#Cory 'serving ass'

[strawberrysapphocake]

the BB fans ate well tonight, huh?

[bludpudding]

hello and welcome to

the series where i take a bunch of sandman characters, throw them into a drag race simulator, and make stupid 100% biased commentary. that’s it, really. (now with the dead boy detectives!)

{Week 1}

quite the ball fondler, aren't we, thomas?

monty, I'm a bit skeptical. you were just born like. yesterday. and spent most of your life in a cage. not exactly sure that's the best option.

crystal? something tells me that her abilities might aid in doing impersonations,,,, maybe,,,, i have faith in her

very cat thing to do.

what's with the birds and rhytmic gymnastics bitch you're birds

she's gonna serve and she fucking knows it!!!

death are you even allowed to do that on stage

oh they're all gonna eat. charles i'm laughing at you (affectionate)

THEY KNOW WHERE THEIR TALENTS LIE

and if i said this was a dumbass choice

guys is he gonna carve himself a new face i'm scared

winning the idgaf war

LUCIENNE ABSOLUTELY GIRL YOU GOT THIS

ESTHER??? OKAY. WHATEVER

oh you know his ass is gonna do a dramatic reveal

CORINTHIAN WHAT DID I SAY. WHAT DID I FUCKING SAY

yk i really thought edwin's gay boy piano recital was gonna take the cake but i was right crystal's got some extra powers

i am. staring at my screen rn. i swear to fucking god. we cannot do this in the first fucking week corinthian don't expect me to give you a welcome home

yk. this is not the first time this match up has happened.

THANK FUCKING GOD SORRY ROSE CORI HAS TO STAY ITS FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE

desire do i even want to know

ABSOLUTELY NOT NIKO WOULD NEVER. WRONG. WRONG. ALL OF YOU ARE WRONG

Relationship Updates

Recap

saw my life flash before my eyes tbh corinthian you're on thin fucking ice

[gabessquishytum]

Hob grows up in a small dead-end town where there are literally no options. Except one: joining the sons-of-anarchy style biker gang that basically runs the town.

The town is not safe. For much of hob’s life, he’s had to keep his head down, trying not to rub anyone the wrong way, trying to survive until he can get out. The police are corrupt and for a while, the gang has been unruly and very dangerous. Hob’s narrowly avoided catching their eye one too many times. Lots of people disappear around there.

But things have just changed.

The old leader of the gang, Dream, spent ten horrible years in jail. He just got back and he is taming his gang again with an iron fist. He’s gathering everyone back to him, chasing down his old right hand man (Cori, who took a shot at him and then, when Dream almost killed him, betrayed him to the cops, getting him locked up.) they say Dream is different. Dangerous and terrifying, but fair. He has rules; he doesn’t abide some of the evils the gang’s been up to in his absence.

Hob was applying for colleges, desperate to get out, until one day, he saw Dream and his whole center of gravity shifts. Instantly, he knew he would follow that man to the ends of the earth.

So hob ditches his plans to leave and sets about doing the one thing he never thought he’d do: join the gang.

The night comes where hob needs to prove himself. No one ever knows exactly what goes on there so Hob shows up to the club house nervous but elated by the idea that he might get to see dream again.

He doesn’t see dream, but dream sees him. And one of his soldiers comes over in the smoke-soaked room and tells hob to leave. This life isn’t for him.

Hob stands his ground and the biker then makes hob an offer. If he really wants to join, he can, but dream doesn’t need more foot soldiers right now. He has another use for him, if he is willing to prove his devotion.

So hob does what is asked of him. He strips down, lays on the pool table and lets himself be used however by whoever. If he lasts the night, maybe he’ll be allowed to join.

For the rest of the night, he is used. No one wants to hurt him—not badly—and hob can feel dream’s eyes on him the whole time.

But dream doesn’t move from his throne. he just watches hob, waiting to see if he will break.

Hob doesn’t break. All he can smell is sex and sweat. He eats out women, and sucks cock. He’s gently fingered open and fucked hard, over and over again. And he begs for more. Hob has come so much he’s coming dry, (moaning Dream’s name) but he still isn’t satisfied. He won’t be, not until he proves himself to dream.

Finally, countless hours later, hob feels a hand stroking through his matted hair. He is a mess. SOmeone’s still gently rocking into his ass but at a snap of Dream’s fingers, that faceless foot soldier leaves them alone.

“You have not yet given up,” Dream muses. “Why?”

Hob can barely think but he move enough to mouth at Dream’s hip. “For you,” he breathes.

Dream hums. “You do not know what it is to be mine. You do not know what you ask for.”

“I do,” hob insists. “I want this.” He’s never wanted anything more. Not even he understands why.

Dream considers him with all the grim absolution of a tired king. “Will you serve me? Be loyal to me? I have been betrayed before.”

“Forever,” hob promises, and offers his entire self, body and soul.

I'm feeling so rough right now so this is a perfect time to post and appreciate this mini ficlet. The setting is so good, the concept has given me so many different thoughts about dreamling in a small-town environment. I am so obsessed with the idea of Hob just dropping his whole life's plan because he saw the most beautiful man in the world and how can he just leave that behind?

