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familiarscars · 3 months ago

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Lost In Control | Bad Omens | CHAPTER 16

adult content | minors do NOT interact.

⋆ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. Bad Omens X ex-girlfriend and singer!Reader.

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒. You and Noah had a difficult ending, but you still need to support each other for the band.

⋆ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆(𝐒). melancholy, ex-boyfriends, difficult relationships, alcohol abuse, swearing, drug addiction, violence.

It's okay to not agree with the characters' attitudes during the fic. It's good to remember that the story is fiction from the author's sick mind, and of course they will make dubious decisions according to my fantasies. Nothing is done to be compared to reality.

Los Angeles, February 12, 2020

A bigger house was all you two needed.

After stepping inside with your right foot first and staying inseparable, you both surveyed the empty room filled with nothing but hundreds of stacked cardboard boxes. You let out a simultaneous sigh, clapping your hands together.

You and Noah had refused any kind of help, deciding you could handle the unpacking and organizing on your own. You rolled up your sleeves, hit play on a random song, and ran together to open the windows, letting light flood the room. Any solo task easily became a duo mission when he wanted to be involved, even in moments where you were just holding a box.

“Your space in the wardrobe is tiny!” you exclaimed, hands on your hips and biting your lip. Noah stood beside you, tilting his head as he stared at what would be his new reality from now on. “Maybe I shouldn’t have brought so many clothes.”

“It makes me think I just don’t buy enough clothes,” he said with a shrug, scratching his head with the tip of a screwdriver.

“You still wear the pants you had on our first date, so yes!” you teased, nudging him with your elbow.

“They’re excellent pants, okay?”

“Ripped in the butt.”

“That’s what makes them lucky pants!” he declared, setting the screwdriver aside and threatening to come toward you.

Barefoot and bothered by the texture of the dust on the floor, you stepped back and started running from him, hearing the sound of heavy footsteps, laughter, and swearing trailing behind. You ran down the upstairs hallway, descended the stairs, and he slid straight down the banister, stopping behind a pillar where you both stared at each other, breathless.

“Lucky pants, huh?” you teased.

“I wore them the day I saw you, and the next time I did, you were at the bar again. Ever since, they’ve been my lucky pants.”

You didn’t believe in those things, but he did, so you simply went along.

“I would’ve been there anyway,” you said softly, only seeing half his face around the plaster structure.

“But I’d rather believe it was luck because I never had any before.”

Neither did you.

Laughter echoed through the house as you both tried to decipher a manual while assembling a nightstand. Pieces were scattered all over the hallway floor, none of them making sense, and you couldn’t help but giggle every time you saw his brow furrow in frustration at the incomprehensible instructions.

“Uh, maybe furniture assembly isn’t our talent…” you pouted, holding up a piece that was obviously glued wrong. “Yeah, definitely not.”

“You give up too easily!”

“Or… I think we should call someone who actually knows what they’re doing.” You shrugged while Noah shook his head in defiance.

“No!” he replied confidently, snatching the piece from your hand. “Of course I can do this myself!”

“Alright then, Mr. I-Can-Do-It-All-On-My-Own. Since I’m sure we won’t have a nightstand, I’ll start looking up new models online.”

“HEY!” he shot back indignantly as you got up from the floor and placed a kiss on the tip of his nose.

Noah smiled and immediately dropped the furniture piece beside him, grabbing you by the legs until you tumbled into his lap. Your faces collided, close enough to feel his breath brushing against your skin. You watched as he nestled into your hand, his eyes closing as you stroked his flushed cheeks, warm from the house’s temperature. His lips met yours slowly, and like a puzzle designed to fit perfectly without a single missing piece, the kiss still felt as if it were the very first time.

“Thank you for this,” you whispered softly against his lips, your foreheads pressed together.

“For what exactly?”

"For giving me a home."

He smiled, brushing the tips of your noses together, and grabbed the side of your face with that usual strength of someone who fears losing what they hold between their fingers. His voice was always soft when he needed to assure you that he was there. You never doubted it, but he made a point of repeating it so you would never forget.

How much he loved you.

"You are my life, little storm, and I only knew the peace of a home I wanted to stay in when I laid my eyes on you," he said softly, swallowing a bit. "I live for you."

I live for you.

That you had never felt so loved since your paths crossed was an undeniable fact, but sometimes you were afraid.

Noah seemed as dependent on you as he was on air to live, and there wasn’t a single moment in your life when he wasn’t by your side. When that didn’t happen, he seemed lost, anxious, restless, as if something were missing from his pocket. It was as if, over the years, he had unlearned how to survive in your absence.

