hit him and Jane says, "he doesn't hit me anymore." And all of them want to kill him. They want to kill all of them (except maybe C) and bury their bodies where they'll never be found.

Of course, none of the Bats know about Tim's other nightly activities and where he gets his info from, simply shrugging and moving along. Tim is terrified of any of them accidentally finding out. But unfortunately that day could be coming soon as one of the workers goes to The Red Hood and grabs him by the jacket saying, "you're supposed to protect us right? That's what you promised us, isn't it? Saftey? Well one of the others, Jane, is in deep trouble. Their family is gunna *kill* them. Do whatever you need to do to keep Jane safe from those monsters, we'll tell you what we know, but stop them before she's just another dead body in Gothem Harbor. Do we need to pay you? We'll pay you however much it takes for you to make them pay."

This does remind me of a few fics that go over Tim's "Caroline" identity combined with the idea that Bruce was worse to Tim during his Robin years. Some fics do go into Tim having to go so far as actually having sex with people while some don't.

There are also a few fics of Tim going undercover in Crime Alley as a stripper, cocktail server, sex worker, or other when Red Hood finds out and loses his shit.

The idea of Tim using a fake identity to vent about his family issues is a really cool concept! It would allow him to see how the actions done against him were shit and not okay. He may have the mindset that his trauma is fine because it happened to him, but the separation of identities may help start that realization process. I'm also all here for the identity shenanigans of someone trying to save Jane from her family and accidentally going to one of the people who's hurt them. Lovely amounts of mixed emotions there.

This fic/AU would need to be careful to address both the trauma of Tim selling himself at such a young age as well as still treat sex workers with respect, individuality, and care. It would also be cool to see how the inner workings of the sex industry may be affected by Gotham (such as rogues, toxins, corruption, wealth disparity/poverty, etc).

But yeah! Lots to explore in this AU. I wonder if Tim, in this one, cares about pronouns or gender identity. Does he enjoy crossdressing, does he experiment with his gender identity, and does he make distinctions? I think it would be cool to indicate he's closer agender but is fine with whatever. I like to imagine, in this AU, that he simply doesn't care what gender identity he's perceived as unless that identity needs a specific gender.

Anyways, I am curious about how Red Hood reacts to his characterization by Jane. I wonder if she seems to be wary or distant from him before he finds out that's Tim. Hopefully, Jason tries not to take Jane's hesitance personally. Just because Red Hood is established as a protector doesn't mean that Jane would trust him. They may have their own reasons/experiences not to that has nothing to do with the anti-hero.

[xx-slug-xx]

If antis are going to start calling anime fanfiction “pedo propaganda”, then I cannot stress enough how important it is to actually learn what real propaganda looks like.

Great example: if your in the US, turn on any service that gives you ads. Sure this works in other countries too though! YouTube, Hulu, or anything else, doesn’t really matter. There��s a pattern I want y’all to look for, it’s the depiction of the upper class. It might look like upper middle class, but that is not where the upper middle class is really at right now considering everyone is constantly struggling financially. In every advertisement I’ve seen, every commercial that try’s to make you buy their product or sign up for something, it’s always depictions of “nice” upper class people. Never the lower class. The actors are always attractive for their age range, their homes are always spotless, and they can afford to live. It depicts the life that most everyday Americans want, and it’s just at the price of buying something. This is the most prominent form of propaganda, and it’s everywhere. Capitalism at the stage it’s at now, in the point of our society where we’re at now, is spreading propaganda in every corner so that we can buy things to be poorer. It’s propaganda because it’s spreading the idea that most Americans belong to the upper class, when most people are lower to lower middle class where the economy is at currently. Even the upper middle class isn’t doing all that great.

If antis are going to complain about propaganda, they need to learn what it looks like. Because it’s not in the form of a stupid fanfic some 14 year old wrote. It’s not in the form of lolisho. It’s not even in the form of a giant flyer on the side of a building that says “racism is good actually!” because that’s way too obvious to convince the general public!Propaganda doesn’t even need to be about spreading something bad either. Ever wonder why queer topics are so big in the US current government right now? Why the Democratic Party really pushes for equality for minorities (not just queer people). It’s bc they are using our own kindness as a way to convince us that “hey the government is your friend actually! Look how much we love you people who belong to minorities!”. They are using a GOOD message against us to gain our trust, never trust the government! They always have alternative motives behind EVERYTHING. That’s propaganda!

“You are not immune to propaganda” exists for a reason, and it means that it hides in every corner of your everyday life. It means that it’s designed to be unnoticeable by the average person. Learn what propaganda looks like, learn how to avoid listening to it the best you can.

[sam198]

A day in the Spa

Tim walked into the luxurious spa, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. He had never been to a place quite like this before. Roland had invited him here, his neighbor and occasional client, who had once been his youth leader when he was just a scrawny teen with a crush on the hunky firefighter. Roland was a towering figure at 196 cm, with a body that was more "big" than "muscular," carrying an extra layer of padding around his midsection. His hairless chest was surprisingly firm, and his belly, though not flat, had a certain charm to it. Tim had always found something alluring about the way his belly folded when he sat down. Roland had a gentle face, with a pair of small glasses perched on his nose that made him seem wise beyond his years. His beard was almost non-existent, but the way his upper lip curled slightly when he talked made Tim's heart flutter. Roland's cock was the stuff of legend, at least in Tim's mind. At 19*5 cm, it was a beast, and Tim had been paid well for the graphic design work he had done for Roland's side business, which often came with the added bonus of a taste of that monster.

Roland looked down at Tim with a knowing smile, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Tim felt his cheeks warm as he took in the sight of his own body, muscular and fit from his days as a dancer. His green eyes, framed by his thick-rimmed glasses, darted around the room, taking in the opulent surroundings. His short, clean-shaven beard outlined his strong jaw, and his brown hair was styled in a way that accentuated his angular face. His cock was a respectable 19*4 cm, not as large as Roland's, but he knew how to use it to his advantage. He was versatile in the bedroom, preferring to bottom in his open relationship but enjoying taking control when it came to the random encounters outside of it. Tim felt the familiar thrill of attraction and anticipation as he thought about what this evening might hold.

"Welcome to my little sanctuary, Tim," Roland said, his deep voice resonating through the quiet space. "I think you're going to enjoy the experience." Tim nodded, trying to keep his cool. Roland's business, a thriving firefighter-themed car detailing service, had done well enough to afford him this extravagant retreat. The room was filled with the scent of burning sage and candles flickered on the shelves, casting a warm, seductive glow over the gleaming marble surfaces. The walls were lined with mirrors, reflecting every curve and bulge of their bodies as they moved. Tim felt a strange sense of vulnerability as he realized that every part of him would be on display, and that thought only served to make his cock swell slightly.

Roland stepped closer, his hand resting lightly on Tim's shoulder. "You know, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for you," he murmured, his breath hot against Tim's neck. Tim's heart skipped a beat. Was this going to be more than just a professional meeting? Roland's touch was firm but gentle, sending shivers down his spine. Tim felt his own cock begin to respond, thickening and lengthening despite his apprehension.

But as Roland began to stroke him, something strange happened. Tim's cock, felt tight.
"What's wrong, Timy?" Roland asked, his voice filled with concern. Tim looked down to find that his once proud 19 cm member had shrunken to a mere shadow of its former self. Roland's own cock, on the other hand, seemed to be growing before his eyes. It stretched out, thick and veiny, reaching out to claim what was once Tim's.

"What the fuck?" Tim managed to croak out, his eyes wide with shock and horror. Roland chuckled, a dark glint in his eye. "I told you I had a surprise for you tonight. It seems like you're going to be experiencing something new, something... enlightening." Tim felt his cock shrink even more as Roland's grew larger, filling his hand completely.

With a sudden jolt, Roland shoved Tim onto the massage table, his new, massive cock standing at full attention. "You're going to take this," Roland growled, his voice deeper, more commanding than Tim had ever heard it before. "You're going to take it all, and you're going to love it." Tim struggled, his muscular frame now feeling weak and inadequate against Roland's overwhelming size and strength.
Roland grabbed Tim's legs, pushing them apart and exposing his now tiny, wrinkled hole. "Don't worry," he said, his tone soothing despite the situation. "You're going to love being my little bottom bitch." Tim's heart raced as Roland positioned himself, the tip of his monstrous cock nudging at Tim's entrance. He felt a strange mix of fear and excitement as Roland pushed in, the sensation of being filled overwhelming him.

Tim's eyes rolled back in his head as Roland began to thrust, his fat cock stretching Tim's hole wider and wider. "You're so tight," Roland murmured, his strokes becoming more and more forceful. "But I'll loosen you up, don't you worry." Tim could only whimper in response, his body no longer his own as Roland claimed him, inch by glorious inch.

"Look at you," Roland said, his voice a low growl, "you're not even close to the man you were when you walked in here. You're just a little slut now, aren't you?" Tim's muscles, once so defined and strong, felt like they were melting away as Roland fucked him. His youthful good looks began to fade, his skin taking on a more weathered, used quality. His cock, once the center of his confidence, was now a pitiful little nub, all his vitality and virility seemingly transferred to Roland's monstrous member.

"You're mine now," Roland whispered, his breath hot and ragged. "My little bitch. And you're going to do everything I say." Tim nodded, unable to form words as Roland's cock pounded into him, stealing his very essence with every stroke.

But the transformation wasn't just in Tim; Roland was changing too. His body grew more muscular, his skin tightening and becoming more youthful. His cock, already massive, swelled even more, reaching lengths that seemed impossible. The veins stood out, pulsing with power as he claimed Tim's body, each inch of new growth a testament to his dominance.

Tim watched in the mirror, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe. Roland's face had lost its softness, becoming more chiseled and handsome. His hair thickened and darkened, the bald spot retreating. His beard grew into a full, lush mane that framed his face, making him look like the Greek god he had always aspired to be. His eyes, once hidden behind small glasses, now gleamed with a fiery intensity that made Tim's knees tremble.

As Roland fucked him harder, Tim felt the last of his youth being drawn into that cock, leaving him a withered, hollow shell. Yet, his body responded in ways it never had before, his prostate aching for the pounding it was receiving. He realized with a start that he was enjoying this, his body betraying him as it begged for more.

The spa room filled with the sounds of wet flesh slapping together, of grunts and moans. Roland's handsome face twisted in pleasure, his newfound vitality making him more attractive than ever. Tim couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy, his own youthful visage now replaced by the lines and sags of middle age. Yet, as Roland's cock grew even larger, filling him to the brim, Tim felt a strange sense of satisfaction, a perverse pride in serving his new master.

The power dynamics had shifted dramatically, and Tim knew he was forever changed. His body now craved this dominance, this complete surrender. He was no longer the confident top he had been, but a submissive, eager to please his new alpha.

Roland leaned in, his breath hot on Tim's neck, "You're going to be my little slut, aren't you?" Tim nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, sir," he replied, feeling a strange comfort in the words.

Roland grinned, his teeth gleaming in the soft light of the spa. "Good boy," he murmured, his grip on Tim's legs tightening. "You're going to love this." Tim braced himself as Roland began to piston in and out of him, the pleasure building into something unbearable.

The former firefighter's cock grew even larger, filling Tim completely, stretching him to his limits. Tim's eyes rolled back in his head as he gave himself over to the feeling, his body no longer his own. Roland had taken everything from him, but in that moment, all Tim could do was revel in the sensation of being used, of being filled so completely by his neighbor's now massive cock.

The pain was exquisite, the pleasure unbearable, as Roland claimed him over and over again. Tim's once-muscular body now trembled with every thrust, his strength gone, replaced by a newfound need to be taken, to be used. The spa room spun around him, the smells of oils and candles mixing with the scent of sweat and sex.

The door to the private spa suite opened, and in walked two other men from the spa, drawn by the sounds of passion and the sight of the transformation unfolding before them. They were both in their late twenties, one with a chiseled jaw and piercing blue eyes, the other with a mop of dark hair and a smirk that spoke of his own conquests. They took in the sight of Roland, now the epitome of masculine beauty, and Tim, now a mere shadow of his former self, his cock shriveled and his ass reddened from the relentless pounding.

"Look at this pathetic excuse for a man," the blond-haired man said, pointing at Tim. "He's lost it all to that beast." The dark-haired man chuckled, stroking his own still-respectable cock as he watched Roland's thick member slide in and out of Tim's now-loose hole. "It's like he's being fucked by a horse," he commented, the humor in his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

Tim felt his cheeks burn with humiliation as the men whispered and laughed about his new body, his once-proud cock now a mere memory. He was nothing but a vessel for Roland's pleasure, a living embodiment of what happens when one man's power is transferred to another. He wanted to scream, to protest, but all that came out was a series of high-pitched whimpers that only served to egg the two men on.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Roland taunted, pulling out of Tim and turning him over to face the mirror. Tim looked at his reflection, his eyes wide with shock and despair. The man looking back at him was unrecognizable, a hollowed-out version of the confident man he had been mere minutes ago. His body was now a caricature of age and weakness, his cock a sad, limp excuse for what it had been. Roland leaned in close, his newfound youthfulness and virility a stark contrast to Tim's decay. "You like what you see?"

Tim nodded, unable to find the words to express his disgust and arousal. The two men by the door had moved closer now, their cocks hardening as they watched Roland's power grow and Tim's fade away. They whispered to each other, their eyes never leaving the scene before them. Tim knew what they were thinking; he could see it in their lustful gazes. They wanted a piece of the action, to be the ones to dominate him, to feel the power of taking what wasn't theirs.

Roland leaned down, his beard brushing against Tim's ear. "You're going to be everyone's little fuck toy, aren't you?" Tim whimpered, feeling his body betray him once more as his shrunken cock began to harden slightly at the thought. "Yes, sir," he murmured, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

The blond man stepped forward, a wicked grin on his face. "Mind if we join?" he asked Roland, his hand already reaching out to stroke Tim's flabby belly. Tim felt a thrill of terror and excitement run through him. He was about to become the plaything of not one, but three men, all of them eager to use his new, inferior body for their own pleasure.

Roland chuckled, his cock still rock-hard despite having just fucked Tim senseless. "Be my guest," he said, gesturing to the massage table. "Just remember, he's mine." The two men stepped closer, their eyes hungry as they looked Tim over, already planning their next move. Tim could do nothing but lay there, his body a canvas for their desires, his soul forever bound to the man who had taken everything from him.

The blond-haired man, Adrian, took the lead, stroking Tim's flabby belly with a sense of disgust and excitement. "Look at this pathetic mess," he sneered, his voice echoing through the spa. "It's like someone took all the good stuff and left us with this... this... nothing!" His blue eyes sparkled with malice as he leaned in closer, his cock now fully erect.

The dark-haired man, Jared, couldn't resist chiming in. "I bet he used to think he was hot shit," he said with a snicker. "Now look at him. He's nothing but a walking cum dumpster." Tim's heart sank further into his chest as he felt their hands on his body, exploring his newfound weakness. The humiliation was almost too much to bear, but he found himself getting harder at the thought of being used by them.