And the idea of Hob proving himself to Dream with such dedication by becoming a good, obedient toy for Dream’s people to use? Holy shit. And the thing is, Hob is totally satisfied just knowing that he's serving Dream in some way. Even if Dream never even decided to fuck him, he'd be happy.

I'm so obsessed. Plus, Dream in biker leathers? No wonder Hob is under his spell. The day he gets fucked by a fully clothed Dream is the day he discovers that he can cum untouched.

[t0ast-ghost]

S3 EP14 (Whom Gods Destroy) in what way?- nevermind probably the killing way. Okay. Well-

Just go:

- “A medicine with which the federation hopes to eliminate mental illness for all time.” WHAT. That is certainly a way to start an episode

- Cory is either going to die or is not actually a doctor. Well according to Marta I’m right about the latter

- they fucking knocked Spock out! (His named autocorrected to spoon lol)

- oh wait so the ‘cure for mental illness’ thing was REAL?

- goddamn why’s he stand like that

- Scott and McCoy are so confused

- Stigmatizing mental illness by showing that all characters who have it are violent. I get this is set in a prison but this is the only time they show any explicitly mentally ill characters and it’s to show that until there is a ‘fix’ they should be locked away for the safety of the public, which is not a good message to put onto tv. That is my problem with this episode, it’s spreading of stigmas and stereotypes.

- McCoy immediately saying that something’s wrong, ‘that’s not my boyfriend’

- Garth’s fashion sense is… awful

- getting distracted by Kirk’s ass

- oh my god that’s the first time anyone’s really threatened to harm Spock (edit: that’s a lie. That’s just a lie)

- Making the group of inmates all noticeably alien to make them seem like separate or fictional beings

- This argument? Live Spock reaction:

- “What is your reaction, Mr. Spock?” “Well, I find it [the dancing], uh, mildly interesting and somewhat nostalgic, if I understand the use of that word.” “Nostalgic?” “Yes, it is somewhat reminiscent of the dances that Vulcan children do in nursery school. Of course, the children are not so… well-coordinated.” Spock danced as a kid

- Kirk does not want her. Also he’s gay and one of his husbands is right there.

- “A dream that made Mr Spock and me brothers.” I think this is the first time Kirk and Spock refer to each other as anything other than friends… fascinating

- “Blind! Truly blind. Captain Kirk is your commanding officer, and you are his subordinate. And that is all.” Yeah but they’re husbands. Also this feeds into more of the ‘Kirk is designed to be a lonely character’ thing. He can’t even have a connection to his first officer :(

- damn they didn’t even let him infodump

- “No, thank you, I prefer to join Mr. Spock.” Yeah you would

- THEY HAVE AN ELECTRIC CHAIR ?!?

- I think the governor character is a stand in for McCoy, but they decided, ‘I guess we’ve tortured him enough’

- He’s sleepy

- And they’re kissing (edit: not sure who this is referring to)

- It’s always about getting to a control room and taking down a force field and never about kissing your boyfriend

- Spock coming to Kirk’s rescue? He finally got his knight in shining armour moment

- That’s not Kirk dammnit. He would never let Spock stay- oh wait it was Spock who was the imposter. Okay but where’s Spock

- Kirk’s little curl <3

- Kirk gets fucking shot. Second time he’s been knocked out this episode

- “You could serve as human sacrifice, for example.” “No, I wouldn’t enjoy that at all.” I love when they write Kirk as polite but obviously he’s got that Spock/McCoy sass rubbed off on him

- Kirk must be so disoriented. He got shot with a phaser and wakes up being held in a very uncomfortable position. Then he’s getting dragged places and beat up again.

- WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS EPISODE. No. No. What the fuck. They just made her choke on gas and then blew her up. This is horrifying. I swear some of these episodes are on the level on horror movies

- It’s funny how Scott and McCoy are getting along (and running the ship together)

- oh okay Spock’s just been chilling

- DOUBLE NERVE PINCH

- OKAY Spock ACTUALLY gets to save his husband in distress this time by being the knight in shining armour

- Once again Spock does not solely abide by pure unemotional logic, he does not fuck around, but he does find out. He’ll get you.

- THEY DID NOT PULL A ‘which is the real Kirk’ ON SPOCK

- which ones got the bigger ass- who said that (edit: I do not remember writing that but it’s genuinely the best thing I’ve written)

- HE DECIDES TO WAIT. HOT GIRL SHIT

- Spock isn’t turned on at all during this fight

- HOT GIRL SHIT IS SHOOTING THE INTRUDER PRETENDING TO BE YOUR BOYFRIEND WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT

- The thing that turns on and off the force field is literally a switch that says on and off and is labelled ‘force field power’

- yay they win or smt

- ‘Why’d it take you so long to know it was me?’ ‘Well in simple words, captain. I didn’t want to shoot my fucking boyfriend.’

They cured mental illness… We’re done for tonight.

Masterpost

Teleplay by Lee Erwin

Story by Lee Erwin & Jerry Sohl

[prismatica-the-strange]

Bite Me | God, I Love Party Girl Brains

Warnings: 18+, alcohol use, Blaine is nasty as usual, sexual tension, exhibitionism mention, smut, p in v, degradation, multiple creampies, kind of fluffy at the end

Synopsis: There's a mix-up in the Scratching Post kitchen and Cori and Blaine take advantage of it.