But you found it worrying because you knew you weren’t the best home. Your walls were fragile, your roof was glass; there were no doors or windows to protect him from a possible earthquake in the future. You couldn’t control your own structure and feared for yourself every day but feared even more for him because you knew he would never endure the shock of dealing with the rubble of the place where he had lived.

"I DID IT!" he said excitedly, lifting a single leg of the piece of furniture he had managed to screw together just so you could see it from behind the counter. "Look! Look!"

"Wow!" you feigned surprise, bursting into laughter soon after. "We’re doing so well that I think we’ll have a nightstand by the end of the month!"

"You’re pathetic!" Noah grumbled, flipping you off before turning his attention back to the parts on the floor.

Your smile slowly faded as the smell of bacon filled your nostrils, and the sound of it sizzling in the frying pan formed a backdrop to your thoughts.

You loved him like you had never loved anything in your entire existence. If love could be compared to a painful, visceral feeling, you didn’t care, but that’s exactly how you felt. Your whole body burned in his presence, and every unhealed wound seemed to sear with the intensity of the rising temperature. Noah radiated life; he was good and honest. He didn’t reek of impurity; he didn’t carry a heavy shadow. He had never known anything truly bad in the world; he still believed in justice.

You never wanted a moment like this to break. You never wanted anything to pierce the reality you had created for yourselves.

You never wanted him to know what it was like to be you, and that’s why you protected him.

About to perform at another intimate show, you leaned your head against the mirror in the bathroom after wiping away another line from the sink. From that distance backstage, you could hear the crowd. Luckily, you weren’t feeling so down today, maybe thanks to all the serotonin injections you’d taken in the morning. That didn’t guarantee enough strength to stay sober, especially when being clear-headed made you overthink.

You hated overthinking.

As you left the bathroom, you checked the mirror to see if your makeup and outfit were in place and sighed deeply, noting it was enough. Your fingers swiped another layer of gloss over your lips, and as you set the closed tube on the vanity, you could hear what sounded like a conversation between two people outside.

The dressing room walls were thin, and pressing your face against the material, you could make out Gerard’s agitated voice talking to another guy. Slowly, you slid your fingernail into the crack of the door and opened it just enough to see the scene outside. He was running his fingers through his hair, red-faced and furious, while the other man stood impassively with his arms crossed.

"How can you spring this on me at the last minute?" he shouted. "You know I don’t let merchandise sit around collecting dust! I move it, and now I’m already late!"

Merchandise? Your eyebrow immediately shot up.

"There’s not much I can do for you, man. I’m just the messenger," the other guy shrugged, his nonchalant response only making the vein in Gerard’s neck bulge.

You nearly lost your balance in surprise when Gerard lunged at the guy, grabbing him by the collar and pulling their faces close.

"Then you’re going to tell your boss that I want that merchandise in my hands by the end of the day because if I get called out by the people above me, your boss will be in for three times the trouble. Got it?"

The guy’s eyes widened as he met Gerard’s gaze, swallowing hard before being slowly released back onto the ground. You watched as he nodded and walked away, turning his back on Gerard, who adjusted his posture and took a deep breath as if slipping into another persona.

"Wow!" Applause erupted from you as Gerard turned, his expression hardening upon seeing you leaning against the dressing room door.

"I hope you’re ready to go on stage."

Of course, he’d play dumb as he approached you slowly, sly as an animal stalking its prey. But you were so used to dealing with him that you flashed the most challenging smile, biting your lips between your teeth.

"Fascinating!" you repeated, sarcasm dripping from your voice as you smirked provocatively. "Don’t worry, Gerard. I’m not surprised. Just impressed by how little effort you put into hiding your little secret. It’s almost as if you wanted someone to find out, and how lucky it was me, huh? We’re already used to keeping secrets for each other."

He furrowed his brow, trying to stay calm, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his irritation. Gerard was clever, but he wasn’t used to being confronted like this, especially by someone like you.

"You’re delusional," he shot back, crossing his arms and leaning against the chair in a forced attempt to appear relaxed. "I don’t know where you get these ideas, but I wouldn’t doubt you’re high as the good-for-nothing liar you are!"

"Am I?" you tilted your head as if genuinely intrigued. "If it were just about the drugs, I might let it slide. After all, what are a few kilos of powder circulating between musicians and executives? But when you start messing with our contracts, skimming money, and using our image as a front, that’s when it gets personal."