The two newcomers looked over at Roland, who had moved to the side to watch the show, his cock still standing tall and proud. "How does it feel, knowing you're not even the biggest dick in the room anymore?" Jared taunted Tim, his fingers playing with the soft flesh of Tim's now tiny cock. Roland smirked, his grip on Tim's chin tightening as he forced their eyes to meet.

"It feels...right," Tim whispered, the truth of his new existence dawning on him. He was a mere shell of his former self, living to serve the men around him. And as much as he hated it, as much as he wished it wasn't true, there was a twisted part of him that craved it. Roland leaned in and kissed him, a possessive gesture that sent shivers down Tim's spine. "You're going to love this, baby," he whispered before releasing him to the eager hands of the other two men.

Adrian and Jared didn't waste any time, each taking a side of the massage table. Tim felt their cocks pressing against his thighs, their excitement palpable. He knew what they wanted, and as much as he hated himself for it, he wanted it too. The room grew hazy as they took turns fucking him, his body now a mere playground for their pleasure. The pain was unbearable, but so was the pleasure, a cruel mix of emotions that left Tim feeling more alive than he ever had.

As they used him, the men described his new body in detail, their words a knife twisting in his soul. "Look at those tits," one would say, squeezing his now-feminine breasts. "He's got the ass of a 50-year-old woman," another would add, slapping his now-flabby cheeks. Tim's mind reeled, trying to piece together what had happened to him, but it was no use. He was theirs now, a living doll to be played with and discarded when they were done.

Their words cut deeper than any knife, each insult a reminder of his new place in the world. But amidst the pain and the humiliation, Tim felt a strange thrill, a sense of belonging. He was no longer the top of the food chain, no longer the one in control. He was just a toy, a thing to be used and abused. And in that moment, as Adrian and Jared emptied themselves into him, he realized that this was where he truly belonged.

The men pulled out, their cocks glistening with cum and sweat. Tim's body was a mess, his dignity in tatters. Roland stepped forward, a proud look in his eyes. "Congratulations," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're officially the spa's resident slut. Welcome to your new life, Tim."

Tim looked up at Roland, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and arousal. He hated this new world, this twisted reality where his body was no longer his own. But as Roland offered him a hand to help him up, he took it, knowing that this was just the beginning. He was now the inferior superior, and he had no choice but to embrace it.

[thefcguy]

Miraculous Main Character Ranking

Just like how I ranked the designs of superheroes for Miraculous Ladybug... now, I will be ranking the characters as a whole. Although design will be a small factor in some of this cases... it mostly has to do with the characters themselves this time. How enjoyable I think they are based on the show, its writting, the circumstances they have been put through, their purposes and, most importantly, my personal opinion.

Also, although i will be ranking this characters, I would like to say, before you guys read the ranking, that I don't actually hate any character here.

They are mostly victims of bad writting from Thomas Astruc, his team, and their lack of understanding on how teams interact with each other, and what interactions are okay and others not.

That's why I feel sympathy towards all of them. But, I understand if you don't.

These are characters from a show made for kid. Please, be respectful with my opinions, and I will be respectful with yours.

Also, if you are either a Marinette , Adrien, Felix or Chloe stan... please, don't look at my ranking, okay?

So, with nothing else to add... Let's begin!

(I hope I don't get destroyed for my opinions).

21- Socqueline Wang

... Can someone please explain me WHY she exists?

Socqueline is one of the characters that miraculous introduces later on for a specific reason, and then doesn't get used later.

However, out of all of these characters... Socqueline is the worst.

Although the idea of Marinette having a friend before Alya, but then moved away/got transferred is interesting, but they add her on SEASON 5!

She and Marinette were supposedly best buddies, and Socqueline was always there to "protect her from the irredeemable monster Chloe bwahhaaa", and yet, she doesn't visit Marinette ONCE in a period of 4 seasons?! Not a photo, not a mention... anything.

The worst part is how they try to make us fans believe that "she has always been here", like in episodes such as "Perfection" when she is added to the group of Kagami's friends.

But, besides "Jubilation" and even worse "Derision" her character has no purpose or impact to the story.

Marinette already has a group of female friends (Alya, Rose, Juleka, Mylene, Alix, Kagami, Zoe, and probably Sabrina on season 6) with badly developed relationships. Do we need one more girl on this mess?

I UNDERSTAND that she is supposed to be a reference to PV!Marinette, that Bridgette was just a name we, the fandom, gave her, and it was supposed to be fan-service, but... the way they made it makes no sense.

Socqueline could have been deleted from season 5 and it wouldn't have changed a thing.

A famous miraculous brazillian youtuber actually had an idea for the purpose the Socqueline could have had in season 5.

His idea (which I also enjoy) is that she, instead of Alya, should have been the one to use Tikki in the "Kwami's Choice" special.

Hawk Moth had already found out that she wasn't Ladybug in "Jubilation", she had no previous connections to Ladybug, and had the desire to be a hero.

This way, hero's choice could also expand on her as a character, explain why she hasn't spoken to Marinette in so long, her own fears and wished for the future...

And maybe... just MAYBE getting a crush on Kitty Noir as the new Ladybug, and, meeting Zoe later after losing the earrings, and getting attracted to her due to reasons she can't explain.

But no, she has the charisma and the importance of a cardboard. I am 75% sure that she will be forgotten in Season 6, and might be "replaced" by Sublime. Who knows.

As for her design... I feel like they did a good job in showing that Socqueline is PV!Marinete, while also making her unique enough in a way.

20- Felix Fathom

Although Socqueline is the most pointless... Felix is the worst character, definetely.

On his first episode, he lies, steals his cousin's phone, tries to ruin his friendship, tries to force Ladybug into kissing him, tries to make a deal with Hawkmoth, and steal's Gabriel's wedding ring... not a good start, right?

The episode's explanation, according to what some character's say, is that he is going through a rough phase because he hasn't been processing his father's death well, and that without his father's authority, he has been "out of control".

This will be important further on.

On his second episode, he is obsessed with finding Hawk Moth's identity, seeing it as a way to get what he wants. Then, again, he gives a wicked smile after he feels like he is winning.

On his third appearence, he uses Gabriel's wedding ring to CONTROL his cousin to agree with his plan, pretends to be Adrien, gets the Dog Miraculous, and uses it to give all the miraculous on the box to Gabriel...

Then, Season 5 arrives, and Felix erases the population of Earth, becomes an almost yandere for Kagami, and becomes a "good boy" because he is just misunderstood and Kagami's love fixed him. There is also the plot of his activism for Sentimonsters...

Do I need to explain myself on why I hate this character?

From the moment he appeared on screen, he has done nothing but caused chaos. And his cause of helping sentimonsters? Pretty hypocrite, considering how he controlled Adrien in "Risk", and tried to ruin his friendships in "Felix".

He is not a confused anti-hero with a noble cause in need of guidence... he is straight up a resentful villain who is unleashing his frustrations on others.

And all the chaos he caused is suddenly forgiven because of his redemption and his abusive father?

Also... where does this Abusive father came from? His debut implied that Colt's death was what bittered Felix's heart. And that he was the one to keep Felix in control.

It either means that the crew thinks that Colt's abusive behavior was good because it keep Felix in line, or that they came up with that last moment to give him a redemption.

I will be going with the latter, because, oh GOSH, the writers put all their effort into redeeming Felix this season.

This boy over here has committed crimes and the show pet him on the head. Meanwhile, school bullies get sent to live with their abusive parent.

His design is great. He is supposed to look just like Adrien, and he clearly looks more formal.

19- Lila Rossi

Lila is... a lot like Felix, actually. She is bitter, manipulative, and always want to have the upper hand.

However, unlike Felix, that the show refuses to portray as a villain, the show actually knows that Lila is bad.

Still... they literally had no idea of what to do with her and went of the rails with her "arc".

When 'Volpina" aired, Lila was just a liar who wanted popularity and came up with the weirdest stories possible to make herself look better.

The class was infatuated by her, which, made sense considering she was new and all.

Then, the whole Ladybug fiasco happened and she became Volpina. Then, on the end of the episode, the writers hinted at Lila returning eventually and becoming a bigger threat...

And she disappears... for a whole season to be precise.

I remember how the fandom was excited to see Lila in action on season 2. Since many were expecting Chloe to be redeemed (since we had no idea how the Queen bee arc would play like), many started to assume that Lila would be the one causing akumas this season.

Which, would have been interesting! We were so used to the formula of Chloe bullying other until they turned into supervillains, that it would be interesting seeing how Lila would operate.

But, she disappeared and only returned when she was needed on Heroes Day.

Then, season 3 arrived, and boy, things got bad quickly.

The class still adores her (to an unnatural degree, tbh), she gets away with all of her stunts, ruins Marinette's reputation, gets Kagami akumatized and makes a deal with Gabriel.

Lila's plot armor this season is WILD. She brags about everything she does, there is proof that she was a part of Heroes Day instead of travelling as she stated (the illusion, and, even if people assumed there was another akuma with this power, considering the event was televisioned, she must have appeared at least one), and she, a teenage girl, impresses Hawk Moth to the point of him wanting her as an ally...

And she never faces the consequences of her actions. Except Onichan.

Then, after all the chaos she caused in season 3... she is benched on season 4, only to return with an even stronger plot armor in the season finale.

Alya somehow believes on her, even is she knows Ladybug's identity and who the real best friend is; and Lila managed to make an alliance with Chloe. WITH CHLOE.

Chloe, the girl who couldn't stand Marinette or Kagami 5 centimeters near Adrien. This Chloe, who probably saw Lila flirting with Adrien already at least once, makes an alliance with her.

The explanation? Chloe can't remember Lila from how "irrevalant" she is.

... do you guys get what I am saying? She has insane levels of plot armor!

Season 5 is when the writers literally gave up on keeping her consistent.

Now, she is an unstable girl cutting photos with Marinette's face, getting Kagami (one of the few people that disliked her) on her side, puts a teenage girl on the position of a mayor, and, am I forgetting something... oh yeah! She is literally crazy, may not even be a teenage girl, and has multiple identities and mothers...

This character makes no sense, her escalation into a supervillain comes out of nowhere, and, the moments we EXPECT her to be a villain, she isn't, and only appears way later.

Considering how much the plot protects her, I don't doubt that it will take at least 6 more seasons to defeat her.

Lila's design in general is okay with the exception of the hair... what's up with her hair? Like, she has 3 "ponytails". Does anyone actually use this hair and I just don't know it?

18- Chloe Bourgeois

Behold, the most incosistent character on this whole show.

I like to say that "Chloe" is not a character. It's a title giving to many identical looking characters that swap places depending on what the plot explains.

The First Chloe is season 1 Chloe, who is your typical mean girl. She bullies other students, is superficial... but, she is mostly a harmless thing. She is just mean, and the akumas all go after her on the end of the episode.

The Second Chloe is the Chloe of episode "Malekdiktator". This Chloe is a sensitive and fragile. She just feels lonely and purposeless.

The Third Chloe is the sassy anti-hero Chloe. She helps Ladybug and Chat Noir as Queen Bee, and can act kindly from time to time. But, she will still be occasionally mean and insult your clothing.

The Fourth Chloe is season 4 Chloe, who is like the first Chloe, but instead of having some depth and realism to her... she is now just pure evil. She trapped Sabrina in her closet and treats Andre like a slave.

The Fifth Chloe is season 5!Chloe, who is a heartless monster that becomes a dictator as soon as she can, becomes Hawk Moth's ally, and incriminates others to get her way.

The writing keeps changing Chloe to what they need her to be. There is no progressive transition or any signs of an arc.

She is a plot point which the writers will never let go.

As for her design... it's pretty iconic, not gonna lie.

17- Kagami Tsurugi

Man, it hurts me putting Kagami this low on the list... but the writers ruined her character.

When Kagami was introduced, she wasn't much different from the majority of the secondary cast.

All we knew is that she came from a strict family and that she was a perfectionist. She is very hard on herself, and wants to make her mother proud.

But as time progressed, the show showed how fierce and determined she could be and that even people like Lila and Chloe could get in the way of the things she wanted (Sadly, most of the time, her goal is Adrien, not a prizer or anything).

Then, Ikari Gozen happened, and we finally saw a new side of Kagami. How lonely she felt, how awkward she could be out of her comfort zone, and that, although she had her issues with Marinette, she wanted to have her as a friend.

On Season 4, she stays mostly the same, although, I feel even more sympathy towards her because Adrien was such a bad boyfriend to her.

(Seriously, Adrien dating Kagami while still having feelings for Ladybug, and Marinette dating Luka while still having feeling for Adrien was a mess that the show never acknowledged).

Season 5, however... things go downhill for her.

Before, she used to be one of the few people to not fall for Lila's, due to her intelligence and strategic thinking. But, now, she is one of Lila's MAIN puppets for the season.

But the worst is probably the relationship with Felix.

Kagami, GIRL, that boy gave the most powerful artifacts in the universe to a Terrorist. He erased human life from the face of the planet. It's not because he saved you from his mother that it makes him a good person deep down!

Man, Kagami was such a confident queen in the past, who knew who to trust... and they turned her into this mess during season 5.

If I was to rank Season 3-4 Kagami, she would be way higher on the list.

But Feligami destroyed her reputation.

I have a few issues with her design. The hair looks weird, and... the damn uniform. A lot of people comment on how her uniform is because of japanese steryotypes and I hate it.

16- Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Okay, before starting my explanation, I would like to disclaim a few things first.

Marinette as character, seems to be constantly having a hard time.

She has the most powerful miraculous, Chat Noir indeed doesn't treat things as seriously as he should, she becomes the guardian way younger than she should, and she has to carry a lot of weight for a girl her age.

Just like we saw in Steven from Steven Universe, this kind of responsibility indeed can lead to an unstable mental health.

And there is also the fact that Marinette only acts the way she does, because Miraculous a whole isn't good at executing ideas.

BUT, even with all of this... it is still very hard to defend her actions.

At season 1, at least, she was mostly just a fangirl. She didn't have the healthies behavior around Adrien, but, she still had salvation. And let's not forget that she was punished (at least, to some degree) by the narrative when she did something wrong (like in "Bubbler", when Tikki reprehends the way she used the Lucky Charm to stop Chloe from kissing Adrien, or when her reckless behavior as Ladybug led to Lila's akumatization on "Volpina).

Season 2 Marinette starts to do some questionable things, like leading Luka on, and keeping Chat Noir in the dark about the Guardian. Although, to be fair, she only kept secrets from Chat Noir because of Fu. She should have insisted more, but, it's not the worst she has done.

Then, on Season 3, Marinette goes off the rails. We have Animaestro, where she joins forces with Chloe to break Kagami, and Adrien, becomes overly paranoid with the Lila situation to the point of being obsessive with proving she is a liar. There is the Wax museum scene...

Season 4 Marinette is where I am torn about. In one hand, yes, she leaves the 4 kids she was supposed to be babysitting with her grandfather to be with Adrien, keeps a lot of info from Chat Noir, makes a whole plan to invade a party at Adrien's house, gives Adrien a miraculous although it already failed, and her whole relationship with Luka.