Word Count: 2.3k

Party Mix Playlist Link

"Don E!" Cori whines, bursting through the doors of the kitchen of The Scratching Post.

"Yeah, what's up C?" He asks, not looking up from the plates he's moving.

"I think there was a mix-up," She wraps her arm around her stomach, tossing her hair, "You said you gave me the creative writer, but I think I got party girl instead."

"No, nope," He shakes his head, "No way there was a mix-up."

He looks up to see her head tilted, annoyingly chewing gum with her mouth open.

"Though I have been wrong before."

"Something wrong?" Blaine asks, coming in the back.

His eyebrows raise when she sighs, "No. It's whatever."

"Okay..." He glances at Don E.

"I'm gonna go change," She says, tugging at her cargo pants, "I'm gonna send you an EDM playlist D, you should play it tonight. I wanna dance."

Blaine watches her walk out, specifically the sway of her hips and ass, before turning to Don E, looking for an explanation.

"We're gonna have to change the menu for tonight, some idiot switched the Writer and Party Girl brains."

Divider by Saradika

Link

"What happened to the playlist I sent you?" She pouts at Don E, tits threatening to spill out of her tight top when she leans over the bar.

"No way am I putting on that trash, sorry C."

"Can you at least get me a shot of Patron?"

"How about some Vodka?"

She stomps her foot and huffs as she stands up. She crosses her arms and turns to scan the crowd.

She makes her way through a group of people when she spots Blaine, latching onto his arm.

"Blaineyyyy," She whines, "Don E's being mean to me."

"I'm sorry, sugar, I'll take care of it once I'm done here," He kisses the top of her head and she looks absolutely crestfallen. She stays there, hanging off of him for another ten or so minutes before storming off.

She walks right behind the bar and picks up the sound system tablet.

"What are you doing?" Don E asks, reaching to take it from her.

"If you're both going to ignore me, then I'm putting something to dance to," She explains, pulling it away from him, "If you're serving Party Girl, you should have the right vibe anyways."

She taps play on her playlist and her face lights up, setting down the tablet and downing the drink he was about to serve.

He looks flabbergasted when she hands the empty glass back to him and walks out to the growing crowd on the dancefloor.

"Kesha? Really?" He calls after her and she flips him off.

Blaine is more confused than he should be when music starts blaring from the club's speakers, bass boosted so hard, the liquor on nearby tables is rippling in its glasses.

He looks over at the bar only to see Don E rolling his eyes and muttering to himself.

He can barely hear the possible 'investor' he's talking to over the noise.

His attention wanders, as do his eyes, flitting over the crowd until he sees her. She's jumping and moving to the music, lost in her own world, and his stare rakes down her body.

"That has got to be the shortest skirt she owns," He says absentmindedly, small smirk on his lips.

"I'm sorry, maybe we can finish this conversation later when it's not so loud," He says to the man standing across from him before heading to the bar.

"Cori said you were being mean to her," He chuckles.

"Yeah, I wouldn't play her shit music or start her on tequila."

"Looks like she found a workaround," Blaine laughs, pouring himself another drink.

"Dude, we've gotta get her on a new brain," Don E groans, "She wants to add a permanent DJ booth and was looking into getting an industrial fog machine and glow sticks in bulk."

"Ah, we'll just keep her from making any big purchases and it'll be fine."

"You sure about that?" Don E motions to the dance floor and he turns to see what he's talking about, sipping his drink.

Cori is rolling her body against some random guy in time with the music while he runs his hands across her curves, fingers dipping just below the waistband of her skirt. She seems blissfully ignorant of how she's being stared at by a handful of patrons.

The glass surprisingly doesn't crack when he slams it back on the counter. He shoves his way through the mass of writhing bodies until he's standing in front of her. He grabs her arm and tugs her away from her dance partner, his eyes red and face more pallid than usual.

After successfully scaring off the potential threat, he turns to her.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" He spits.

"Well, you weren't going to dance with me."

"Sweetheart, that wasn't dancing, that was him dry-humping you on the dancefloor."

He can't help but agree with Don E's idea of getting her off this brain when she rolls her eyes.

"Hey," He grips her chin, forcing her to look at him, "If you wanted someone to fuck you in front of all these people, you could have just asked."

"You're disgusting."

"I'm exactly how you like me," He growls, pushing his lips against hers.

She's into it, he can tell by the way she tugs him closer by the shirt and moans into his mouth.

"I get the feeling you find the idea appealing," He teases, making her whimper, "Aw, but someone wanted to dance."

She smirks, accepting his little challenge of who will break first. She turns and sways her hips to the music, pressing her ass against him, arms raising to trail her fingers down his cheek.

He can't help but laugh, he's so whipped for her.

His hands hold her waist, taking a moment to find the beat and move with her.

He tries not to groan when she grinds back on him, already hard in his tight jeans, his grip bruising. She cocks her head aside when he starts sucking her neck.

She has to pry him off her to step away and peel her jacket off, revealing all the bare skin of her chest and shoulders he needs to get his mouth on.

He pulls her back in, thumbs rubbing her midriff, "You're so hot."