Gerard scoffed, but the disdain on his face couldn’t hide the shadow of worry now gleaming in his eyes.

"You don’t have any proof."

"Don’t I?" you raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying his defensive tone. "The question, Gerard, isn’t whether I have proof. It’s that I know. And that should be enough for you to start worrying."

You took a step forward, the tension in the air growing even more palpable.

"I know you're using our name to launder your dirty money. I know you couldn't care less about what happens to the band as long as the numbers in your ledger look good at the end of the month. And I know you think no one will dare to confront you just because you have dangerous friends."

He narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed by the direction of the conversation.

"You think you can threaten me when you live in a glass house?" he asked, his voice low and dripping with venom. "Your little boyfriend has no idea that you stick your nose into a line every thirty minutes, all on my dime! You have a terrible reputation—it wouldn’t take much for people to buy the story that you're my accomplice in all of this, using your mediocre career as a front. Who do you think they'll believe? The violent singer who assaults paparazzi and gets on stage high or the exemplary businessman with a spotless record?"

He genuinely believed his words might rattle you, but instead, you just rolled your eyes. You couldn’t care less about your reputation.

"Gerard..." you replied, a cold smile curling your lips. "I don’t need to threaten you. I just need to keep doing what I do best: keeping you in my grasp, constantly unsettled about the moment I might open my mouth. In the meantime, you should start wondering how much longer you have before it all comes crashing down."

"You have no idea what I’m capable of if you keep insisting on crossing me."

"I couldn’t be more excited to find out."

You turned your back on him, letting the weight of your words linger in the air, and walked out of the hallway without looking back, knowing you had planted a seed of unease that Gerard wouldn’t be able to ignore.

And you? Well, you were definiteuly screwed.

⭑ @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard ; @iluvmewwwww75 ; @anarchydomainglory ; @foliosgirl ; @lma1986 ; @chey-h ; @supersquirrel1996 ; @zozaline ; @just-randomm-stuff

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jc-martin-og · 3 months ago

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Disney TVA Universe Timeline (Forever and Always)

⚠ Contains spoilers from: Gravity Falls, Amphibia, and The Owl House.

Summer 2012: Gravity Falls events take place. A division of the FBI is sent to investigate the location, but they come back with apparent amnesia. Bill Cipher is defeated

2016: In Amphibia, a frog finds 3 strange numbered diaries with golden marks shaped like 6-finger hands on their front covers near Wartwood, storing them in the local library.

2017: Dipper and Mabel Pines finish school.

2018: Dipper and Mabel start attending college. Dipper pursues a career in journalism. Mabel pursues a career related to tourism and business management.

May/June, 2019: Anne steals the Calamity Box during her 13th birthday. Anne, Sasha and Marcy are teleported to Amphibia.

October/November, 2019: Anne returns to Earth with the Plantars, escaping King Andrias.

January, 2020: Anne and the Plantars return to Amphibia and join Sasha and Grime in the Wartwood Resistance. They plan how to defeat Andrias and rescue Marcy.

April/May, 2020: Frog-Vasion to Earth begins in Los Angeles. The Core is defeated. Anne, Marcy, and Sasha leave Amphibia and return to Earth. The Calamity Stones are destroyed.

June, 2020: Amphibian technology remains are taken to Area 51 in order to be studied.

Summer 2020: Marcy Wu moves to Massachusetts.

2021: Due to his actions during Frog-vasion, as well as his actions in covering an event of such magnitude months after, Mr. X is promoted to Special Agents in Charge (SAC) within the FBI, taking command of the Unidentified Supernatural Affairs Division (USAD).

Summer 2022: Luz Noceda gets trapped in the Boiling Isles.

September, 2022: Luz and the Hexsquad try to stop Belos and the Day of Unity, but they are forced to escape back to Earth by the Collector.

November, 2022: Dipper and Mabel graduate from their respective careers. Mabel returns to Gravity Falls, Dipper moves to San Francisco. March, 2023: DARPA develops the first successful hybrid technology prototype derived from Amphibian technology.

Summer 2023: Mr. X and the FBI initiate an undercover investigation related to an unidentified wildlife virus in Gravesfield, Connecticut.

October 31st, 2023: Luz, Camila, and the Hexsquad return to the Boiling Isles Belos is defeated, and the Collector becomes an ally.

2024: Project "Amber Genesis" becomes operational.

January, 2025: The US government stablishes "Protocol Black Moonlight."

February 2025: The FBI is rebranded as the "Federal Bureau of Intervention" by the US goverment. Shock Force 51, or the "Shock Division Against Unidentified Treaths" is created.