But, on the other hand... the girl is having the worst time of her life. She is guarding a bunch of small gods as a teenage girl, can't trust anyone, has no mentor to help her figure things out or to vent too, and needs to keep "Chat Blanc" a secret so that Chat Noir doesn't get akumatized. And Hawk Moth fixed the Peacock and he is a more dangerous threat (well, in-universe, that is).

And there was some logic as to why she chose "Adrien" to wield the Dog in "Strikeback". He had no mark, she was under Risk's influence and so on... (the part where she says that Flaimidable is an official part of the team pisses me off, though, cause, Miss Hound debuted AN EPISODE BEFORE).

Season 5 is where her mental health is finally at the bottom, and, combined with the fact she seems to be going back and forth of who she wants to be with (Adrien, Chat Noir and Luka in a way), she does a lot of bad decisions.

However, there is a limit to how many things a bad mental health can excuse. She kind of manipulated Chat Noir's feelings to get him to kiss her.

However, to be honest, if Astruc learned his lesson on how he can't write Marinette like a Stalker and overly jealous girlfriend, and tried to improve her portrayal on the next seasons, I could TRY to forgive her...

But then, Sublimation came.

Even after all the fans complaints, the forced backstory in Derision to try to justify her behavior, and the promise of starting a new arc... Marinette ends up breaking a girl's prosthetic leg because of Adrien.

In the end, even if I can see the archetype they were going for when creating Marinette, girl, I can't defend you and your jealousy!

Seriously, some of the things you did probably can be considered crimes.

(If I am forgetting something, please comment on the post. I don't have energy to search ALL the questionable things Marinette did on the show).

Her design isn't bad, but... the pigtails are childish, and the outfit looks like a simple pajama. Since she is a fashion designer, I expected something more.

15- Nino Lahiffe

Man, Nino... what have the writers done to you?

Nino on season 1 was Adrien's best friend who tried to teach him how to relax and have fun.

He was this chill guy who dated Alya and spoke a lot of "dude". He was never the most profound character, but, he was quite sweet.

On season 2, during "Anansi", Nino shows how much he care for Alya and gets the turtle miraculous.

Then, he becomes basically irrelevant in season 3. It felt like the writers have no idea of what to do with him anymore.

Probably because, since Adrien has less runtime than Marinette, Nino get's basically zero focus, since the show only cares for him as Adrien's best friend and Alya's boyfriend.

If this wasn't bad enough on its own already,at season 4, Nino gets turned into a toxic boyfriend, revealing him and Rena Rouge's identity in a moment of rage.

Then, at season 5, he starts the whole idea of the resistance... and his plans are... questionable to say the least.

I honestly feel bad for Nino. The writers don't seem to care for him for who he is, and all of his arcs are dependant on other characters.

The show doesn't show his own inner struggles, ambitions, or his home life. Which makes him very shallow.

I know that Astruc once commented that Nino has an older brother who has disappeared and gave him the hat before going missing, and that's why Nino was sad when Chamaleon stole it.

But, they never done anything with it in the show which makes Nino's character empty.

I wish the show had treated him better, but man, "Rocketear" and "Illusion" really damaged his image.

Nino's design is solid. I think it shows his chill personality well.

14- Adrien Agreste

Just like with Marinette, I would like to disclaim a few things.

I know Adrien has a complex home life. I know that all the sheltering from his parents made him a bit socially awkward. I know that Chat Noir is the only way he can truly be himself. AND I KNOW THE SENTIMONSTER PLOT KEPT HIM FROM HAVING AN INTEREST ARC.

Season 1 Adrien is... pretty wishy-washy. Although he is "nice" and he cares for his friends... he doesn't do much. A lot of that has to do with the fact Gabriel barely lets him out of the Manor, but, it doesn't excuse things such as him being friends with Chloe, even after she bullies not only Marinette, but Juleka, Mylene, Rose, Kim, and, honestly, everyone at the class.

As Chat Noir... he is a good enough hero. Cataclysm here was still useful, and he had his moments. Although his recklessness caused a lot of problems for Ladybug from time to time, and he didn't learn anything with it.

And let's not forget that he lied he was dating Ladybug just so Theo wouldn't flirt with her. Some people headcanon this as him protecting Ladybug (who he though was a minor) from an adult.

But let's be fair, Theo is probably their age in-universe, and Chat just did it out of jealousy. Which, was a bit of a dick move, but, not the worst thing he pulled out.

On season 2 he started to get a bit annoying. As Adrien, he keeps finding ways of defending Chloe, and "lecturing" how people shouldn't be happy with her leaving which... I understand he feels bad about his first friend leaving Paris, but, he can't explain the rest of the class should feel bad about it.

Chloe has been straight up BULLYING AND TORTURING the class for years, and everyone there had a right to be happy.

As Chat Noir, his jealousy becomes a problem with his character. Yes, Ladybug isn't exactly a great partner all the time, but he could try to remain professional instead of pouting.

Season 3 cements Adrien's character as a bland cardboard. Sorry, but his way of dealing with Lila wasn't good either. Like, if Lila's lies was harmless, I would understand the "high road idea", but she was straight up taking advantage of everyone. Lila's situation could have ended badly if they didn't take any action.

He does seem to change his stance on her a bit during "Onichan" and "Ladybug", but, it only affects the plot on season 5.

Then, season 4 happens, and boy, it isn't good for his image.

First, his whole relationship with Kagami is a mess. He CLEARLY has feelings for Ladybug while he is dating her. Like, he considers causing an akumatization on lies just because he is bored and wants to see her.

The scene with the yellow rose meant nothing on the special if Adrien would pull up a stunt like that on the second episode of the season.

As Chat Noir, he becomes so whiny this season. Like yeah, I understand Ladybug could put more trust on him, but, at this point, he should expect some secrets.

Season 5, surprisingly, is when Adrien's character actually gets a bit interesting.

Now that he is crushing on Marinette, and not Ladybug, we see him taking initiative as Adrien instead of Chat Noir. Which actually gives him a bit of development and depth...

Sadly, what holds him back is the sentimonster plot.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir this season is pretty ignored and forgotten by the plot. So, nothing to say about him.

Summing up my thoughts about Adrien: it's not his fault the way he is, but, most of the time, he whines or throws jealous tantrums.

Adrien's design is not bad, but... it's plain. It isn't that fashionable for the son of a designer, and it doesn't show his personality either.

13- Marc Anciel

You might be wondering why Marc is on the half of the list of characters that I don't like... and it's because I don't like him, sorry.

Like, Reverser was an interesting episode. The akuma was creative, and, since Marc was a writer, it was a way for the fanfic writers fan to relate to him...

HOWEVER, Marc suffers from an issue. It isn't new to us that the miraculous writers are not the best in characterization, and sometimes, many characters can feel the same.

Marc feels like he is just a more friendly version with Nathaniel. And whenever he appears, he is WITH Nathaniel. And they act like a hivemind.

This makes Marc feels less like a character and more like an extension of Nathaniel.

He doesn't feel original, and the fact that he only has a prominent role in 3 episodes (one of which is Gabriel Agreste, where his role was a mess), doesn't make him any more interesting.

And the fact that he is a part of Mendeleeive's class doesn't help at all, considering everyone there barely has cameos, and I doubt the show's team sees the majoirty of them as actual characters.

Then, in Penalteam, someway somehow, even with how little emphasis he had through the show, he got a miraculous...

Seriously, the writers made Chloe evil only so that there was a spare miraculous for Marc? When Zoe could have gotten the rooster?

(I usually only keep Marc as the rooster holder in my AUs cause 1, I like the design, and 2, he is the only confirmed writer on the teen cast).

There is also the fact that Marc was inspired by a person that was allegedly friends with Astruc, and that Astruc allegedly treated badly. This kind of sours the character even more to me.

And last, but not least... I don't like the design. It isn't the outfit, I just think that his face and his hair don't mix well.

It's mostly due to the hair, I think, because I love the combo of his bone structure with his Rooster Bold hair.

I personally like @maddascanbe-blog 's take on marc, because they adjust the face shape and the hair to make a better combo.

But, before moving on to the next character, I would like to state that I don't judge anyone who likes Marc as a character.

Again, he is a character who writes, and the miraculous fandom is known for its large amount of fanfiction and rewrites. He is a shy character that is also slightly geeky.

I understand why people like Marc, @artzychic27 has a lot of stories expanding on the character and creating a bunch of interesting headcanons in the process.

It's just that the character doesn't work for me.

Still, I think he deserved better.

12- Kim Ature

Kim is a character that angers me a lot.

And not because of Derision. Far from it, actually.

Kim, from the start, had questionable behaviors that he could have learned from and improved. But, the show kinds of ignores his past mistakes.

He is very insensitive with the feelings of his friends, like how we saw in Stoneheart, where he is literally mocking Ivan, a boy that clearly has low self-stem, because he can't confess his feelings.

And "Timebreaker" reveals that he is known for pressuring his friends into dares that no one seems to enjoy. Reason why Alix dares him into a race to see if she can stop him.

He is not a jerk, nor a bully, but, he clearly lacks emotional intelligence.

Does the show does anything interesting with it? No, it doesn't. We never see him apologizing to Ivan, or trying to empathize with his classmates.

He doesn't have any arc and it's sad.

He is only higher on the list, because there are moments where Kim is actually enjoyable. And because I know he isn't a bad person.

Just wish the show actually tried to give him something.

His design fits him perfectly, and I can't imagine him any other way.

11- Alya Cesaire

I feel like the fandom has a weird view on Alya.

Most of the complaints I see is when people call her a bad friend and things like this.

However, I don't exactly see Alya as a bad friend. Her believing Lila is mostly due to bad writing. and, although she can be a bit pushy when it comes to Marinette's love life... literally the entire cast (but Zoe, as shown in Kwami's Choice) is.

My main problem with Alya is that she is not what the show tries to portray her as.

We are told that Alya is more of a serious reporter, or even a detective in the majority of cases.

But... she mostly seems like a fangirl, an amateur gossip reporter, or an influencer.

She is either after Ladybug's identity to post on her blog to get more views, making videos such as rankings, or taking unecessary risks to get some answers.

I know she is a teenager, and there aren't many teenagers in the real world who actually do serious investigative work, but, the problem is that the show tries to portray her in a more serious light.

But, besides helping Marinette with the Miracle Book in season 4, we don't see her doing anything else. We don't see her interrogating akuma victims to find a pattern, or trying to find Hawk Moth's identity with an investigative board... nothing.

If they embraced the more gossipy side, I think that she would be more interesting, but, since they don't, Alya ends up as just an annoying character to me.

Alya's design for me it's good. It's hard for me to imagine her any other way.

10- Ivan Bruel

From this point onwards, is where I start to find the characters interesting or even liking them.

Ivan, as a character, it's pretty interesting. He is sweet, insecure, has no friends, and, still, he seems to care so much about all his friends.

He is aware of his strengh, and, because of that, is afraid of hurting others.

Besides, he is such a cute boyfriend to Mylene, and is always trying to support her.

Astruc also confirmed that he has a hard home life, which, could lead to interesting episodes.

What holds him back is the lack of focus that he is given.

Besides Stoneheart, Horrificator, a bit of Mega Leech, and Penalteam, he doesn't do much, and just stands on the background.

He had the potential of being a fan favorite... but, the plot forgets his existence most of the time.

His design is simple, but, I kind of like it.

9- Mylene Harprele

Mylene, as a character, is interesting as well. I think that it's interesting how much she struggles with her fears, mostly because I struggle with mine as well.

And still, she manages to be an activist and fights for what she believes.

Sadly, she doesn't have much more going with her character.

Besides her sweetness, emphaty and insecurities, the show doesn't explore more about her.

They do have the plot of her interest in acting but... I think that her activism plot is more interesting.

Not that she can't be both, but, since we already have an actress on the main cast (Zoe), I think that they shouldn't overlap.

The web series 'Miraculous Secrets' on YouTube commented on Mylene wants to be a politician someday, and, I think that, if the show focused more on that, Mylene could get way more interesting.

Imagine if, instead of Marinette, Mylene was Class President? She would be forced to face her fears, doubts and Chloe to do so. It could be a great arc for her.

But, no, she only gets one or two uncreative episodes that try to teach about environmental awareness but fail badly.

And, although the fact that her mother left was only added to tarnish Chloe's image even more, they could have used it to explain where her phobias came from, and have an episode where she faces her traumas.

But no. The show just treats her as the "hippie girl" of the class.

As for her design, I don't have any complaints. I heard people talk about how her hair is cultural appropriation, but, since I am a white boy, I have no idea if it is or not.

If any black person would like to comment on the matter, I would gladly hear it.

8- Rose Lavillant

Rose, in general, is an interesting character.

Although she is very sweet and innocent, she is also very strong and dedicated.

And, even is she doesn't have many episodes where she has a prominent role, her minutes on the spotlight are very well utilized.

Either be her usual comments on the Love Square, her trying to cheer her friends up, and "Guilltrip" as a whole.

But, there is one BIG problem with her character... the "Toxic Positivity" she is always trying to force onto the other characters and the viewers.

As someone who grew up with Spongebob, and still uses toxic positivity nowadays as a copying mechanism... kids shouldn't be taught that. It isn't healthy.

And the show doesn't acknowledge that at any moment.

As for the design, I think it fits Rose perfectly. It matches how joyful and bubbly she is.

7- Luka Couffaine

Luka is a pretty chill guy. He usually is the group's therapist due to usually being the one with most experience and thoughtful.

Growing up without a father, and with Anarka being chaotic, he had to learn to be responsible and help himself and Juleka.

He is great at music and uses it to express himself and understand the world around him...

He is also very romantic, and know how to flirt.

He seems like the perfect Love Interest... which ends up making him a bit of an uninteresting character.

I understand why the fandom loves him, because, well, he is "perfect". But, that doesn't leave much room for him to grow.

We rarely saw Luka's inner conflicts or his struggles through the seasons.

Viperion, from his debut, is already great with his miraculous, and he never fails.

The times his powers fail is due to someone else's actions.

Season 5 brought an interesting arc for him. He found out about Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities, and, therefore, can't get akumatized. Because, if he does, Monarch wins.

But, after Migration, he is sent to Brazil and only returns at the season finale...

As for his design... I mean, it's okay. It kind of matches the character... BUT, I would like to comment on something.

During the big season 1 and 2 hiatus, where the fandom survived with the fan comics and the crumbs of information... some people created designs for Luka.

I don't know the artist because I only saw the comic on youtube, but, there was a design of him which he had a more circular face shape like Juleka, red highlights instead of cyan, and a more timid, but still playful behavior that was PERFECT!

Although Canon Luka is sufficient at his job... this fan comic Luka was so cool!

It's a shame I never found the artist...

All in all, I like Luka, but, he could have been more interesting.

6- Nathaniel Kurtzberg

Although I don't like Nathaniel as much as the fandom does, I do think he is interesting.

He is an art kid who enjoys fancomics and fanfiction. Pretty relatable in my opinion.

My main problem with Nathaniel is that the crew sometimes exagerrate with his sass.