Her fingers trace his chin before she swivels her hips to the beat, reaching down to take one of his hands. He raises it to let her spin slowly, leading him back to the bar.

He presses her against the counter, the edge cutting into her stomach.

"What do you want?"

She pushes her ass against his hard-on and he chokes out, "Tequila! F-fuck..."

"So she just gets whatever she wants?" Don E complains.

"I always do," She grins, throwing back the shot, taping the rim to signal she wants another.

Don E looks back at Blaine who eagerly nods for him to do what she says.

"You know, if I had done something like this," He pours her another shot, "I wouldn't still be here."

"Fucking the owner has its perks," She winks at him and Blaine buries his face in her neck, nipping at her skin, "Speaking of which."

He starts pulling her away, towards the office.

"Please don't fuck on my desk," Don E calls after them, "Blaine? Cori? Please?"

(MDNI Banner by CafeKitsune)

She cuts him off by sliding the door shut behind them. Blaine ambushes her, hands sliding under her shirt, tongue shoving it's way past her lips.

She pulls away with a grin, "I win."

"Shut the fuck up," He chuckles. He grabs the back of her thighs and hoists her up.

She wraps her arms around his neck, kissing him while he moves to set her on the desk.

"Oh please Mr. Club owner, I swear I thought I could pay for those drinks," She says with an exaggerated pout, "How can I ever make up for it?"

He laughs against her lips, tickled by her theatrics.

"Oh, I can think of a few ways, sweetheart," He starts bunching her skirt up around her waist, drooling at the sight of her black lace panties.

He presses two fingers against her slit through them, letting out a shaky breathe when he feels how wet she is.

He hooks them on his fingers and drags them down, tossing them over his shoulder.

"Now why don't you be a good girl and keep these pretty legs spread for me?"

She bites her bottom lip as she raises her legs, heels resting on the edge of the desk.

She watches him unbutton his jeans, pulling off her shirt. She can't stop herself from reaching between her legs to play with her clit as she watches him, muscles tensing at the feeling.

"Oh, honey," He groans, frozen with his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers, eyes zeroed in on her cunt, "That's gotta be the hottest thing I've ever seen."

He shucks off his underwear and slowly starts fisting his cock, "You touchin' yourself cause of me, sweetness?"

"Uh-huh," She nods, "Blaine..."

He could almost cum from the way she sighs his name while sliding her fingers into her pussy.

He watches her for a minute, taking note of the way her eyebrows furrow when she can't reach the spot she needs.

"Your fingers too small?" He teases, pulling her hand away, "Need me to make you feel good?"

"Please," She whimpers at the feeling of him running his tip through her utterly soaked folds.

"Please what?"

"Please make me feel good, Blaine," She begs, "Need your cock-!"

She chokes on her words when he slams into her, the force making her feet slip so she has to wrap her legs around his waist.

"F-fuck! Blaine!" She holds onto his shoulders for dear life as he pistons in and out of her.

"This is what you wanted, right?" He growls against her ear, "Wanted to be fucked like a whore?"

"Yes! Yesyesyes!" She whines, "Wanna be a good whore for you baby!"

"Just for me?" His possessiveness taking over.

"Just for you," She confirms, pulling him to her lips.

She cries out when he grins and reaches down to rub her clit.

"Then be a good little whore for me and cum."

The laugh that leaves him is nothing less than sadistic as she jerks in his arms and screams out his name.

"Oh fuck baby," He chokes out, "Juuust like that. So tight sweetheart."

He doesn't slow down and her vision blurs.

"B-Blaine! Fuck!"

His abuse of her clit only worsens when he sees tears start to form.

"Aw poor p-poor thing," He forces out, "But this is what she wanted, yeah? Wanted to be fucked like a slut? Just couldn't keep her clothes on. Needed my dick inside her sooo bad."

"Blaine!" She sobs when her second orgasm wracks through her and he gasps.

"Baby- Cori- ah," He presses his forehead to hers, mouth hanging open. Her eyes roll back when she feels him spill into her, "Ah, Sweetheart, beautiful girl."

She slumps back onto the desk, pulling him with her. He rests his head on her chest and mutters soft praises as he kisses her skin.

"You're soft," He hums. He takes his time squeezing and groping her hips and thighs.

He straightens up and pulls out, making her shiver.

Propping herself up on her elbows and locking eyes with him while he pulls on his pants, she reaches down, collects the cum dripping out of her, and fucks it back inside her with her middle and ring finger.

"Don't do that," He breathes, pants hanging off his hips, dick already starting to harden again, "That's my job."

He yanks her off the desk before spinning her around and shoving her face down on it.

She claws at the wood, pornographic moan leaving her when he slams back into her.

"That's it, baby," He grins, "I know you love it when I'm rough with you."

She tries to give him a witty comeback, but it comes out as a garbled, rambling mess.

He's feral, not giving her time to breathe, making her gasp with each thrust.

"You wanted my cum, huh?" He asks and she nods dumbly, "Well, you're gonna get it, sweetheart. Load after load of it in this sweet, sweet pussy."

Her heartbeat is nearly up to 20 beats a minute by the time he's done with her. The desk is a mess. Not just strewn with papers and pens but with cum and sweat smeared and puddled on it.