2026: Luz starts a new life in the Boiling Isles.

May/June, 2029: Anne Boonchuy celebrates her 23rd birthday. An unauthorised failed portal attempt to Amphibia is carried by Dr. Terri and Mr. X.

May/June, 2030: "Operation Calypso" takes place in the Bermuda Triangle after a series of strange quakes. The Scatter is awakened. Mr. X and his division are considered KIA. Protocol Black Moonlight is activated. Anne Boonchuy Celebrates her 24th birthday.

Well everyone, here's a brief timeline of everything related to the crossover universe, all carefully pieced together! 🕰️✨

Took me a sweet time to put everything in order and make it feel connected, as well as to figure out when did some things happened, given how shows like The Owl House in particular don't count with canon dates, only a few clues to figure out when did some stuff took place.

I also used the so-called "Recovered Files" videos I made as a way to promote the fanfic, which back when I was just starting helped me organize everything and tie it all together now 😊

This timeline was inspired by requests from readers who wanted a clearer picture of when the events of the fanfic take place, so I hope it helps you navigate the story’s timeline and enhances your reading experience! Let me know what you think! o(*￣︶￣*)o💬💜

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taekooktimeline · 1 year ago

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July 30, 2023 (filmed), February 14, 2024 (released) -

We finally have a BB of Jk’s Inkigayo stage performance! A smiling Tae arrives to support him -

Timestamp 2:33

Tae, at first, stands over Jk. Jk knows who’s entered the room, even with his eyes closed. He clearly was expecting Tae, and he “greets” him by asking, “What?” It should be noted, as others have pointed out, that they didn’t greet each other with the standard “Hello” or “How are you?” This is another indicator of how close they are and how much time they spend with each other to skip these formalities.

There’s then a noticeable cut, with Tae now air-straddling Jk. The subsequent interaction between them is so incredibly domestic! Jk is adorably pouty as he twice asks Tae, in a soft voice, where he’d been.

Timestamp 2:40

Tae explains in an equally super soft, low tone that he had been practicing. Jk repeats in an inquiring, yet still soft tone, “Practice?” Tae further explains that he was at dance then violin practice, before working out.

Timestamp 2:50 https://x.com/v1230mp4/status/1757708423280640268?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Translation -

https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1758376772562010549?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Also something to point out is that when Tae stood over Jk, Jk’s legs lay flat on the ground -

Once Tae’s legs were encased around him, Jk lifted a leg up so that he could reciprocate his touch.

CT to Eve for the observation - https://x.com/evexece_kthjjk/status/1758339565239099456?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

And it’s super cute how Tae seems to have left his glasses on Jk’s luggage while they talked -

In the next clip, Jk starts boxing while Tae looks on.

Timestamp 2:51

We then see Taekook playfully boxing together.

Below is a close up of Jk’s soft, fond stare as they box, complete with his adorable dimple on display (and he was focused on Tae the entirety of them boxing, not their hands and movements!)

https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1757731117128679917?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/jeonjkloops/status/1757709108927439093?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/kveline_/status/1757721535119274154?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/dionyxxsustkx/status/1757741281340494321?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Of course, this isn’t the first time this precious duo have boxed together. Tae uploaded a video of them boxing on Jk’s birthday, September 1, 2022, posting the video as soon as he landed in Seoul from NYC.

Tae’s post - https://x.com/bts_twt/status/1565075044703019008?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Recap - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2022/694602961670766592/we-finally-got-the-taekook-sparring-video-tae

And while it’s not the exact same thing, I also thought of Tae boxing on Jk’s abs in ITS season 1, episode 3. Remember, this is a sign of closeness, as all Tae said was, Today were working on abs,” nothing further, and Jk understood context and lifted his arms to expose his tummy.

Recap - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2020/632423882773676032/may-26-2020-filmed-soop-episode-3

And we also got to see this PTD boxing moment between the two -

https://youtube.com/shorts/eRGSXEwaEKw?si=7fHDWS5gv5ztEAWS

Jk looks back and watches Tae as they practice the choreography for his record breaking song, “Seven.”

Timestamp 3:04

Tae confirms a dance move with Jk -

They practice once more, with Tae exclaiming the choreography is hard.

Tae gives Jk encouragement and support, attempting to massage him as he softly speaks to him. I also want to note, as others have, that the staff didn’t react in any way to Tae massaging Jk, which indicates that this is habitual and a common occurrence between the two.