Instead of being charismatically sassy (like Pearl on SU, for example), he feels more whiny from time to time.

Like, sometimes it can be a pain to see him in scream complaining or throwing a tantrum.

Still, he is not the worst character on the show.

As for his design... I don't like red on him. Like, we already have so many characters on red, like Marinette after she transforms, Marc, Kagami, Kim...

It's just a bit too much. After finding out he is actually a brunette, i was fully convinced they should have chosen another color for him.

Especially cause, although I love Caprikid's design, and it fits Nathaniel perfectly... the red doesn't look good.

Imagine him being Brunette with really dark hair as a civillian, and his turning black with white streaks after he transforms?

All in all, even if Nathaniel can be enjoyable in canon, he can also be a pain in the ass (and his behavior in "Reverser" was unacceptable).

5- Juleka Couffaine

Juleka is a character that I really like... mostly because of the Brazillian Dub.

In most countries, she is a character that jsut mumbles, and, most of the times I see the official accounts commenting on what she is trying to say... it's usually creepy. Like how people suggested that she once said that "Marinette should kidnap Kagami".

However, instead of just mumbling, Juleka actually speaks in Brazillian. Most of her lines are probably not what Astruc in mind, but, it makes her more interesting.

Brazillian!Juleka is, a lot of the times, a reluctant voice of reason. Like, in one episode, she suggested that Marinette should SPEAK with Kagami about her feelings for Adrien. Instead of any crazy plan.

Besides, I think that Juleka's arc is pretty interesting. She had to learn how to express herself, and stop people from stepping on her.

Although Crocoduel ended up being more about Lukanette's break up than Juleka, it shows us new sides of the character.

It shows how Juleka feels unfavored in comparison to Luka (specially by Jagged), how she doesn't want to disappoint her friends... and how she just want her parents to make peace and stop fighting.

It's a shame that the miraculous magically solved her self-stem, though, instead of being something more procedual.

Also, I hate how the tiger's power was basically the same as the cat, when the entire fandom wanted invisibility.

Still, Juleka had an arc on the show... which is more than I can say about the rest of the cast.

And, the design combines perfectly with her.

4- Max Kante

Max is miraculous best boy, and, no, you won't change my mind.

Max is pretty much the steryotype of the geeky nerd. He is great at math and objectivity, he is great at science, and can be a bit socially awkard from time to time.

Although he doesn't have an overarching story across the series, his hero choice was the one who made most sense in context. Unlike the other heroes who were mostly chosen due to being friends with Ladybug or Chat Noir and being related to the akuma, Max actually helped the heroes on the episode.

His relationship with his mother is also very cute, especially considering how badly Parent and children relationships are written in the show. It reminds me a bit about mine with my mother (although my relationship with my mother can be a bit more complex due to some reasons XD).

My biggest disappointment towards him, however, is that he was given the horse, and not the, I don't know, the RABBIT!

Like, out of all kids in class, he is the one who would probably understand about time travel. Imagine if he was the one safe watching the timeline?

I like to imagine Rabbit!Max as a Professor Paradox from Ben 10, of sorts, who appears only when necessary and knows what to do to keep the events on the rails.

It makes more sense for him to have this role than Alix. At least, in my opinion.

Besides, imagine episodes focused on Max learning how to deal with time annomalies inside of Burrow. Like a Rabbit!Max spin-off! Let me dream, guys, please.

As for his design, it is adorable. I love the suspenders.

I do have my complaints about his character, like, the circumstances for his two akumatizations are pretty... meh and two basic, and his friendship with Kim is too underutilized and explored by the show.

3- Alix Kudbel

Alix is such a fun character to watch. She is competitive, and has a bit of a short fuse, but, at the same time, she is also the one who tends to be the most reasonable on her friends' group.

She is sassy, but on the right measure, and has her moments of vulnerability. And, even if her relationship with her father isn't frequently shown, I think it's interesting that, even is she tends to be a bit rebellious... he supports her and trusts her.

My main problem with her is the choice of her miraculous...

Alix has always been a character that is straight to the point. She is brave, direct and confrontational... and they gave her a miraculous that forces her to be on the sidelines...

In my opinion, she should have been given either the Snake, the Tiger, the Ox, the Bee or the dog.

Due to her position as Bunnix, she doesn't appear as much as she should.

(Although, like with Max, maybe some episodes focused on her adventures inside of burrow could also solve this issue).

Her design is also very cool. It's pretty rebellious and sporty. Although, I don't like the shade of pink in her hair... like, it just doesn't clash well.

I also would like to thank my friend @natedogx15 , by making Alix a main character in his rewrite, he showed me how good Alix could actually be.

2- Zoe Lee

Okay, this character grew a lot in me as I rewatched season 4 and 5 (also the fact that the other characters got worse and worse in my eyes).

Although Zoe is usually seen as just Chloe's half-sister who became the next Queen Bee, she is much more than that.

She is a girl from an abusive family, who felt powerless on her own house, and lost herself in an attempt to fit in a world where she thought she had to belong...

Only to find out that she could be herself, because she would eventually find a place where people would like her for who she is.

I am making a bunch of analysis on Zoe's character, but, to sum it up, she isn't a bad character. It's just that the show hates her.

I would also recommend @nerdy-chocomallow analysis on her. It will surely help you guys have a new vision on her.

1- Sabrina Raincomprix

I am aware that this opinion is very unpopular among the fandom, and I kind of understand it.

She was Chloe's servant from seasons 1 to 4, and, even if she was treated badly... she still helped Chloe into torturing the rest of the class without visible remorse, only to suddenly few guilt in Season 5 and turn her back on Chloe and Lila...

But, just like the majority of Sabrina fans, I like Sabrina for 1, how much i relate to her, and 2, for all the headcanons that I created with her unused potential.

The old webseries commented on how, with the exception of Adrien, Sabrina has the best grades of the class.

You might ask yourself "What about Max?". I like to imagine that, although he is a prodigy at math and science... he isn't as good with subjective subjects. Like poetry.

As for Sabrina, I headcanon her as for being a jack of all trades. She isn't a master at science or Math like Max, but passionate and dedicated enough to get the top grades.

I also like to imagine Sabrina writes poems. She can't vent her feelings with words, so she does it via poems.

Also, as Penalteam shows, she loves soccer. I imagine she is a fan of sports in general, and uses them as a way to relieve stress.

Why she is so dedicated in general? Maybe it's a way to try to get her busy father's attention. Maybe it's so that she can fill the voide she feels due to her loneliness.

Sadly speaking, that's what those headcanons are. Headcanons.

If you guys want more Sabrina headcanons like this, i recommend @sabrina-central to get more info.

It's a shame that canon Sabrina didn't get more explored. Although I never had a toxic friendship on this level, I know the feeling of feeling alone, and that you will never find friends outside your current group. I know how it is to have a lot to say, but unable of externalizing it.

As for her design... I just think that the shorts are ugly. Like, the shade of cyan they chose doesn't fit the character at all.

Anyway, that was my ranking. If you disagree with me... I understand. Miraculous as whole doesn't have good writting, especially when it comes to the characters.

And I understand people excusing or defending a character because they can relate to them.

I just think it's important for us to be critical so we can learn from the mistakes the characters make.

[haggishlyhagging]

The more women are paid, the less eager they are to marry. A 1982 study of three thousand singles found that women earning high incomes are almost twice as likely to want to remain unwed as women earning low incomes. "What is going to happen to marriage and childbearing in a society where women really have equality?" Princeton demographer Charles Westoff wondered in the Wall Street Journal in 1986. "The more economically independent women are, the less attractive marriage becomes."

Men in the '80s, on the other hand, were a little more anxious to marry than the press accounts let on. Single men far outnumbered women in dating services, matchmaking clubs, and the personals columns, all of which enjoyed explosive growth in the decade. In the mid-80s, video dating services were complaining of a three-to-one male-to-female sex ratio in their membership rolls. In fact, it had become common practice for dating services to admit single women at heavily reduced rates, even free memberships, in hopes of remedying the imbalance.

Personal ads were similarly lopsided. In an analysis of 1,200 ads in 1988, sociologist Theresa Montini found that most were placed by thirty-five-year-old heterosexual men and the vast majority "wanted a long-term relationship." Dating service directors reported that the majority of men they counseled were seeking spouses, not dates. When Great Expectations, the nation's largest dating service, surveyed its members in 1988, it found that 93 percent of the men wanted, within one year, to have either "a commitment with one person" or marriage. Only 7 percent of the men said they were seeking "lots of dates with different people." Asked to describe "what concerns you the day after you had sex with a new partner," only 9 percent of the men checked "Was I good?" while 42 percent said they were wondering whether it could lead to a "committed relationship."

These men had good cause to pursue nuptials; if there's one pattern that psychological studies have established, it's that the institution of marriage has an overwhelmingly salutary effect on men's mental health. "Being married," the prominent government demographer Paul Glick once estimated, "is about twice as advantageous to men as to women in terms of continued survival." Or, as family sociologist Jessie Bernard wrote in 1972:

“There are few findings more consistent, less equivocal, [and] more convincing, than the sometimes spectacular and always impressive superiority on almost every index—demographic, psychological, or social—of married over never-married men. Despite all the jokes about marriage in which men indulge, all the complaints they lodge against it, it is one of the greatest boons of their sex.”

Bernard's observation still applies. As Ronald C. Kessler, who tracks changes in men's mental health at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, says: "All this business about how hard it is to be a single woman doesn't make much sense when you look at what's really going on. It's single men who have the worst of it. When men marry, their mental health massively increases."

The mental health data, chronicled in dozens of studies that have looked at marital differences in the last forty years, are consistent and overwhelming: The suicide rate of single men is twice as high as that of married men. Single men suffer from nearly twice as many severe neurotic symptoms and are far more susceptible to nervous breakdowns, depression, even nightmares. And despite the all-American image of the carefree single cowboy, in reality bachelors are far more likely to be morose, passive, and phobic than married men.

When contrasted with single women, unwed men fared no better in mental health studies. Single men suffer from twice as many mental health impairments as single women; they are more depressed, more passive, more likely to experience nervous breakdowns and all the designated symptoms of psychological distress—from fainting to insomnia. In one study, one third of the single men scored high for severe neurotic symptoms; only 4 percent of the single women did.

-Susan Faludi, Backlash: the Undeclared War Against American Women

[scotianostra]

On October 29th 1879 a service of consecration was held at the newly completed St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh.

At the “glorious” revolution in 1688, the Scottish bishops and supporting clergy were ejected as non-Jurors because they refused to swear an oath to William of Orange, choosing instead to support the supplanted King James; so the established church in Scotland was handed over to Presbyterian governance. St Giles in consequence became once more the “High Kirk” of Edinburgh. The ejected Episcopalians, because of their Jacobite leanings, became subject to severe penal laws until 1792. After this they were free, largely to develop as they could. Gradually their obscure meeting houses gave place to churches, but for many poverty-stricken years there were no cathedrals in the seven dioceses of Scotland. In particular, in the Diocese of Edinburgh other churches were used as the “pro-Cathedral” until St Mary’s was completed in 1879, it took five years to build.

Barbara and Mary Walker left the whole of their property to the Episcopal Church in Scotland, thus enabling the building of a Cathedral which was to be dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, and also setting up trustees to endow the Cathedral and to set up grants in aid of other church work.

An architectural competition was arranged. Amid controversy, including accusations of plagiarism and favouritism from six competing designs, three from Scottish, three from English architects. That of the English Sir George Gilbert Scott was chosen with plans submitted under the clever anonymous motto, “Auld Lang Syne”. The foundation stone was laid on 21st May 1874 by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, and the building consecrated on 30th October 1879. The cost was £110,000, but rising wages forbad the completion of the Chapter House and western spires. The former was added in 1890 at a cost of £5,000, the latter by church people in memory of the founders during 1913-17 at a cost of £13,200.

The style of Scott’s design for the Cathedral was inspired by the early Gothic churches and abbeys of Scotland. He gave it as large a floor space as the site would allow and made the massive central tower and spire and the twin western spires such prominent features that they may be seen from miles away. The enormous weight of the central tower is carried on four main pillars and spread through diagonal arches into buttresses in the outer walls, leaving unusually open views inside.

Whereas you can see the spires of St Mary’s from any elevated position in Edinburgh, the close confines of the New Town means it is hardly visible from surrounding streets, except the wide vistas of Melville street, which is a shame, I think it is not visited as much as other City attractions, it is well worth a visit, and if you are after an early start on a tour of Edinburgh the Cathedral opens its doors at 7.30 each morning, it can be eerily quiet at that time and I would say is the best chance to grab pics without other tourists around getting in your shots. If you have a good camera with plenty of zoom, you can get a good pic of the spires from Edinburgh Castle, as seen from the last pic.

My highlight inside is the modern stained-glass windows by Eduardo Paolozzi, “inventor” of the Pop art movement.

[hoe4sports]

The receipt

Alexia Putellas ft Mapi Leon x Reader

A/N: I’m discovering a new found obsession with Alexia.

Triggers: nothing, google translate Spanish.

You were casually placing up the newest curtains that you had got in earlier that morning. It was so peaceful to work in an interior design store especially during the morning shifts. You got to spend time walking around touching soft materials, looking at new bedsheet covers and blankets. You got to talk to so many new kind people within one day. It was the perfect job for you.It was Monday morning, and the awaited new items had come in a bit late. You were struggling with the big boxes being everywhere in the litte shop, but regardless you loved seeing what things were in trend and what had just arrived.

A hand suddenly tapped your shoulder leaving you terrified as you were busy daydreaming about what my future appartment was gonna look like. You turned around and it was the sweetest old man. “Good morning, is there anything I could do to assist you today?” You said as you smiled while climbing down from the little latter you had been using to hang the curtains.

“Good morning Miss, actually yes, my wife is celebrating her 90th birthday this week and I want to get her something special.” The old man replied as he smiled. You nodded and looked around you for inspiration. “Is there anything you had in mind or do you want some help?” You said as you smiled knowing exactly what you wanted to recommend to him. “I could really use some help, she has so many things!” He exclaimed as he zipped his jacket down. The store was always very hot, so you definitely understood him. “I have the perfect idea! What about a robe? We have multiple kinds. We have thicker materials, silk, cotton or even have linen.” You said as you walked towards the bathroom department of the store where we had the robes. I pulled out the rack of robes and showed him the colors. “Wow” he said as he touched them. “She likes pink and she is a cold person” he said as he furrowed his brows into a thinking position. “Perhaps this pink one thats double layered, then” you said as you pulled it out of the rack. “That will do!” He said as he smiled widely clearly satisfied with himself. “Does she like good smells, soaps, towels?” You asked as the man nodded rapidly. “I suggest this pink soap bottle with a rosy smell, this complementing room spray and this matching towel” you said as you put them together to portray what they would look like. The old man nodded as he smiled widely. “Ring me up Miss!” he insisted as you made you way to the desk. You rang him up, he paid and you wrapped the gift in a cute giftbox adding a variety of ribbons and a tag. You did your very best to make the gift look special and the older man was visibly pleased. “Here, for your wife sir!” You said as you handed him the beautifully wrapped box. The man thanked you multiple times and told me how he was always happy to shop with you because of your very thoughtful customer service. You thanked him and waved him goodbye as he walked out.