"Blainey," Her voice is hoarse from screaming, certain the clubbers outside the door could hear them going at it like rabbits. She clings to his neck, nails scratching at his scalp.

He's lying on top of her, trying to catch his breath.

"Please don't ask for one more, baby," He pants, "Cause I'll be honest, I don't think I have it in me."

"'M tired."

"Yeah, me too."

He pushes himself up, leaning on his arms to look down at her.

She looks absolutely wrecked. Countless orgasms and her hair is everywhere, lipstick smeared, eyeshadow running down her cheeks.

"You're beautiful," He whispers, leaning down to kiss her, "Let's go home."

She nods, letting him pull her into a sitting position.

He throws his clothes back on and helps her pull on her panties.

She tries to stand, but her legs are jelly beneath her and she nearly falls.

"I gotcha, sugar," He hooks his arm under her legs and scoops her up.

She wraps one arm around his neck, resting the other on his chest.

"My Prince Charming," She sighs sleepily.

"Now, I wouldn't go that far," He grins, "But I appreciate the compliment."

[burins]

it's time for my big books of the year roundup! gonna do a separate post for graphic novels/comics bc there were simply soooo many of those this year. bolded are my particular favorites

JANUARY

The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability: For All of Us Who Live with Disabilities, Chronic Pain, and Illness by Cory Silverberg, Fran Odette, Miriam Kaufman (reread)

The World We Make by NK Jemisin

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (audio)

The Future Is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes and Mourning Songs by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal

FEBRUARY

The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness: An Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone by Ryan Dowd

Libraries and Homelessness: An Action Guide by Julie Ann Winkelstein

Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane (audio)

MARCH

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (audio)

The Stars Undying by Emery Robin (audio)

APRIL

Babel: An Arcane History by RF Kuang (audio)

Get Inside: Responsible Jail and Prison Library Service by Nicholas Higgins

MAY

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K LeGuin (audio)

The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin (audio)

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler

Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America by Mayukh Sen (audio)

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins (audio)

Paper Bead Jewelry: Step-by-Step Instructions for 40+ Designs by Keiko Sakamoto

JUNE

The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (audio)

Translation State by Ann Leckie

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Happy Place by Emily Henry

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

JULY

Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life by Alice Wong (audio)

SEPTEMBER

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 

The Sundial by Shirley Jackson (audio)

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan (audio)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

NOVEMBER

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield (audio)

Palestinian Walks: Forays into a Vanishing Landscape by Raja Shehadeh (audio)

Where the Line Is Drawn: A Tale of Crossings, Friendships, and Fifty Years of Occupation in Israel-Palestine by Raja Shehadeh (audio)

DECEMBER

The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane (audio)

Kissinger's Shadow: The Long Reach of America's Most Controversial Statesman by Greg Grandin (audio)

Golda Slept Here by Suad Amiry

The Trial of Henry Kissinger by Christopher Hitchens

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

below the cut, some writeups for my faves:

Wolf Hall - it's not news but Hilary Mantel is among the best to ever do characterization in just a few sentences

The Future Is Disabled - emerging from the rage & fear of being disabled during COVID lakshmi piepzna-samarasinha never lets us forget the joys of disabled community

Libraries and Homelessness - this is partly a spite pick bc i HATED ryan dowd’s book so much. this is an empathetic and practical guide to providing services to unhoused patrons that encourages community partnership, is full of examples, and isn’t miserably condescending!

Underland - i liked this so much i wrote a cave scene in timkon road trip fic. The texture of the prose is delicious!

The Stars Undying - i don’t actually know the story of antony and cleopatra very well but this was a very tasty space opera with messy messy characters

The Lathe of Heaven - still thinking about this 7 months later! Every year I read a LeGuin and it knocks me on my ass for the rest of the year. The opening scene is one of the best things I’ve ever read. (I liked The Dispossessed very very much but I loved Lathe.)

Mimicking of Known Successes - delightful noir-flavored scifi, great worldbuilding and equally great exes.

Some Desperate Glory - do you ever leave a cult against your will, and also you’re the worst girl in the world! This one is for all the clementine kesh fans. Breakneck.

The Haunting of Hill House - this was a great year for me to read books written 50+ years ago. I tweeted about it when i read it but ooghhghhgh this book is devastating. What if you got everything you ever wanted and finally felt at home and everyone called it evil.

Where the Line is Drawn - this was my second book by Shehadeh and it never shies away from the thorniness and hurt inherent in human relationships formed amidst occupation. Really, really excellent.

Kissinger’s Shadow - concisely unravels the ways Kissinger’s legacy shapes every part of US foreign policy you’ve ever heard of. Also really gets at the paranoid ouroboros of Kissinger’s personal philosophy.

Golda Slept Here - the legacy of several Palestinian houses, told through an eclectic mix of personal narratives, photographs, and occasional poetry. Funny and angry and heartbreaking.

[eretzyisrael]

by Meghan Blonder

The head of the New York City public school system testified to Congress that he recognizes the "urgency of addressing" and "rooting out" anti-Semitism. Just weeks prior, he held an event alongside an anti-Semitic Democratic fundraiser who has promoted Holocaust denial and runs a pro-Hamas Facebook group.