Timestamp 3:22

Translation -

https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1757723740887306298?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/v1230mp4/status/1757708897417400325?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Tae playfully receives Jk’s congratulatory stash (“Seven” won first place at Inkigayo!) -

timestamp 4:08

Jk imitates Tae’s 2020 “Gidaryeo gidaryeo” at the end of his “3D” segment of his M countdown prerecording -

Timestamp 7:47 https://x.com/bangtannieslayy/status/1757714312607773013?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Remember, during Jk’s February 3, 2023, live, he twice imitated Tae’s “Gidaryeo gidaryeo.”

The fact he’s so endured by this adorable moment (shown below) that he imitates it even 3+ years later is so cute.

https://x.com/taesmug/status/1621513590330261506?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/koovarbie/status/1621506463335329795?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

Recap of this 2023 live here - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2023/708525777682038784/february-1-2023

Prior recap of Jk arriving for Inkigayo - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2023/724383250492145664

Prior recap of Inkigayo - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2023/725289352690843648

Recap of Jk’s live the day after Inkigayo - https://www.tumblr.com/taekooktimeline2023/724837237671575552

Raw - https://youtu.be/WvU6SWsg0_4?si=KmBs-hgA84Jk5bJL

#taekook #taekooktimeline #2023 #closeness #supportive #playfulness #boxing #cuteness #Inkigayo

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blckbarbiedoll · 9 months ago

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Million Dollar Baby

Epilogue

February 22, 2020-Los Angeles, California

You placed the dirty plates and silverware into the dishwasher before joining Patrick on the couch and waited for your other halves to join you.

"Do you think she liked us?" You asked.

"She's a seven year old. I'm sure she was just focused on her dinosaur chicken nuggets."

"She's our partner's daughter. It'd be nice if she likes us."

Tashi and Art joined you in the living room soon after. They handed you both glasses and poured some wine.

"She loved you guys." Tashi smiled. "She said Patrick was funny, and you were very pretty."

"What'd she say about the whole relationship thing?" Patrick asked.

"She was a little confused, but then she said it's okay because now she gets another mommy and daddy, and more Christmas presents."

"Thank god." You sighed.

"You know, we were thinking." Art said. "Now that you guys are married and Lily knows about us..." He looked to his wife.

"We were thinking, why don't the four of us...ya know?"

"No, we don't know."

"We're proposing, guys."

You and Patrick looked at each other and smiled before you jumped up and embraced them both.

"I love you so much!" You exclaimed before kissing them both.

"Is that a yes?" The blonde asked.

"Yes!"

You all turned to look at Patrick who had remained silent.

"Pat?"

He smirked and nodded. "Yes. I wanna marry you both so fucking bad." He came over and pressed a soft kiss to Art's lips before doing the same to Tashi.

"Even though it can't be legal, we thought we could still make it official." She pulled a small box out of her pocket and opened it. "I know it's not much. We didn't wanna be too flashy."

You both looked at the two silver wedding bands and grinned.

"There's an inscription on the inside." Art told you.

You picked one up and turned it over.

'Love-Love'

"They're perfect."

You both took your own wedding bands off and slipped the new ones on.

"What about you guys?" You asked.

"We got some for ourselves. We were waiting until you said yes."

"Well put them on!" Patrick said excitedly.

They giggled and pulled their rings out of their pockets and copied your earlier actions.

"We should live together." You stated. "I mean, it'd be kinda weird if we're married and live apart. But I totally get it if you don't wanna do that right now."

Tashi grabbed your hand and grinned. "I already got the Alaskan King up the stairs. You're moving in."

"Good." Patrick said. "I cannot have Art's cold feet against my legs anymore."

"Oh, you love my feet."

"Not when I'm sleeping."

"Did you tell your parents?" You asked her.

"I'm saving that for another day. Right now, I just wanna be with my family."

You all began to cuddle together on the couch. You raked your fingers through Tashi's hair while Art was sitting in between Patrick's legs.

"Do you guys remember when we first met?" You asked the group.

"Like it was yesterday." Art smiled. "We thought you two were goddesses."

"We still do."

"I used to think about what would've happened if we hadn't gone to your hotel room. But now, I don't give a shit. This is way better."

"I love you guys." Tashi smiled as she reached over kiss the boys before kissing you.

"We love you too."

Later that night, you all made your way up the stairs and got into bed.

"I love this new bed." Patrick said.

"Maybe now I won't have your morning breath in my face." Art joked.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

He climbed over Tashi and laid in between you and Art.

"Now you will."

"You're insane."

"You love it." He planted a soft kiss onto his lips and smirked.