This was the part of your job that you loved. You loved seeing customers get just what they want, have their visions come to life and be pleased to find something they have looked for. You walked over to the pile of boxes and pulled out some candle holders in crystal. They were something that every rich hausfrau would need. You kept unpacking the latest news and got to the bedding section. There were tons of new styles coming in synch with the season changing from winter to spring. You grabbed the higher latter from the back and climbed up to place the bedding. The bedding was heavy and you were juggling them back and forth between places to find the perfect spot for the new arrival.

“Hola, Do you work here yes?” A voice said behind you as it tapped my hip. You turned around and there was a woman standing next to the latter looking up at me. She was quite attractive, and you felt slightly embarrassed by the fact that your ass was in the same height of as head since you were up on the latter. You jumped down, and smiled. “Good morning mrs, is there anything I can do to help you this morning?” You said as a put down the items I had tried to place before getting interrupted. Her friend came around the isle and she had funny a look on her face. “Si bonita, yo necesito una..” she was stopped by a smack in the back of her head. “Tonto! Tienes que hablar Inglés!” the other woman exclaimed. “Dios mío! Cállate por favor!” the attractive woman said back. You smiled knowing that you could speak perfectly Spanish as your step father was Spanish. He had been brought into your life as a toddler and he insisted in spaking Spanish with you claiming that it would help your learning abilities. “Sorry, yes, I need some clothes for the bed.” She said in a clearly Spanish accent. You giggled “Clothes for the bed?Sheets? You need sheets?” You said as she blushed.

“Dios mío! Estupido de mierda. Nos estás avergonzando a los dos delante de la cura.” the woman said as she shook her head. You giggled again as you started walking. “Follow me please”. You came to the baskets with sheets and you looked at the pair. The blonde woman was still red and the brown haired woman looked like she was gonna piss herself laughing. “Cotton or satin, what do you prefer?” You asked as you touched the sheets in front of you. The blonde woman’s eyes widened. You smiled and explained.

“Cotton is cheaper. It stretches but I also gets wrinkly. Satin is more expensive, more silky but it dosent pill and it dosent wrinkle. Both have the fitted sheet look.” You said as a reached out for one of each for her to touch. She touched the sheets and looked confused. “What is your preference?” She asked. “Oh, I use the satin ones! They feeling cooling on the skin and they are way more durable than the cotton ones.” You said as she nodded. “I’ll take the satin then” she said as she winked. Did she just flirt with me? You shook the thought of quickly. “Now, what color do you prefer? We have navy, black, grey, white and cream” you said as you pointed to the different types. “Dios mio! Realmente necesito encontrar una novia.” the brunette said as she playfully slapped the blonde’s toned bicep.

“The navy and black sheets dosent work well with blonde hair or fur. The white or cream sheets dosent work if you have a partner with black hair or black pet fur.” You said as you smiled while you were silently hoping that there was no partner. “I’ll go with crème then, no partner.” she said as she smiled shyly and looked at your blonde hair. You were doing everything you could to not blush.

You beeped the sheet and looked at her. “It’s 49 punds. Are you a member?” You asked as you were focusing on the screen in front of me. She shook her head. “Do you wanna be a member? I would just need your phone number.” You said as you smiled hoping you could sign her up as a member because it would mean that you got extra bonuses. “Si, dale tu numero!” the brunette whispered and nudged her. “Yes, +34 914 36 38 40, you can write my name as Alexia Putellas.” she said and you happily obliged. “Quieres una bolsa para ello o lo tomas como estás?” You smirked as the blonde blushed and the brunette bend down hysterically laughing. “Ella puede entender español, mierda estúpida” she wheezed out. “I’ll take a bag.” The blonde muttered while looking down at the bank terminal. She paid for it and you handed her the sheet in a bag with the recite. “Thank you, and goodbye!” You said as the pair started walking out. You got back into working on bedding placement when after a while, a hand tapped my knee. Jesus, you thought to yourself, not one moment to finish the wall. “Good morning, how ca-“ you stopped as you saw the blonde woman again handing you a reciet. “You dropped it.” She said as she disappeared out of the store. You opened the receipt to see who had lost it so you could keep it if they came back. The recite had pen marks on it and when you looked closer it was a message.

“If you ever want coffee, +34 914 36 38 40.

-Alexia “

[i-drop-level-one-loot]

Hey love, I got a question; are you down for goblins? Specifically a yandere horde of goblins? 😳

I'm not not down for it...

(I'm sorry, I'm sure I know what kind of goblin horde you meant, buuuut I started writing and couldn't stop 🥲)

CW: Entrapment, obsessive behavior, ecological polyandry/polygyny with a GN!reader, both male and female goblins, forced parental responsibilities, platonic yandere, not proofread

Madame Gilly burst into the backroom, nearly startling (Reader) into swallowing the pins they were holding in their lips. "(Reader)! Awful, amazing, terrible, fantastic news!"

(Reader) smiled nervously, sticking the pins in their cushion. "What is it, Madame?" Their boss was fabulously dramatic as always, fanning herself with a decorated envelope.

"Oh, nothing.. just a summons for one Mx. (Reader) from the Count's daughter."

"What for?"

"How should I know? I didn't read your letter!" She handed over the letter while sighing loudly. "Yet, it's so beautifully decorated.. such a shame! Another marriage proposal, ignored!" She pretended to become faint, placing her knuckles on her forehead.

(Reader) chuckled, opening the bright purple envelope with lavender tied in a ribbon. Their eyes widened, an excited gasp escaped as their legs failed them and they fell back onto their stool.

"What is it?!"

"It's.." a shocked blush dusted their cheeks, "it's a request for my services! She wants a dress for an upcoming party!"

Madame Gilly squealed, bouncing up and grabbing her protege. "Oh, that's even better than a proposal! I'm so proud of you!"

It would be roughly three days ride by carriage, packed with smaller fabrics for color swatches and texture explanation, multiple dresses (Reader) had already made with mannequins to display them, and (Reader's) portfolio of designs.

Marcus, a local man who often rode Madame Gilly around for a small fee, offered up his services, just as excited for (Reader) as the Madame. "So, this is your lucky break, huh?" He offered a hand to the young employee. "Finally gonna start considering opening your own shop."

(Reader) smiled, stepping into the carriage without Marcus' assistance. "I've never been interested in business, Marcus, you know this. I just want to make clothes."

"You should also seriously begin considering marriage.."

"My work is my legacy, Marcus." (Reader) spoke sharply with a tight smile, shutting down the conversation. They had received many marriage proposals from eligible bachelors and bachelorettes since they became of age, but didn't take an interest in any of them. Of course, (Reader) found people attractive in the past, but never felt emotionally invested in anyone to marry them, and they certainly didn't need to marry for money or connections. The thought of having children one day was also something (Reader) had seriously debated, because although the fantasy of having a child was wonderful, the process of having a baby was intimidating. Whether through being impregnated or impregnating someone else, the baby stage was much more terrifying than the raising of a child, for reasons they couldn't quite explain. The anxiety was just too much to handle.

But (Reader) didn't feel like life was passing them by, nor did they have regrets, if they ever got married then their future spouse would wait for them, no matter how many years it took to meet them.

Marcus closed the door, and (Reader) deflated, thankful that he took the hint and ended the conversation.

The change between the road and the dirt path could be felt and it made (Reader) almost wish that they had worn a dress instead of pants, just for the added cushion on their rear end.

The first day went smoothly, and boringly, (Reader) had nothing to do but think, and the night was uncomfortable, even cocooned in their blanket. But it was the next day that everything went wrong. (Reader) never saw what happened, but suddenly the carriage careened off the path and tumbled down a cliff, crashing through the woods of the mountain side.

(Reader's) entire body became airborne in the carriage, slamming their head into the ceiling, barely giving them enough time to protect their neck with their arms before being thrown like a ragdoll, not feeling any immediate pain due to the rush of adrenaline. It happened so quickly, their balled up body bouncing five times against the walls and roof before landing bottom up on the escarpment.

Out of the shattered window, (Reader) saw Marcus lying motionlessly in a tree a good distance from the carriage. They pulled their body right side up, slowly becoming aware of the stinging pain across their body. Especially their leg. Blood soaked through their right pant leg, and (Reader) couldn't bend it. It was only the second day of their journey, so it would take two days until the Duke realized something was wrong, that the journey was taking too long, and sent out a search party, which would take a day to get to the road they fell off of. Would they even notice the tire marks? And if they did, would they risk the people to search for them?

(Reader) sighed, closing their eyes. There was no point in dwelling on what ifs. (Reader) was resigned to their fate.

"I wonder what will happen first.. Starving to death, or being eaten by a wild animal." They chuckled humorlessly. With nothing to do but wait for the inevitable (Reader) fell asleep, but that was possibly a concussion.

"There's something in there."

"A dead something."

Little voices whispered outside the wreckage, rousing (Reader) from their brain injured slumber. Eyes watched them from the broken window of the door, hiding themselves from view.

"I won't bite." (Reader) offered a smile, hoping whoever was watching them wouldn't be frightened off.

A childish gasp escaped, as one of the spies scampered off. "I thought you said it was dead!" It hollered into the woods.

The child left shuffled their feet in the leaves, debating. "You promise you won't?"

"I promise."

A tiny little thing dressed in rags popped her chubby cheeked head into view, large pointy ears almost drooping under their own weight stuck out from black hair pulled back into a ponytail, her hair framed a green skinned face, making it obvious that the little girl was a goblin. She rung the front of her oversized shirt with her hands nervously.

"Hello." (Reader) cocked their head to the side in a mock bow, back and head in too much pain to attempt an actual greeting. The smile on their lips didn't leave.

"Hello.." The child mumbled in a timid way, copying (Reader's) head tilt.

"My name is (Reader). May I ask for your name?" (Reader) spoke in a low voice to appear as kind and non threatening as possible.

She took a small step forward, entering the little window without needing to duck. "My name is Vix Ix, but my brother calls me Beetle Hands."

"Why does he call you that?"

"Because I'm the best beetle catcher. At least, in my tribe." Vix Ix sat down cross legged just out of (Reader's) reach. Her large eyes wandered over (Reader's) form, mesmerized by their clothing. "What are you doing down here?"

"I had an accident. I was traveling to go meet with a potential client. I make clothes." (Reader) added that last part, seeing how the little girl's eyes sparkled while staring at the intricate needlework on their vest.

"Did you make that?" Vix Ix pointed a finger curiously at the top.

"Yes, I did. Would you like to see more of my work?" The tiny child nodded excitedly. The reaction was very human, and very adorable. "Everything may have.. scattered in the fall. But there should be a chest with a black lock, and a worn painting of a dove above it's latch. If you can find that", (Reader) fished through their pocket for a key and held it out to Vix Ix, "you can see a few of the dresses I brought for my client to look at."

Vix Ix grabbed the key, forgetting to be frightened. She ran back out of the wreckage, and (Reader) laughed, enjoying being able to bring wonder to a child in what (Reader) thought was their final moments.

They had heard so many rumors about goblins, so many stories, ranging from awful tales of mindless gnome sized trolls that murdered anything that breathed, to intelligent little creatures unfairly exterminated because of their annoying love of tricks and pranks. Sunlight glinted off of the broken shards of glass, reflecting into (Reader's) eye. How long had I been asleep? From their spot in the trees, they couldn't tell if it was midday or sunset.

Twigs snapped as the goblinette ran at full speed back to (Reader), out of breath and clutching a sparkly purple dress with butterflies embroidered at the hem line. "You made this?!"

"Hahaha! Yes I did. Do you like it?"

She was practically on the verge of tears. "It's beautiful! Is your client a princess?" Her voice was full of awe.

"The daughter of a Duke." The child waddled over, tripping on the bundle of dress in her arms, and sat much closer to (Reader) than she had earlier.

"It's so pretty!" Green fingers rubbed the fabric lovingly.

An idea came to (Reader) as they saw the joy in Vix Ix's face as she gripped the dress tightly. "You know.. I also had my sewing kit with me. If you can find that, I can trim up this dress for you."

Eyes wide with shock, her ears bounced like she had just been slapped, and asked in horror "You would cut up this dress?!"

Surprised, (Reader) felt their heart melt a little. "My leg is broken." Vix Ix looked down, and seemed startled by the blood. "I don't think there's any way the Duke's men are going to find me. So, I would have to cut off a lot of this dress to fit you, but I'd rather it be worn, then rot away in a trunk."

Tears began to drip down the little kid's cheeks, puffed up in an attempt to stop herself from crying. "I'll go find your sewing kit." She ran back out, sniffling loudly.

The moon rose high into the sky, and Hog Nose, a scrawny little boy who had an upturned button nose unlike any of the goblins in his tribe, held his ears as he was reprimanded by one of the tribe's strongest. Their tribe was small, and unusual. Decades ago their family began from a group of defectors, mostly women escaping their own tribes, wanting to create a community where they could flourish. Despite never attacking humans or causing mischief they suffered many casualties at the hands of adventurers, slaughtering them before they had the chance to explain themselves, forcing them to defend themselves. This left their family broken and impoverished. But they never gave in to "their nature" by stealing from travelers, an attempt to prove that goblins are not born evil.

"And you left Beetle Hands alone, possibly with a human?" Keegraul loudly asked incredulously.

Hog Nose whimpered, afraid of being punished and fearful for his sister. Keegraul grabbed a large dagger, almost a short sword in the young child's hands.

"She still isn't back yet, so lead the way."

The woods were dangerous at night, not only because of wild animals like mountain lions, but because of monsters that had slowly been migrating closer towards the goblins' home. Hog Nose shook as he led Keegraul through the trees, worried to find his sister hurt, or worse.

But what they found instead was that sound of laughter, emanating from a broken carriage connected to a dead horse with another corpse stuck in a tree nearby. Confused, Hog Nose ran to pile of broken wood, rushing past Keegraul who tried to stop him, knife ready for a fight.

"Beetle Hands!" He called out, not knowing what to expect, but surprised by what he found. His sister, wearing human clothing, with an injured human still fixing the bottom of the skirt.

"Hog Nose? What are you doing here?" She seemed genuinely confused, having had so much fun with her new human friend that she hadn't realized the time, standing in the dim light of (Reader's) lamp.

"I'm here to save you?"

Keegraul poked his head in after Hog Nose, curious as to the commotion. That's when the scarred man who had fought many battles with many adventurers, who never once met a human who treated him or his kin as equals, made eye contact with an exhausted person, pale from blood loss, fighting through their pain and fatigue, to make a dress for a little goblin girl. At least, that's what it looked like.

"What's going on here?" Keegraul meant to ask, but it came out as more of a demand.

Worried that they had offended him, (Reader) held up their hands. But Vix Ix beamed up at him, her large toothy grin radiating childish wonder. "(Reader's) making me a princess!"

"Oh, are they?" Keegraul released the tension he had been holding. The air smelled like blood, and at first he thought it was from the human's dead companions outside, but their broken leg was hard to miss. "It looks like they're dying."