Chancellor David Banks testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee on Wednesday to address the New York City public school system's response to rising anti-Semitism. He told the committee that his schools are "focused" on being a "candle in the darkness" in the fight against Jew hatred.

"At New York City Public Schools, we are focused on our charge to fight hate and foster inclusion through safety, engagement, and education," Banks said. "We’re working hard and we have a long way to go. There’s always more to do. I hope in New York we can be a candle in the darkness."

Less than a month before, on April 11, Banks and New York elected officials held an Arab American Heritage celebration which featured anti-Semitic Democratic fundraiser Maher Abdel-qader, who has promoted Holocaust denial and online content that describes Jews as "Satanic." Banks posed for a photo with Abdel-qader, who also is the founder and administrator of a Facebook group called "Palestinian American Congress" where members have posted anti-Semitic content and cheered Hamas terrorists.

In 2018, Abdel-qader shared a video that said Ashkenazi Jews are "not true Jews," accused Israeli Jews of "identity theft," and cast doubt on the validity of the Holocaust. "The Jews in Israel are not true Jews, they are Khazars Ashkenazi Jews, identity theft," the video said alongside a photo of a Jewish man wearing a ski mask to cover his face. "Research the truth about the Holocaust, and you’ll definitely start to question what you thought you knew," the video’s narrator says. In another post, Abdel-qader compared Israel to ISIS and accused the Jewish state of running "concentration camps."

In a 2017 post that echoed an anti-Semitic trope of Jews controlling the government, Abdel-qader claimed Sen. Ben Cardin (D., Md.) was a "foreign agent."

"Our US Congress is full of ass-kissing Israeli defenders. A few of them are actually unregistered foreign agents. Ben Cardin is one of them. He is convincing the rest of the lowlifes in Congress to throw away our rights to free speech, and kowtow to the illegal so-called 'state' of 'Israel,'" Abdel-qader said.

In the days after Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, members of Abdel-qader's Facebook group cheered the terrorist group's fighters.

An Oct. 12, 2024, post in Abdel-qader’s Facebook group read, "We don't want to throw you in the sea ... we want you to ride it back from where you came," accompanied by a photo of a Hamas terrorist with an elderly Israeli hostage. Another post commended the "achievements" of "resistance" fighters after they killed Israeli soldiers.

NYC Public Schools posted a photo online of Banks speaking at the event, with the caption: "Today we hosted our inaugural Arab American Heritage Month celebration!"

The revelation comes as other Democratic members of Congress also embraced Abdel-qader around the same time. "Squad" members Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.), Cori Bush (D., Mo.), Summer Lee (D., Pa.), Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), and Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.)—many of whom face a pro-Israel primary challenger—embraced Abdel-qader at an April 18 Washington, D.C., event.

Abdel-qader served as Tlaib’s finance committee chair during her first congressional bid in 2018 and has donated thousands of dollars to her campaign. Tlaib repeatedly thanked him for his help multiple times during her 2018 campaign. In November, he advertised a fundraiser for Lee and Tlaib, saying the "Squad" members "wholeheartedly" support the "just cause for Palestine."

In one photo from the event, Abdel-qader stands front and center displaying a special document, flanked by Banks and other leaders.

The celebration included a "showcase" of Arabic cuisine, music, handmade artistry, and cultural exhibits. The event also "honored" Abdel-qader and a Palestinian New York City police officer who spoke about the importance of the "Palestinian cause" for their "coordination and contributions to making the event both unique and enlightening," Arab America reported. Banks "commended their hard work and leadership,"according to the report. Abdel-qader was listed as a contributor to the article.

A New York City Department of Education spokesman distanced Banks from Abdel-qader.

"At our Arab American Heritage event we had only two honorary speakers: NYPD captain Filastine Srour and New York state assemblyman Nader Sayegh. We did not invite this individual to our event, nor was he honored, and the chancellor neither knows this man nor endorses his views," the spokesman told the Washington Free Beacon. Abdel-qader did not return a request for comment.

Banks during his testimony indicated that both Jewish and Muslim students have experienced hardship since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, and the school system is working to accommodate both groups.

"Our classrooms are not insulated from the global stage. Since October 7, our students and staff—Jewish and Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian—have suffered immensely," Banks said.

[sunnyxdazed]

NOT CORY “serving ass” as he called it 😭

[clonepa]

ok so for my oc cory ive been mentally flip-flopping weather i should let her keep her weave or now (he will have black hair but in magical form it will be yellow) but i think its a bit of a serve to have a long-ass weave while playing softball, but like would you think it would be practical. i do think her having like shoulder length dreads that she ties up/would be easy to put under a cap would also be nice

[crossdressingdeath]

Tahel, getting to know the Archdemon on a spiritual level, and thus being able to transform into them is dope.

I'm just imagining Cory and his bitch ass dragon staring him down and being all like "Muhahaha you can't defeat me!"