"I love this family." You grinned before cuddling into Patrick's side and drifting off to sleep.

#challengers #fanfic #ayesha brown #million dollar baby #patrick zweig x reader #art donaldson x reader #tashi duncan x reader

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justinspoliticalcorner · 10 months ago

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David Nir at Daily Kos Elections:

Missouri Democrats scored a major win on Friday after Republicans abandoned their effort to make it harder to amend the state constitution. The victory paves the way for a ballot measure that would restore abortion rights to pass with just a simple majority this fall. The stunning climb-down came thanks to a record-breaking Democratic filibuster and bitter internal divisions among Republicans, both between warring factions in the Senate and between the upper and lower chambers of the legislature. Republicans were open about their desire to thwart an effort to undo Missouri's near-total ban on abortion by moving the goalposts for an amendment that's likely to appear on the ballot in November.

To that end, they sought to place a measure on the Aug. 6 primary ballot—just ahead of the November vote—that would require amendments to win not only majority support among voters statewide, as is currently required, but also a majority in five of the state's eight congressional districts. Those rules would have made it much harder to pass progressive proposals—but not conservative measures—thanks in large part to Republican gerrymandering. The fifth "bluest" district in the state (northern Missouri's 6th District) voted for Donald Trump by a daunting 37-point margin, putting it far to the right of the state as a whole, which Trump won by 16 points in 2020. By contrast, the tipping-point district for conservatives would have been the 3rd District, which backed Trump by 26 points.

[...] Like any confection, this candy was sugary, empty, and unnecessary. Republicans proposed to woo conservatives by including provisions that would ban non-citizens from voting and prohibit foreign political donations—things that are already illegal under state and federal law. Democrats were prepared to fight the GOP's amendment fair and square at the ballot box and would have let Republicans send it to voters (albeit with Democrats voting against it) without any blandishments. But they objected furiously to the inclusion of conservative candy. And they had good reason to, since this tactic had proven successful in the past: In 2020, voters repealed a redistricting reform measure they'd passed in a landslide two years earlier by narrowly adopting a Republican amendment that included some fig-leaf ethics reforms.

The Senate's Democratic minority turned to one of the few tools at its disposal to keep ballot candy off the ballot. In February, Democrats successfully staged a 20-hour filibuster that led the chamber to pass a version without these artificial sweeteners, though the measure's sponsor, Republican Mary Elizabeth Coleman, said at the time the battle to reinsert them wasn't over.

[...] As a result, on Thursday afternoon, the House rejected the Senate's request for a confab. Democrats, their bodies exhausted but their spirits energized, stood ready to renew their parliamentary marathon, knowing they would only have to sustain it until 6 PM local time on Friday—the drop-dead end of the legislative session. That turned out to be unnecessary. While the chamber's leader, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, made one last public attempt early Friday morning to encourage the House to pass a ballot candy-free version of the amendment, the Senate adjourned a short time later. [...] Now the focus will be on November, when voters are very likely to have the chance to reinstate the right to an abortion. Earlier this month, reproductive rights advocates submitted more than double the number of signatures needed to place their amendment on the ballot. A review of those signatures is pending, but few in Missouri doubt they'll hold up—which is why Republicans were so desperately trying to pass their amendment.

Great news in Missouri: The Republican bid to end simple majority rule at the ballot box got quashed, thanks to the Senate Democrats filibustering SJR74.

That means an abortion access ballot measure will be on the ballot come November.

#Missouri #Missouri SJR74 #Missouri SJR74 Filibuster #Missouri State Senate #2024 Ballot Measures and Referendums #Abortion

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year ago

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Welcome Bienvenue, Rollo.

{January 30th to February 2nd}

Please read the Birthday Blog Takeover Submission Rules. Yes, I’m reviving this from 2020-2021 just to honor Roro—

Something was amiss.

Of that, Rollo was certain.

The air at Noble Bell College had been strained all day, pulled taut like the tightened strings on a violin. Every so often, those strings would be plucked, sending a wave of tension rippling through the campus and setting his bones shaking. There were whispers passed, quick glimpses made, stifled laughs shared between his aide and vice president.

But the instant he so much as cocked his head in the direction of the guilty parties, they would nervously retreat out of sight. Alas, no chance for a proper chiding--nor to divulge their secret.

What do I care of their matters? Rollo scoffed, dismissing the idea of pursuing them. He made his way down the hallway and to the student council's quarters. So long as it does not interfere with my duties or cause a commotion, there is no reason for me to step in. Leave fools to their foolishness.