Vix Ix ceased her bouncing, turning a terrified eye to (Reader). "Are you dying?"

(Reader) sent a quick glare to the adult goblin before shifting back to their comforting smile. "My leg just hurts, sweetheart. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Not if you don't get that taken care of." The goblin retorted, stepping closer and bending down to get a better look. He let out a noise of frustration. "I can't see anything but blood with these pants on."

Rough hands with broken nails peeled (Reader's) pants off, pausing whenever they sucked on their teeth in pain. The bone right beneath their knee was protruding from from it's flesh.

"That's a nasty break all right."

"Can you fix it?" The little boy goblin asked, still shaking from earlier, but now cradling his blade like a doll.

Delirious from exhaustion, (Reader) turned their smile to him. "What's your name?"

"Craak, or Hog Nose."

They could feel themselves about to pass out. "Hognose? That's my favorite snake. Cutest little snake I've ever seen.." Keegraul tightened their torn pants around their thigh, waking them up with the shooting pain.

(Reader) hissed, incapable of audibly screaming. "We should take you back to the hole, so that we can get that leg fixed up."

Vix Ix stood tall, arms straight in the air, with a determined look on her face. "You can lean on me!"

Keegraul sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'll find you a large stick for a crutch, and you can lean on my head for support." Vix Ix followed him, arguing about who got to support (Reader) on their journey, while Hog Nose stood shyly, still watching (Reader) with a small grin. "Did you mean that?"

(Reader) felt feverish, and couldn't focus their eyes. "Of course. You mean.. the snakes right? Never seen a cuter snake." Their breathing was labored, pausing between words awkwardly.

There was an odd blue tint forming on his baby cheeks, but it dissipated with the arrival of his little sister. "WE FOUND A STICK!"

The goblins all stared at the human receiving medical attention, gobsmacked. Everyone was incredibly interested in seeing who was special enough to be brought home by Keegraul. Especially the children, who were entranced by the dress (Reader) fixed up for Beetle Hands.

"Are you a princess?" A young girl asked, practically glowing.

"Haha no."

"Oh. Are you a prince?"

"Alright! Everyone go to bed!" Keegraul shooed the goblins back to the sleeping room. They all went back except a woman and Vix Ix. The lady seemed embarrassed, hiding herself by crossing her arms.

"You made this?"

"Yes. I have more dresses and fabric in the woods."

Her eyebrows were knit in what looked to be anger. "Why did you make a dress for Beetle Hands?"

"I just tailored it for her. Because she thought it was pretty."

"Yeah, but why?"

(Reader) smiled, understanding that the goblins must be suspicious of them. "Doesn't she look pretty?"

Vix Ix spun around, bumping into the other goblin. "I do!"

Her face softened. "You really think she's pretty?"

"Of course?" The goblin turned blue, like Hog Nose had earlier, and shuffled away.

(Reader) would later learn that her name was Reassa, and she warmed up to (Reader) quickly as they recuperated. In fact, all of the goblin tribe were incredibly welcoming to (Reader) to the family. They helped (Reader) between rooms, and generally fawned over them. As thanks for saving their life, (Reader) worked on reworking the dresses and fabrics the goblins found near the crash site into outfits for everyone. But as (Reader) got better, the goblins became more nervous.

"Are you thinking of leaving?" Keegraul wrung his hat in his hands, big sad eyes staring at (Reader) pleadingly.

"I'm sure my boss thinks I'm dead. It would be good to return home, and contact Marcus' family about his fate. But worry not, I won't tell anyone about you or the tribe." (Reader) smiled, practicing standing on their healing leg.

"That's not why I ask." (Reader) cocked their head, confused. "We trust you- I trust you. I know you wouldn't betray us. We- we'll just miss you."

Vix Ix popped out from behind a stack of boxes, knocking (Reader) to the ground, sobbing. "You're not leaving!"

Keegraul's heart broke. "Beetle -"

"No! Ti aim kahl, pen! (Reader's) not leaving!"

Reassa listened from outside the hole, along with three other women. They didn't understand. Didn't they make their love for (Reader) obvious enough? The flowers they would weave into crowns for them, the poems they world write for them..

One of the younger women started crying, head in her hands, choking on her sobs. Something dark grew in Reassa's chest, a feeling she often tried to force away, to prove to the world that they were wrong about goblins. A darkness, a possessiveness. "Maybe we should keep (Reader) here."

"We can't keep them against their will. They aren't a prisoner."

Reassa punched the entrance to their hollow, clenching her jaw tightly. "I love them."

"So do we.. but, what can we do?"

Hog Nose dropped a basket of vegetables. He had returned earlier than the other children. "Did you just say (Reader) is leaving?"

"Hog Nose! I'm so sorry, when did you get here?"

"I don't want them to leave!"

"I know, baby, but there's nothing-"

Hog Nose pulled out his dagger from it's sheath, rubbing his thumb across the beautiful golden vest (Reader) had made him as he did so. "(Reader) never learned our language."

"What?"

"What if the woods are too dangerous for them to go home? Because of the kahn piers?" The women all stopped, internally debating whether or not they could betray their fore mothers like this, lie to keep a human for themselves. But the decision was made for them, as Hog Nose slashed open his arm with the blade.

Inside the hole, (Reader) heard the women scream, and quickly wrestled Vix Ix to her feet so (Reader) could hobble to the opening. Reassa carried Hog Nose in her arms, a bloody mess, with a guilty expression on her face.

"What happened?" Keegraul demanded, watching as (Reader) pulled the little boy out of Reassa's arms to inspect the damage.

"He was attacked!" She collapsed, tearing at Keegraul's shirt.

"By what?!"

She swallowed hard, eyes flickering to (Reader), the motion only noticed by Keegraul and Vix Ix.

"Kahn piers."

Keegraul's eyes widened, realizing immediately what they had planned without discussing with him or the other men. "What kind of idiot-"

"What's a kahn pier?"

Vix Ix looked at her brother, witnessing him quickly shut the eye he was peaking out of. "Kahn piers are the most vile, evil creatures in these woods!" She cried out, grabbing onto her brother dramatically. "Hog Nose is lucky to be alive!"

Shame ripped through Keegraul's spirit, but seeing (Reader) shake with fear, imagining them doting on the children, caring for an the adults, watching them leave.

Wouldn't it be wonderful? Having (Reader) there to brighten their little home, loving the young ones as their own pen? Almost like a real spouse?

Even the way they clung onto Hog Nose's bloodied body, too broken up to notice that all his wounds were only surface deep.

Keegraul knew that everyone would play along, no one would tell (Reader) the truth. Everyone loved them so much, it was almost disturbing.

"Call everyone back home. The woods aren't safe."

[linkablewritingadvice]

How much should it cost to be a writer?

It depends what route you’re taking. If you are planning to go for traditional publishing, which looks like you finishing a manuscript and then querying agents who will then take your book to publishers, you should be paying for basically nothing. One exception would be if you decide to hire an editor to get a pass over your manuscript and/or query package before sending it off, but this is not required.

If you are in the process of trying to get your manuscript traditionally published, you may be approached by a “publisher” offering to publish your manuscript for a fee. THIS IS A SCAM! An author should never be paying for “publishing services.” Anyone asking you to pay for your own printing, marketing, etc. costs is taking advantage of you. These are called vanity publishers and they will not turn you a profit, help you attract readers, or provide you the prestige of being published. 

Always check on Writer Beware - search for the name of the person or company. You can also just google that name along with the word “scam” or “reviews.” In general, don’t let yourself be blinded by dreams, or let yourself be convinced that something is a good idea because you really want it to be true. Never, ever, ever pay a publisher.

If you are going the self-publishing route, you will be paying for certain things, but none of those should be payment to be published. You are the publisher. Uploading your manuscript to Amazon or other marketplaces is free. However, you will be paying for things that a publisher typically pays for. This could include:

-Cover art - you could do this yourself, though this isn't recommended. A good cover is key to a book's success, so budget to purchase a pre-made book cover, or hire a professional cover artist.

To find pre-made book covers, you can just Google "premade book covers," or check one of these sites: BookCoverZone RockingBookCovers Beetiful

And here's a list of places to buy both custom and pre-made cover designs that's a good start. You can also check Reedsy and Etsy for people listing cover design services. If there is a self-pubbed author whose covers you love, try asking them what artist they use.

-Formatting - you could do this yourself using a formatting program like Atticus, or you could hire someone who does professional e-book formatting.

Here's an article on the turbo-DIY route. Here's a list of formatting programs you can use. To hire someone, you can simply search for book formatting services or look at places where people list such services for hire, like Reedsy, Fiverr, or certain Reddit boards.

-Ad campaigns - you may want to pay for ad campaigns on platforms like Meta or Amazon. More niche, author-specific platforms like BookBub, Book Funnel, or Book Sirens also come with certain costs. 

-Author services - you may wish to hire an expert in things like marketing, blurb copy, social media metrics, newsletter management, etc. You can find information on that here.

Be aware that scam publishers might try to pitch themselves as "author services" - you should be paying someone to help you with specific aspects of your self publishing work, NOT paying to be published.

-Software and platforms - whether it's a subscription to Duotrope, a paid Scribophile account, access to pro Canva features, etc. you may decide to pay for tools that you will use to do your work well.

-Expert advice - some people offer courses, books, or other resources on how to do specific things like write a compelling blurb or run an effective ad campaign. You may notice that a lot of the links I shared here will include upsells from people doing exactly this!

Be very cautious about this, as most of these people claim that they make tons of money on their self published books, but really, they make their money selling this stuff to people like you. Always check out a person’s free resources first, and wait to invest in this sort of thing until you have a specific question you need answered or are trying to do a very particular thing that you need granular guidance on. 

One thing you should NOT pay for is a review, feature, or interview. Self-published authors will be approached by a lot of scammers who claim that, for a nominal fee, they will share information about your book to their huge audiences. These are completely useless and a waste of money. Never spend money on this.

Always keep track of what you are spending on all of this. You may be able to deduct it from taxes you pay on your income from writing, and you will want to really understand what your profit margins look like.

[greatworldwar2]

• Fokker D.XXI Fighter

The Fokker D.XXI fighter was designed in 1935 by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker in response to requirements laid out by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL). The D.XXI was designed as an inexpensive, rugged, and compact fighter aircraft that would possess respectable performance for its era.

On November 14th, 1934, design proposals for a new fighter aircraft were submitted by Fokker to the Luchtvaartafdeling (Dutch Army Aviation Group). Fokker's design team, led by Erich Schatzki, and based at the firm's newly completed plant in the southern district of Amsterdam, had sought to incorporate and combine various new concepts and recent features from successful fighter aircraft, including the previous C.X and D.XVII aircraft. The proposed aircraft was a low-wing monoplane which adopted an entirely enclosed cockpit; initial design work had been conducted in cooperation with British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, and it had been originally envisaged that the type would be powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel IV. Projections of the aircraft's performance included a maximum speed of 420 km/h at an altitude of 4,350 meters, a range of 888 km, and an altitude ceiling of 10,000 meters. The planned armament included rifle-calibre machine guns or 20mm cannons, which were to be embedded into the wings and fuselage.

In early 1935, the Luchtvaartafdeling signed a contract for a single prototype of the proposed fighter to be constructed for an evaluation to be performed by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. This prototype, designated FD-322, which was powered by a single Bristol Mercury VI-S radial engine which drove a three-blade, two-pitch propeller, performed its maiden flight at Welschap Airfield, Eindhoven, on March 27th, 1936. According to aviation author G.H. Kamphuis, the prospects for series production of the new fighter looked doubtful shortly after the first flight was performed due to a high level change in Dutch defence policy; Minister for Foreign Affairs Hendrik Colijn informed the Ministry of War that, in response to the changing international situation, a higher priority would be placed on building up a substantial bomber capability over new fighter aircraft. In addition to the Luchtvaartafdeling's interest in a trainer aircraft, the service had also attached great importance to the concept of a heavily armed 'cruiser' aircraft capable of performing multiple mission types. Further doubts and confusion were added by the emergence of a competing aircraft proposal in the form of the Koolhoven F.K.58, which had also been designed by Ir. Schatzki. It was decided that the D.XXI and F.K.58 should participate in a series of comparative tests against one another, leading to the D.XXI prototype being dispatched to Soesterberg Air Base, Utrecht, in November 1936. However, head-to-head testing between the two types was delayed by the F.K.58, which did not perform its first flight until September 1938.

During 1937, the Dutch government gave funding and its approval for a limited expansion of the Army Aviation Group, which resulted in an order being placed for 36 Fokker D.XXI fighters, to be powered by the 830 h.p. Bristol Mercury VII or VIII engines. According to Kamphuis, Dutch interest in the D.XXI had been revived, in part, due to an examination of the first aircraft by an evaluation board, which itself had been conducted due to interest expressed by the Finnish Air Force, which itself would result in export sales being made to Finland. On July 20th, 1938, the first Luchtvaartafdeling D.XXI conducted its first flight, after which it participated in test flights prior to deliver to Soesterberg. On September 8th, 1939, the final aircraft of the first batch of 36 was delivered. Even as the domestic demand for the D.XXI was being questioned, the type had attracted the attention of a number of foreign governments. In 1937, the Finnish government decided to place an order for an initial batch of seven aircraft, further negotiations were also conducted towards the acquisition of a manufacturing license, under which Finland proceeded to domestically produce further aircraft as well. Throughout 1940 and 1941, the Finnish State Aircraft Factory set about reconditioning the aircraft that had been used in the Winter War for continued service; an additional 50 D.XXIs were ordered in 1941, which were powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior engine, acquired via Sweden. The Danish government ordered a pair of D.XXI fighters along with arrangements for its own manufacturing license. The Danish D.XXI fighters were powered by a 645 h.p. Bristol Mercury VI-S radial and carried a Madsen 20 mm cannon under each wing. Ten aircraft were completed by the Royal Army Aircraft Factory in Copenhagen prior to the German invasion of Denmark in April 1940. The Second Spanish Republic also acquired a manufacturing license for the D.XXI. Reportedly, a total of 50 fuselages were manufactured on the Spanish production line; however, the Spanish plant in which the fighter was being produced was overrun by Nationalist forces before any of the Spanish-built aircraft were completed.

The Fokker D.XXI was a low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft. Following standard Fokker design practice of the period, it featured a welded steel tube fuselage that was largely covered by fabric, including the flight control surfaces; element forward of the trailing edges of the wings were covered by detachable aluminum panels instead. The wings were of a wooden construction, being composed of two box spars attached to ribs made of plywood. The aircraft was outfitted with a fixed spatted undercarriage with cantilever legs; braking was provided by independently-operated pedals using compressed air. The cockpit of the D.XXI was fully enclosed by a plexiglas hood featuring large sliding sections, and was entirely jettisonable in an emergency situation to enable pilots to bail out. Pilots were protected against turnover injuries by means of a pylon built into the structure of the aircraft set behind the seat. Fuel was housed in a 350-litre (77 imp gal) tank located aft of the engine. The main armament consisted of two pairs of 7.92mm M36 FN-Browning machine guns, one pair housed within the wings, carrying 300 rounds of ammunition each, and the other pair within the forward fuselage and shooting through the propeller blades, carrying 500 rounds each. Upon its entry to service in 1938, the D.XXI represented a significant leap forward for the Dutch Army Aviation Group, whose fighter force had until that time consisted of aging biplanes with open cockpits. The new Fokker quickly proved to be an extremely sturdy aircraft, being capable of attaining a speed of 700 km/h in a dive.