Tahel:🖕*transforms*

Honestly, if I ever do a full rewrite of Inquisition (which I probably won't but whatever, it's fun to think about) Alaris would absolutely go and find Tahel instead of Random Mythal Dragon (side note, is it just me or does that whole plot point come straight out of nowhere and fuck off back to nowhere immediately after the fight). It might be even more fun if Alaris doesn't know about the whole "whoops letting an Archdemon's soul pass through them gives a mage the power to shapeshift into an Archdemon" thing and it just kind of happens with zero warning.

Also: Tahel in essence becomes a (mostly) uncorrupted Old God. One of Corypheus's gods. I don't care that Corypheus doesn't worship them anymore, that would cause some Issues. Let me give someone else a religious crisis for once, Bioware! And of course the concept of Corypheus and Alaris both fighting through what are essentially false gods, except Corypheus created his by warping and torturing a preexisting creature to force it to serve him while Alaris just made friends with a guy who is simply Like That, is so fun and sexy.

[strawberrysapphocake]

NOT CORY SAYING HE’S “SERVING ASS” I ACTUALLY CANNOT—

[justinsentertainmentcorner]

Sean Rameswaram at Vox:

At the end of January, when Universal Music Group (UMG) failed to negotiate a new licensing deal with TikTok, it removed its entire music catalog from the app. Just like that, thousands of videos featuring music by artists like Drake, Taylor Swift, and Bad Bunny were suddenly silent.

UMG said it made the decision because TikTok offered to pay only a fraction of the rate that other social platforms offer. For its part, TikTok said that Universal was putting “their own greed above the interests of their artists and songwriters.” Some of those artists and songwriters have spoken out about the situation. “I think it’s ass-backward, and at the very least we should have known,” said Jack Antonoff to reporters in the press room after winning Producer of the Year at the Grammys earlier this month. “You got a whole industry being like, ‘You’ve got to do everything; you’ve got to do everything, and here’s where you’ve got to do it,’ and then one day it’s like, ‘Poof!’” Musicians aren’t the only ones upset about this disruption. Content creators like Jarred Jermaine, who breaks down music samples on TikTok, posted a video of himself in tears claiming that videos he created that contained UMG music were taken down. And dancer and content creator Lars Gummer told the Daily Beast that he went from “shocked” to “disappointed.”

“Most of my friends in LA are content creators, especially dance creators,” he said. “So immediately we all were angry about the decision made between UMG and TikTok.” In a recent episode of Today, Explained, digital activist and writer Cory Doctorow told host Sean Rameswaram that companies like TikTok “don’t have to care” about the disruption they cause their users. Doctorow coined the phrase “enshittification,” which he uses to describe a process that digital platforms use to lure customers in, giving them goods or an experience they can’t find elsewhere, only to make it worse for them down the line in order to better serve their business partners. “I think that the calculus that TikTok is making is that they would rather inflict pain on their customers than on their shareholders,” said Doctorow. “So whatever it is that Universal was asking, [TikTok’s] customers could live with that pain, with having the videos that they worked on for hours or days or weeks and put maybe thousands of dollars into suddenly rendered silent because TikTok decided not to step up for their interests.”

Totally disgraceful that UMG decided to pull off their songs from TikTok.

From the 02.09.2024 edition of Vox's Today, Explained:

[moontheoretist]

"So as you probably know the Hero of Ferelden if alive (We don't know anything about activities of Orlesian grey warden that served as a replacement in awakening for dead HoF) then he seeks cure for calling/taint regardless of any choices made. However, as Avernus established it's possible (albeit it appears with blood magic, possibly in form of his potion) to postpone the calling along with your lifespan to at least double that of human (Avernus lived something about 200 years). So in essence if taint was cured (removed) like in Fiona case the warden would be just normal life span, with Avernus method he has double of that. Aside from quest to even further postpone the calling and perhaps even obtain some sort of immortality and/or moral constraints about using blood magic (which depended on player if warden would have, if any moral constraints at all). The warden could allow Avernus to conduct his research be it without any ethical constraints or with unspecified ones and from letter we can obtain in DA 2 we know he left detailed notes of his research to the warden in those two scenarios. However such quest for immortality is not only not supported in evidence but also in some scenarios contradicted as for an example Leliana if romanced states that quest is so they can grow old together. However exceeding human lifespan is not much of a milestone for the warden with Avernus research so growing old together wouldn't be much of an issue.

So unless Hero of Ferelden wants to become immortal like Corypheus, improve on Avernus method in terms of longevity of life, perhaps has moral qualms about using methods that Avernus used (which would depend on how player played the warden) or just killed Avernus it seems to be a redundant quest.

This whole HoF reference in Inquistion appears to be a mess and not just in regard to this whole quest."

~ by Honker912 on reddit

"I find it odd that no-one has thought of evoking the research of Avernus. As I have said, the Joining in its present form is crude and inefficient. Through his research, Avernus (who seems to be much older and saner (albeit rather cynical) than Larius) has been able to artificially lengthen his life and apparently avoid the calling. He also hints at even greater possibilities that seem to go further even than those discovered later by the Architect. Whether this implies immortality or just bad-assness (or both!) remains to be seen."