Rollo swung the door open and stared into an abyss. The fireplace that normally warmed the space had been extinguished, leaving the room blanketed in darkness.

He sighed, running a hand along the wall. His fingers met the light switch and flipped it, light flooding his field of view.

Students, his aide and vice president among them, sprung out from behind furniture. Gargoyles swooped down from the ceiling. Each grinned and chorused, "SURPRISE!!"

Pop, pop, pop!! Crackling, colorful confetti rained down, settling on Rollo's robes and inside of the large brim of his headwear.

He blinked, dazed as the students descended on him. One offered a party hat, another ferried a platter of petit fours, and several more bore wrapped boxes topped with bows. Excited chatter on all sides, eager eyes in every direction.

"... What is this fanfare?" Rollo demanded warily.

"It's your birthday, Mister President!" his aide beamed. "Don't tell us you forgot."

"It isn't that I forgot," Rollo massaged his temples. His growing frown was difficult to conceal with a single folded square of cloth. "It's that I had plans to tend to some important documents today. This is... an unprecedented turn of events."

"You're always working so hard for Noble Bell College and your peers, putting work before yourself," his vice president said.

"We've never seen you have fun your birthday once in all the time we've known you," a gargoyle added.

The aide nodded. "That's why we decided to throw this special celebration in your honor! Let us handle your duties for the day while you relax with your friends.”

"No, I couldn't possibly allow for you to..." Rollo's voice trailed off as realization set in. "Wait one moment. When you say 'friends', who exactly are you referring to?"

“Oh, we were in correspondence with them to prepare for the party,” explained the vice president. “They should be joining us soon. It’s just a short trip for them through the mirror.”

Through the mirror? His gut wrenched with dread. No, it can’t be…! Not possible!!

“Flamme.”

He turned at the voice calling his name, looking as though he had seen a ghost.

Faintness overcame him, and the handkerchief which he reverently clasped to his face fluttered to the ground. Rollo’s face was a show of open shock. “Y-You…!!”

There, in the doorway, was a gaggle of boys in black uniforms edged with golden trim. A band in various colors and a unique emblem was proudly displayed on every left arm. Seven variants, seven dorms.

At the front of the pack was a horned man dripping in black.

They're here. He's here.

Searing bile rose in Rollo's throat.

The villains of Night Raven College. They've returned to torment me.

The horned man's lips pulled back, revealing blinding, knife-like incisors. His voice was a rumble that could shake the mountains. "It is a pleasure to see you again."

Rollo knitted his fingers together tightly, his knuckles going bone white. "Malleus Draconia and company. How kind of you to pay a visit to the City of Flowers."

"Well, it is an important acquaintance's day of birth." Malleus extended an arm to him. His smile was mocking, twisted at the corners. "It is good manners to come and greet the blessed boy."

Rollo snorted, careful to not let his expression sink into a too-obvious sneer--not in front of his classmates. "You will have to excuse me. I don't recall granting you such information."

"Ah, that," Malleus chuckled darkly. "One could say... a little bird told me. Excitable creatures, those. I do believe she is in attendance as well--likely lost in this sea of guests. Do remember to give your gratitude for organizing this get-together, for now you have no need to fear being alone on this momentous occasion."

That Malleus Draconis, he's patronizing me!! Rollo snarled internally. Bells played a resounding war ballad in his head. Were his rage any greater, steam would be pouring out of his ears. How dare he...

Before he could get a word in, his aide and vice president excitedly flanked him.

"Isn't this great, Mister President?" the vice president asked, heartily smacking Rollo on the shoulder. "All your friends gathered in one place to celebrate you and your achievements."

"We worked really hard to put this together," the aide chimed in. "We hope you enjoy it."

"This is our thanks to you!" A line of gargoyles bounced up and down--perhaps the most animated he had ever witnessed the slabs of stone. "Happy birthday, Rollo!"

The words shriveled in his mouth.

He took one look at his fellow student council members. Their jubilant, shining faces met him. He looked at the waiting Noble Bell College students behind them, and then the Night Raven College students walling off his only route of escape. They wore smirks in varying shades. And the dancing gargoyles.

Rollo was caught like a mouse in a trap.

A monstrous roar ripped through the room. "Let's get this party started!!"

"Yes, quite..." Rollo muttered unenthusiastically. He was easily drowned out by his overjoyed classmates.

Rollo glowered to himself as he bent to retrieve his fallen handkerchief. His harsh glare burned a hole in the floor.