The Fokker D.XXI was first used in combat by the Finnish Air Force during the 1939–1940 Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland. Upon the war's outbreak, a total of 41 aircraft were in Finnish service, all powered by the Mercury VIII engine. On December 1st, 1939, the D.XXI achieved its first victory with the shooting down of a Soviet Tupolev SB. The Fokker was evenly matched against the aircraft of the Soviet Air Force, and its rugged design with a radial engine and fixed undercarriage made it well suited for Finnish conditions. As the Winter War continued and newer models of Soviet fighters appeared, the Fokker D.XXI proved to be increasingly underpowered and too lightly armed to compete; plans to arm the Fokkers with 20 mm cannons were dropped, and only one fighter was armed with two 20 mm cannons and two 7.92 mm/.312 in machine guns. The conflict between Finland and the Soviet Union was resumed in the Continuation War (1941–1944), the D.XXI was again a key element of the Finnish Air Force. During the first air battle, six Mercury-engined D.XXIs shot down a pair of Soviet Ilyushin DB-3 bombers. Several Finnish Air Force pilots became fighter aces with the Fokker D.XXI.

Although the order by the ML-KNIL was cancelled, the Luchtvaartafdeling (Dutch Army Air Force before World War II) placed an order of 36 aircraft, which were all delivered in time to participate in the war against the Germans in May 1940. On May 10th, 1940, the day that Germany launched its invasion of the Netherlands, 28 D.XXIs were serviceable and ready for operations. That first day, six D.XXIs escorted a formation of Fokker T.V bombers to attack the Meuse bridges to hinder the German advance; they were intercepted by nine German Messerschmitt Bf 109s, and during the ensuing dogfight, one Bf 109 was shot down and two more damaged for the loss of one D.XXI and two T.Vs. That same day, a flight of D.XXIs intercepted and shot down 37 out of 55 inbound Junkers Ju 52 transports which had crossed the border during the early morning. Due to many aircraft becoming unserviceable as a result of battle damage after the first day, it was decided to regroup at Buiksloot, north of Amsterdam, on May 11th. For the following four days, missions out of Buiksloot were flown by D.XXIs flying in both solo and small formations to escort friendly units as well as in the search-and-destroy role. Sorties against the numerically superior German forces continued until the middle of May 14th, at which point news of the Dutch capitulation reached Buiksloot, upon which both the remaining aircraft and the airstrip were destroyed to prevent their use by the Germans. Out of the original force of 28 D.XXI aircraft, eight fighters had remained airworthy. The D.XXI, although much slower and more lightly armed than the Bf 109, performed surprisingly well in combat due to its manoeuvrability. It was also one of the few aircraft that could follow a Stuka bomber into its dive. Nonetheless, the numerical superiority of the Luftwaffe led to the destruction of most Luchtvaartafdeling D.XXI fighters during the campaign. The LVA (Netherlands Air Force) scored a total of 38 victories against the Luftwaffe during their struggle against the German juggernaut. 16 of those went to Fokker D.XXI pilots.

A Mercury-engine Finnish-built Fokker D.XXI, FR-110, is on display at the Finnish Air Force Museum, Jyväskylä, Finland. This is the highest scoring (10 victories) D.XXI airframe. It was the mount of Lt. Viktor Pyötsiä during the Winter War. In 2022, a flyable replica was completed at Hoogeveen Airport by veteran aircraft restorer Jack van Egmond. A number of original parts was used and the plane was built according to original Fokker build specifications as Jack van Egmond is in possession of 397 out of 416 Fokker blueprints.

[mariacallous]

In March 2007, Google’s then senior executive in charge of acquisitions, David Drummond, emailed the company’s board of directors a case for buying DoubleClick. It was an obscure software developer that helped websites sell ads. But it had about 60 percent market share and could accelerate Google’s growth while keeping rivals at bay. A “Microsoft-owned DoubleClick represents a major competitive threat,” court papers show Drummond writing.

Three weeks later, on Friday the 13th, Google announced the acquisition of DoubleClick for $3.1 billion. The US Department of Justice and 17 states including California and Colorado now allege that the day marked the beginning of Google’s unchecked dominance in online ads—and all the trouble that comes with it.

The government contends that controlling DoubleClick enabled Google to corner websites into doing business with its other services. That has resulted in Google allegedly monopolizing three big links of a vital digital advertising supply chain, which funnels over $12 billion in annual revenue to websites and apps in the US alone.

It’s a big amount. But a government expert estimates in court filings that if Google were not allegedly destroying its competition illegally, those publishers would be receiving up to an additional hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Starved of that potential funding, “publishers are pushed to put more ads on their websites, to put more content behind costly paywalls, or to cease business altogether,” the government alleges. It all adds up to a subpar experience on the web for consumers, Colorado attorney general Phil Weiser says.

“Google is able to extract hiked-up costs, and those are passed on to consumers,” he alleges. “The overall outcome we want is for consumers to have more access to content supported by advertising revenue and for people who are seeking advertising not to have to pay inflated costs.”

Google disputes the accusations.

Starting today, both sides’ arguments will be put to the test in what’s expected to be a weekslong trial before US district judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia. The government wants her to find that Google has violated federal antitrust law and then issue orders that restore competition. In a best-case scenario, according to several Google critics and experts in online ads who spoke with WIRED, internet users could find themselves more pleasantly informed and entertained.

It could take years for the ad market to shake out, says Adam Heimlich, a longtime digital ad executive who’s extensively researched Google. But over time, fresh competition could lower supply chain fees and increase innovation. That would drive “better monetization of websites and better quality of websites,” says Heimlich, who now runs AI software developer Chalice Custom Algorithms.

Tim Vanderhook, CEO of ad-buying software developer Viant Technology, which both competes and partners with Google, believes that consumers would encounter a greater variety of ads, fewer creepy ads, and pages less cluttered with ads. “A substantially improved browsing experience,” he says.

Of course, all depends on the outcome of the case. Over the past year, Google lost its two other antitrust trials—concerning illegal search and mobile app store monopolies. Though the verdicts are under appeal, they’ve made the company’s critics optimistic about the ad tech trial.

Google argues that it faces fierce competition from Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and others. It further contends that customers benefited from each of the acquisitions, contracts, and features that the government is challenging. “Google has designed a set of products that work efficiently with each other and attract a valuable customer base,” the company’s attorneys wrote in a 359-page rebuttal.

For years, Google publicly has maintained that its ad tech projects wouldn’t harm clients or competition. “We will be able to help publishers and advertisers generate more revenue, which will fuel the creation of even more rich and diverse content on the internet,” Drummond testified in 2007 to US senators concerned about the DoubleClick deal’s impact on competition and privacy. US antitrust regulators at the time cleared the purchase. But at least one of them, in hindsight, has said he should have blocked it.

Deep Control

The Justice Department alleges that acquiring DoubleClick gave Google “a pool of captive publishers that now had fewer alternatives and faced substantial switching costs associated with changing to another publisher ad server.” The global market share of Google’s tool for publishers is now 91 percent, according to court papers. The company holds similar control over ad exchanges that broker deals (around 70 percent) and tools used by advertisers (85 percent), the court filings say.

Google’s dominance, the government argues, has “impaired the ability of publishers and advertisers to choose the ad tech tools they would prefer to use and diminished the number and quality of viable options available to them.”

The government alleges that Google staff spoke internally about how they have been earning an unfair portion of what advertisers spend on advertising, to the tune of over a third of every $1 spent in some cases.

Some of Google’s competitors want the tech giant to be broken up into multiple independent companies, so each of its advertising services competes on its own merits without the benefit of one pumping up another. The rivals also support rules that would bar Google from preferencing its own services. “What all in the industry are looking for is fair competition,” Viant’s Vanderhook says.

If Google ad tech alternatives win more business, not everyone is so sure that the users will notice a difference. “We’re talking about moving from the NYSE to Nasdaq,” Ari Paparo, a former DoubleClick and Google executive who now runs the media company Marketecture, tells WIRED. The technology behind the scenes may shift, but the experience for investors—or in this case, internet surfers—doesn’t.

Some advertising experts predict that if Google is broken up, users’ experiences would get even worse. Andrey Meshkov, chief technology officer of ad-block developer AdGuard, expects increasingly invasive tracking as competition intensifies. Products also may cost more because companies need to not only hire additional help to run ads but also buy more ads to achieve the same goals. “So the ad clutter is going to get worse,” Beth Egan, an ad executive turned Syracuse University associate professor, told reporters in a recent call arranged by a Google-funded advocacy group.

But Dina Srinivasan, a former ad executive who as an antitrust scholar wrote a Stanford Technology Law Review paper on Google’s dominance, says advertisers would end up paying lower fees, and the savings would be passed on to their customers. That future would mark an end to the spell Google allegedly cast with its DoubleClick deal. And it could happen even if Google wins in Virginia. A trial in a similar lawsuit filed by Texas, 15 other states, and Puerto Rico is scheduled for March.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By India McTaggart and Tracey Kandohla

21 April 2024

The first statue of Queen Elizabeth II since her death has been unveiled to the approving barks of nearly 50 corgis.

The permanent memorial to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch – complete with her own immortalised dogs – has been hailed as a fitting tribute for the “mother of our nation.”

The eye-catching 7ft bronze statue went on display on what would have been the late monarch’s 98th birthday, with a group of her favourite dogs stealing the show.

It takes pride of place outside the library in the market town of Oakham, in Rutland, Britain’s smallest county.

It depicts a youthful Queen Elizabeth – who stood at just 5ft 4in – standing at 7ft in regal robes with three loyal corgi companions at her feet, one peeking out from the creases.

It serves as a permanent reminder of her 70-year reign and her enduring affection for the Pembroke Welsh breed.

Sculptor Hywel Pratley believes the memorial will become a hit not only with royal fans, but that it will attract social media users wanting a selfie beside the late monarch and her dogs.

Speaking before the unveiling in front of a 400-person crowd and with a host of local dignitaries attending, he said:

“The plinth is designed to be sat on and I can see the statue becoming popular with the Instagram generation, and why not?

It will make a perfect backdrop for pictures and people will be able to reach up and pat a dog or if small enough even sit in its back.”

Mr Pratley, 51, who is half Welsh and lives in Chelmsford, Essex, told how he chose to add the corgis for a “bit of fun and to tap into the late Queen’s humanity and address her friendliness.”

He explained he made the statue larger than life because a “life-size Queen Elizabeth is too small. She deserves more.”

The £125,000 statue was commissioned by Dr Sarah Furness, the Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, following the Queen’s death in September 2022.

Addressing the crowds in the spring sunshine, she said:

“We are witnessing a piece of history today with the first statue of Queen Elizabeth to be commissioned since her death and who gave us 70 years of exemplary service.

Rutland may be a small county, but the response to this had been huge with contributions from local businesses and individuals of varying sizes.”

As she spoke, barks from 46 dogs from the Welsh Corgi League rang out, and she said, smiling: “You can hear them!”

She added: “The statue is for everyone.”

Before his cancer battle had been known and made public, King Charles III had been invited to unveil the statue.

It is not known if Palace officials had agreed to the request.

Instead, the honour fell to Alicia Kearns, the Tory MP for Rutland and Melton, before being blessed by Debbie Sellins, the Bishop of Peterborough.

One resident, Hilda Townsend, said: “It is just wonderful. We are the tiniest county, but the first to honour the late majesty in such a big way. It is a very fitting tribute.”

Her husband, John, added: “It is absolutely amazing and, as Rutlanders, makes us extremely proud.”

The unveiling of two of the three bronze corgis was given to two young children who had won a local school art competition.

In an emotional speech, Ms Kearns, 31, said:

“It is an incredible statue of our beloved Queen, who showed unwavering commitment.

We hope we can reflect on her legacy of compassion, strength and leadership. The statue was no mean feat and is for all of Rutland and all of our country, and to come together in joy. Rutland leads and others will follow.”

The MP revealed that the King would be visiting the statue.

Crowds of local residents mingled with visitors from further afield, some waving Union flags, with children sporting gold paper crowns on their heads.

She told spectators: “I am proud to play my very small part in helping to celebrate her reign,” pointing to the statue and saying: “She belongs to all of you.”

Following the unveiling, a lone bagpiper played a lament to the late Queen and the National Anthem was played, with crowds joining in.

Dozens of corgis, some wearing red, white and blue, then posed beside the new monument with their owners and officials before parading along the packed streets to Oakham Castle for a meet-and-greet session with the public.

Among the corgi owners was Katrina Emptage from Lincoln, with her two-year-old pet, Mable.

She said: “The statue is absolutely amazing and I’m delighted to be here to see it and be part of the corgi parade. It is very special.”

The late Queen held a life-long, deep affection for the breed after she fell in love with the dogs as a child.

She owned more than 30 over the years, many of which were direct descendants of the first, Susan, which was given to her as an 18th birthday present by her parents in 1944.

Speaking of his inspiration, Mr Pratley said:

“I very quickly thought that I would like to have a corgi nestling in her robes by her feet because what a great symbol it is, artistically, of her being mother of a nation.”

[usafphantom2]

NGAD review should end before the end of the year

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 10/31/2024 - 11:00 in Military

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The future of the U.S. Air Force's next-generation fighter jet, the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), will be decided by the end of the year, the service's top officer said on October 25.

"We intend to have this by December," said the Chief of Staff, General David W. Allvin, at the Conference of Military Reporters and Editors in Washington, D.C. "We also want to be able to influence the Department's Presidential Budget Proposal in February."

As currently designed, the NGAD combat aircraft is a "very expensive and very capable manned platform," Allvin said. The U.S. Air Force paused the project this summer, as it was reaching a point of decision to choose among competing designs to replace the F-22 Raptor. Instead of committing, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall wanted to make sure that the USAF was not betting its future on a capacity that could be obtained at a lower cost if the requirements were changed.

The design of the NGAD precedes the progress that the USAF has made with the semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Allvin said that the Air Force plans to have more than 150 CCAs in service over the next five years.

CCAs do not require life support systems and can be developed for a fraction of the cost of manned fighters. This is raising questions about what the mixture of manned and unmanned aircraft should be.

"NGAD is a family of systems," said Allvin. "A part of the system is the NGAD manned air penetration platform. Some would say it's the continuation of the F-22. ... It is part of a family of systems. This family of systems includes Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which are not manned. But they are already in progress."

The U.S. Air Force is studying its future force design at the same time, driven by China's growing army and its anti-access/area denial strategy in the South China Sea. The manned NGAD platform should be able to penetrate these defenses, but the threat today is greater than it was just a few years ago.