~ by Emil Olai on Dragon Age wiki talk section

I only recently reminded myself of Avernus. I never even once thought about him during DAI when I learned that HOF went to look for the cure. It feels now like such obvious example. Avernus did study the Blight and managed to extended his life to the point where he never actually ghoulified as he should. He lived for 200 years and still looks like a normal person, with his mind intact. Isn't that weird? That we collectively forgot about it and just took in stride that HOF went off to look for the cure, as if they didn't already find a guy who maybe didn't cure it, but slowed it down so much that it lost its very scary feature that is ghoulification and hearing the Calling. We may not be able to cure the Wardens with it, but we could have maybe somehow stop them from hearing the artificial Calling that Cory has created. And if not stop that, then at least make Wardens to live longer, long enough so their life wouldn't be so miserable. Mages who are Wardens are said to live for only 15 years. Imagine how huge of a difference it'd make for them? Regular Wardens live a bit longer, but it's still a very short life if you got drafted young. Avernus' research is groundbreaking and could be used as a bounce-board to looking for a true cure Fiona style.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

Gotham 5x05

oh okay Jim's old army boyfriend is here I guess. Harvey's about to throw up.

oh my god I guess Selina murdered Jeremiah and I missed it because I wasn't looking. oopsie poopsie but also I know that bitch isn't staying dead so nothing matters. they're probably about to introduce a third even more secret and significantly more evil triplet named Jeraldo.

oh Riddler's bullet journaling

it's actually sincerely INSANE!!!! absolutely fuck crazy!!! that the Riddler has been a core member of the cast since season 1 and they decided to have him spend half (or more???) of the final season just. talking at himself.

oh shit oh my god it's a plausible riddler murder trap let's gooo

god the people of gotham are so perpetually down to form a mob and murder someone. medieval peasant behavior.

it's episodes like this that make me REALLY think the writers had developed like actual genuine beef with Cory Michael Smith by the last season.

what I wouldn't give to get margaritas with the cast of gotham and let them be extremely candid about their thoughts on the show

goddddd god god god this show will get SO close to doing something interesting with Selina and her deeply insidious self-loathing and then they just. SQAUNDER IT. ALWAYS.

Oswald went to check on Ed's stupid ass while the entire city was falling apart... found him dying and took him to Hugo Strange... still considers Ed his only friend... making heartfelt declarations about how if they kill each other they'll do it personally... I'm...

god nobody does homo drama like shows where male homosexuality is illegal

if these two don't spend the rest of the season sucking each other off I swear to christ (they won't) (hate it here)

Riddleboy asking Barbara if she's ever known him to do something dumb. mmm. not the gotcha he thinks it is!

Oswald actually doing a phenomenal job summing up how I prefer the Riddler to be written ("games... puzzles... the odd murder here and there, but not hundreds of people")

even Hugo Strange is gettin' one over on the ol' Riddler this episode... miserable

NOT THE EXPOSED BRAIN JESUS CHRIIST NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

god BD Wong serves so much cunt in every episode tho

LMAO WHAT

taking the cast to brunch and the writers to a tribunal to answer for their crimes tb quite h

bad news, friends

after nearly three blissful months away it is time to descend back into the depths of the final season of Gotham

Gotham 5x03

don't remember what the fuck is going on? great news! I don't either!

I said I'm pretty done with Oswald and I still stand by that but if anything happens to his silly little bulldog I'm going to kill everyone in this room and then myself

I've already questioned why the entire GCPD is still bothering to put on suits and ties every day but man WHERE is Selina finding the time or the products to do her eye makeup like this

Penguin binder spotted beneath his terrible weird one-piece old man pajamas... I love you awful gay trans man rep...

BABY'S FIRST GRAPPLING HOOK!!!!

I can't even hate this off-brand Harley she's just absolutely nothing to me. go away. turning in a performance that would make her a fan favorite at the average haunted house tho.

I'm gonna be so real you guys this is really looking like another episode in which absolutely nothing happens in 43 minutes

boy I sure hope nothing happens to this precious broken-armed child who's bonding with Jim

oh my god it took less than two minutes

you guys I'm fucking. I'm losing my mind someone just blew up that child and EVERY OTHER REFUGEE IN GOTHAM

god that's bleak

[tenacyti]

brb just trying to manifest bradley losing her shit on cory in 2.09

[alanshemper]

Lifestyle environmentalism is worse than a waste of time and energy, it is actively counterproductive. Not only will personal lifestyle choices have next to zero impact on the trajectory of climate change in the face of global capitalism, but you lose a lot of people by not connecting the issues of climate and the environment to their material needs. Listen to Cori Bush talk about it here.

"Activists" have been trying to promote lifestyle changes to increase "awareness" for literally decades and it does. Not. Work. What lifestyle environmentalism is actually doing is reinforcing a capitalistic perspective that just serves to blunt the collective organizing needed to hold the people responsible for climate change accountable and socialize the wealth they have stolen while destroying the planet.

Individual action and personal responsibility are absolutely the wrong way to frame the fight for our planet. Systemic problems demand systemic solutions, and the climate crisis demands a communal response and deep organizing. It's socialism or barbarism, and if you sit on the fence for too long, you're liable to get splinters in your ass.

So quit worrying about about the choices other people make to survive under crushing neoliberalism, and start worrying about how to get people a living wage and healthcare, so that we can all organize to take back public ownership of our utilities and energy systems and build a livable, stable future for everyone.