"The ability to say: 'We know that when this platform delivers, it will face the threat' - I think we are less sure about it than we had when we designed it," said Allvin.

"We are now at the point where... if we follow this path, this will be a very, very expensive program," Alvin added. "The question is, with the cost, the capacity and where the threat is, is it the right choice?"

Stoping to consider all the options is not "rolling slowly or stagnating," said Allvin. "I would call this something prudent because, once we pass through this one-way door, it is difficult to change direction."

The U.S. Air Force set the cost of the NGAD at "hundreds of millions of dollars," but Kendall said in September that he wants the capacity of the NGAD on a much less expensive platform: no more than the cost of today's F-35 - less than half the cost of the projected NGAD manned aircraft.

The CCAs were what changed Kendall's thinking. Designed to work closely with the F-35 and B-21 Raider bombers, they could reduce the need for a penetrating fighter jet and make the additional B-21s more attractive to planners. The U.S. Air Force never said that the NGAD would resemble the F-22 or other fighter-type platforms designed to outperform rival fighters. Its mission is to penetrate and suppress enemy air defenses, which can make it more like a smaller and faster stealth bomber.

Would the Air Force consider buying more than the 100 B-21s planned now? Allvin replied: "We didn't take it off the table."

However, developing and fielding manned NGAD aircraft remains a possibility, Allvin said. "I don't like people to have the assumption that, because we are stopping and analyzing, we are moving away from it," he said. "This decision was not made."

A high-level panel, including three former Air Force Chiefs of Staff, a former Vice President of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two leading civilian experts is reviewing the evidence now and will recommend a way forward in December.

"As we analyze this, we need to understand: 'Is this the best for the cost of what we think the threat will be?' And 'Is this the best way to achieve air superiority?'", said Allvin. "And if we find out that this platform design, as currently instantiated, is the best... we have to figure out how to pay for it."

Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine

Tags: Military AviationNGAD.USAF - United States Air Force / US Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[jessamine-rose]

Yuu Does Not Dream of a Night Bunny College ₍ᐢ⑅ᐢ₎

A long time ago, I wrote Bunny Boy! Leona as a joke. A few months later, I was inspired to write Sea Bunny Boy! Octavinelle and now we have five more bunnified characters....…..welp let’s get this show on the road  ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა

Characters:: Cater, Jamil, Vil, Sebek, Chenya

♡ 1.2k words under the cut ♡

♡ Not many students are receptive to Crowley’s idea for the Night Bunny College Cafe. Cater, however, is an exception. Bunny boys are a popular trend, and what better way to take advantage of the hype?? If executed well, the event will attract lots of guests and, in his case, more likes on Magicam.

♡ Leave it to Cay-kun to be the perfect bunny boy!! In his costume, he is the ideal combo of cute, classy, and daring. The fluffy bunny ears compliment his bright smile, and the fitted black bodysuit brings out the vivid red of his hair. For added flair, his accessories feature a design of red roses and diamonds. And Cater knows how to strike the best poses from finger hearts to the Playboy bunny dip.

♡ Thanks to him, the NBC Cafe’s Magicam debut is a viral success. He manages the account, thinks of good hashtags, and instructs his classmates on how to pose for the camera. The event also benefits Cater’s personal account, as his photos garner several likes, new followers, and thirsty comments.

♡ His charisma makes him popular with customers. Would you like Cater to cast a magic spell on your carrot cake?? He will serve it with extra sparkles and a special pose just for you!! Oh……...you’d like to feed it to him?? In response to that, he will lightheartedly refuse and point at the price list for premium services. Cay-kun can’t be too sweet on you, after all~

♡ Being a bunny boy is the last job Jamil wanted to take. The bunny ears draw attention to him, while the deep red bodysuit and sheer stockings are totally impractical. He is initially awkward at the start of his training; but by opening night, he has perfected the cheerful greetings and suggestive poses.

♡ If there is one thing he enjoys, it’s the change in master-servant dynamics. His customers are the ones who lavish him with praise, who act shy in his presence, who get punished if they dare act out of line. Jamil doesn’t even need to use Snake Whisper. All it takes is a mere glance in the client’s direction for them to fall under his spell~

♡ He enjoys playing games as a bunny boy. Under these circumstances, the customers care less about winning or losing; rather, they prefer to admire Jamil’s concentrated expression. He will smugly win round after round, savoring this opportunity to unleash his full potential.

♡ His fun ends when Kalim arrives. The Al-Asim heir would’ve signed up for the event if Jamil hadn’t insisted that such a role was inappropriate for his status. So instead, Kalim buys out Jamil’s slots for games, photos, and promo services!! Look, he even invited Najma who is all too eager to tease her brother. Jamil can only hold back his exasperation and smile for the camera with them.

♡ It was Crowley and Azul who hounded Vil to participate in the event. Having Vil Schoenheit’s name on the waitstaff is sure to bring in several customers, after all. “Do you know how much I charge for meet-and-greets?!!” “Exactly, Schoenheit-san!! No one would pass up the opportunity to enjoy your services at a discounted price.”

♡ Vil looks drop-dead gorgeous in his costume. The outfit is tailored to his preferences—a violet corset, red heels, embroidered stockings, a stylish updo to suit his bunny ears. He also designs the other costumes according to their respective wearers. Most importantly, he is the demon coach in charge of training his fellow bunny boys!! “The ideal bunny boy should be the epitome of leporine beauty and seduction. I expect all of you to present yourselves with grace.”

♡ He is also strict with the customers. Vil doesn’t accept any requests beyond what is listed in the Bunny Boy Services and Promo Deals. Those who violate the no-touching rule are swiftly reprimanded then kicked out of the establishment. During his slot, Rook can only sing praises for Vil’s beautiful performance.

♡ Admittedly, it is an enjoyable experience. The bunny boy is certainly a new acting role for Vil, and he derives some satisfaction from interacting with his live audience. So long as he is in character, he will perform to the best of his ability.

♡ Sebek makes for an unconventional bunny boy. His sharp fangs and serious glare are more suitable for a predator, whereas the tight black bodysuit emphasizes his muscles. Much to his chagrin, his hair is styled naturally so as not to compete with his bunny ears. His cute, genuine smiles do offer a striking gap moe and, in Azul’s words, an excellent selling point.

♡ He performs his role with great zest, from waiting tables to entertaining customers. As soon as Malleus arrives, you can count on Sebek to run over to him with a large smile and a passionate greeting. “WELCOME TO THE NIGHT BUNNY COLLEGE CAFE!! WE CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO SELECT A BUNNY BOY OF YOUR CHOICE!!”

♡ Honestly, he doesn’t understand the appeal of the bunny boy. Human culture is perplexing, but the event is a good immersion according to Lilia. His clients make such outlandish requests from photos to board games to……being put in a headlock by Sebek?? Well, so long as they pay for the available services, Sebek will fulfill his duties as a bunny boy.

♡ The customers are just so endeared with him. He makes the cutest expressions whenever they fluster him or feed him carrots, and it’s clear that he takes his role seriously. By the end of the event, Sebek can proudly say that he accomplished his bunny boy training!!

♡ Upon hearing about the event, Chenya secretly visits NRC and raids the dressing room to join in on the fun!! He goes for a crooked pair of bunny ears, a large poofy tail, colorful stockings, and a harlequin-patterned bodysuit. His nonsensical style is a unique take on the traditional bunny suit.

♡ Using his Unique Magic, he sneaks up on customers and surprises them. After revealing himself, Chenya will flash them a mischievous grin and lead them to his own private table where a tea party has been set up. He will entertain them with riddles and games, including a round of Russian Roulette featuring desserts. Can you guess which Bunny Tart has mustard in it??

♡ Soon enough, he gets caught by Riddle and Trey. By then, however, Chenya has a long line of customers so Crowley just lets him be. The carefree beastman enchants all of his clients with a unique experience contrary to what one would expect from a bunny boy.

♡ On and on, he entertains guests to his heart’s delight. At one point, Chenya loses interest in his costume and removes his fake bunny features. Somehow, this transformation attracts even more attention as customers beg to pet his real cat ears and tail. “Nya, riddle me this:: Why is a bunny boy as mad as a March Hare~”

♡

For those who’d like the services of Leona and Octavinelle, their “Yuu Does Not Dream of a Bunny Boy” installments are linked above!!

Fun fact, this has been in my drafts since mid-2022. Hopefully, this is the last time the Twst characters will be subjected to my Bunny Boy! nonsense. I hope y’all enjoyed the bunnification of these characters ₍ ᐢ.ˬ.ᐢ₎

Tagging some blogs who might enjoy this!! @diodellet @wildnya @mobagehelllocal @zgvlt @zariyen @jangmi-latte @merotwst @twstedbeauty @leonakingscholarship @hanafubukki

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … November 13

354 AD – Early Christian writer St. Augustine was born on this date (d.430) Following the example of St. Paul, Augustine set the standard for confessional literature that was to flourish in the centuries that followed. The pattern, of course, is a detailed listing of one's sins, followed by a narration of some event or events that made one long for salvation, and then an enunciation of the pains and joys of penance with the hope of future redemption.

Augustine confessed not only to having fathered a son, but to friendship that was classically homoerotic. When he was a young man, his closest friend died and Augustine contemplated joining him in death. "I felt that his soul and mine were `one soul in two bodies'; and therefore life was to me horrible because I hated to live as half of a life; and therefore perhaps I feared to die, lest he should wholly die whom I loved so greatly. My longing eyes sought him everywhere." Augustine, of course, cast off all sins of the flesh and becoming one of the great founders of Christian doctrine, admonished us all to do the same.

1759 – In the Netherlands, minister Andreas Klink is banished for life for having committed sodomy. He defends his attractions as natural.

1879 – Marcus Behmer (d.1958) was a German writer and book illustrator, graphic designer and painter.

Marcus Behmer was a son of the painter Hermann Behmer. His uncle Rudolf Behmer, known as a breeder of Merino sheep - was the twin brother of his father. His brother Joachim Behmer was also active as an artist.

His artistic beginnings came with his first major success with the illustrations for Wilde's Salome in 1903. The early works show the influence of the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley.

On 1 October 1903 Behmer entered military service, was appointed a corporal in 1904 and promoted in 1907 to sergeant. From 1914 he participated in the First World War (in Flanders and in Poland). In the summer of 1917 he fell ill "after an operation in the field" and was six weeks in the military hospital of Jarny . During his time in the army, many so-called "comrades' portraits" emerged, usually reduced, although finely crafted profile views of young soldiers

From 1902 Behmer produced illustrations for books, designed initials and writings, and was responsible for carefully planned publishing facilities. He worked for the Cranach Press of Count Harry Kessler and illustrated numerous articles for the monthly magazine "The Island."

Behmer had been since 1903 a member of the first homosexual organization in the world in Berlin. Because of his homosexuality, Behmer was sentenced in April 1937 by a court in Konstanz to imprisonment of two years. At times he was given the opportunity to work as an artist in prison. The works produced in this period are mostly calligraphic tablets with Greek text (prayers and Bible quotes), and drawings full of bitterness and irony.

1950 – Charles Kaiser is an American author, journalist and academic administrator. In 2018 he was named Acting Director of the LGBTQ Public Policy Center at Hunter College. He is also a nonfiction book critic for The Guardian (US).

His book about one family in the French Resistance, The Cost of Courage (2015) received enthusiastic reviews from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Christian Science Monitor, among many other publications. It also won the grand prize at the Paris Book Festival (2015). In 2016 it was published in France by Seuil as Le Prix du Courage.

His blog about the media, Full Court Press, originated on the website of Radar Magazine in the fall of 2007. He continued it at the Columbia Journalism Review and the Sidney Hillman Foundation until the spring of 2011.

The son of a diplomat, Philip Mayer Kaiser, he grew up in Washington, D.C., Albany, New York, Dakar, Senegal, London, England and Windsor, Connecticut. He has lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for many years.

He is the author of The Cost of Courage, 1968 In America, and The Gay Metropolis. The Gay Metropolis was a Lambda Literary Award winner, as well as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He was a guest on the Colbert Report, where he discussed a new edition of The Gay Metropolis. He wrote the afterword for a 2012 edition of Merle Miller's landmark work, On Being Different: What it Means to Be a Homosexual. That afterword was excerpted on the website of the New York Review of Books. In 2015 he was inducted into the LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame.

1955 – Caryn Elaine Johnson, best known as Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host. She is a strong supporter of the LGBT community.

On April 1, 2010, Goldberg joined Cyndi Lauper in the launch of her Give a Damn campaign to bring a wider awareness of discrimination of the LGBT community. The campaign is to bring straight people to ally with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community. Other names included in the campaign include Jason Mraz, Elton John, Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Kardashian, Clay Aiken, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne.

Goldberg's high-profile support for LGBT rights and AIDS activism dates back to the 1987 March on Washington, where she was one of few celebrities participating.

1969 – Today is the birthday of bi-sexual Scottish actor Gerard Butler. He is best known for his portrayal of King Leonidas in the intensely homoerotic film about the Spartans, 300. He also portrayed the Phantom in the 2004 film version of The Phantom of the Opera. He is slated to portray the iconic Scottish poet Robert Burns in an upcoming biopic.

In the gossip mags, there have been numerous stories of his romantic involvements - including several of romantic and/or sexual involvements with other male stars.

In a 2004 Movieline interview he said:

"I talk about my sexuality, but it's always glossed over. People seem to shy away from the issue. Whenever it is discussed, it's distended and exaggerated. Gerard Butler is Gay. No I'm not. I don't know myself what I am so it can be bewildering to see that being plugged. I have been in relationships with women. And men. That doesn't make me Gay. That doesn't make me straight. It's hard enough to go through these things in my mind without being scrutinised about it so there are times when you want to close the door and say my sexuality is my own personal business."

1999 – Josh Cavallo is an Australian professional association footballer who plays as a left back and central midfielder for Adelaide United. Cavallo has represented the Australian under-20 national team.

Cavallo was born in Bentleigh East, Victoria.

Cavallo represented both Melbourne Victory FC Youth and Melbourne City FC Youth. Western United. On 15 April 2019, Melbourne City announced that Cavallo would leave the club at the expiration of his contract at the end of the 2018–19 season.

On 24 June 2019, new A-League side Western United announced that Cavallo would join the club ahead of its inaugural season. He made his debut on 3 January 2020 in a 3–2 loss at his previous club. On as a 71st-minute substitute for Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, he earned a penalty when fouled by goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis, which was converted by Besart Berisha. Western United announced that Cavallo was leaving the club on 10 February 2021.

On 18 February 2021, Cavallo signed a short-term contract to play for Adelaide United. After a successful stint in the 2020–21 A-League, he signed a two-year contract extension on 11 May. He was rewarded with Adelaide United's A-League Rising Star award after a successful 2020–21 campaign, in which he started 15 games and made 18 appearances.

Cavallo came out as gay in October 2021. At the time, there were no other openly-gay male footballers playing professional top-flight football, in the world. In becoming the first to do so, he said in a statement, "I hope that in sharing who I am, I can show others who identify as LGBTQ+ that they are welcome in the football community."