The man's carefully crafted schedule, interrupted. Peace and quiet, shattered. His worst enemies in his sanctuary. And he, tiredly relenting and resigning to it all.

What am I going to do with these charlatans...?!

#twst #twisted wonderland #Rollo Flamme #Malleus Draconia #twst en #twisted wonderland en #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #twst interactions #twisted wonderland interactions #twst imagines #twisted wonderland imagines #twst scenarios #twisted wonderland scenarios #Rollo birthday takeover

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adventuressclubamericas · 3 months ago

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Katherine Johnson had a strong aptitude for mathematics from an early age. This skillset would lead to her graduating magna cum laude from West Virginia State College (at the age of 18!), to becoming one of the students to integrate West Virginia University, and, eventually, to her work in aerospace.

In 1953. Johnson became part of the pool of mathematicians working in the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics’ (NACA) Guidance and Navigation Department in Hampton, VA. She was part of the team reading data from airplane’s “black boxes” and performing complicated, precise calculations with the data. One day, she was “temporarily” reassigned to the flight research team, where her grasp of analytic geometry impressed her superiors to the point that, “they simply forgot to return me to the pool.”

NASA replaced NACA in 1958, ending the “official” segregation of the Langley facility. Johnson was part Project Mercury that would send Americans into space. She calculated the trajectory for Alan Shepard’s flight when he became the first American, and second human, to go to space. John Glenn famously demanded Johnson double check the calculations a digital computer had made for the first orbital flight, refusing to fly until she made sure the machine had done it right.

Johnson continued to play a critical role in the development of America’s space program, including being part of the Apollo program, including calculating the trajectory of Apollo 11. The backup procedures and charts she worked on helped the Apollo 13 mission return safely to Earth after the disaster that cut that mission short. Johnson would also work on the Space Shuttle program, and the early days of NASA’s Mars mission before retiring from NASA in 1986.

Among her many honors, Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama, NASA’s Silver Snoopy award, and the Congressional Gold Medal. Mattel also made a commemorative Barbie in her likeness, including a NASA identity badge.

Adventuress Katherine Johnson died at her home in Newport News, VA, on February 24, 2020. She was 101.

#adventuresseswelove #adventuresses

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lemoncrushh · 9 months ago

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Seven Six Five - Part Five

Summary: They met once seven years ago. Now music has made them cross paths again.

Warnings: smut, body image issues, angst. 18+ ONLY!

A/N: Enemies to Lovers. This was originally written and posted in 2020, right before the pandemic, so the story takes place then with flashbacks of 2013. Harry Styles x Plus Size OC, written in third person.

Part Five Word Count: 4.9k+

STORY PAGE

29 February, 2020 - New York, NY, USA

Bronwyn walked home from the Corner Cafe after an early lunch meeting with Antonella. There’d been no celebrity sightings this time, although she found herself checking her phone for new messages from Harry. None had come yet, and despite her knowledge that he’d be busy, she couldn’t hide the disappointment.

Arriving at her building, she took the steps and shoved her phone into her coat pocket. When she opened the door, she smiled at the postman who was doing his Saturday deliveries.

“Number 102, right?” he asked.

“Um, yes sir,” Bronwyn replied.

“Have a package for you.”

The postman handed her a large, thin box and asked her to sign for it. Perplexed as she hadn’t ordered anything, and was not expecting any post, she noticed the Express label on the front and the California zip code.

“Thank you,” she muttered, her eyes on the package as she took the stairs to her flat.

Shutting the door, she leant against it as her fingers found the edge of the box and pulled the tab. Who would be sending her something from California, she had no idea, but when she pulled out the familiar album cover, she gasped.

Harry.

Setting the record on the counter, Stevie’s figure adorning the cover in a red dress as she crouched on a black and white chessboard floor, Bronwyn, took her phone out of her pocket and shook one arm out of her coat. Pulling up Harry’s contact, she began to text him with one hand.

Did you have a record sent to me through the post?

Placing the phone next to the album, she shrugged out of her coat completely and hung it on the rack by the door. Running her hands through her hair, she didn’t expect to receive a reply right away, but was surprised when she heard the notification.

Oh good, it came.

???, she texted back.

Suddenly, her phone rang in her hand, causing her to almost drop it. Answering the call, Bronwyn went straight into her objection and confusion.

“The postmark says California. Why would you have a used record shipped to me from there?”

She heard Harry chuckle through the phone, and instantly she regretted not giving a proper greeting.

“It’s not just used, love,” he said. “It’s mine.”

“Yours?”

“From my personal collection. I had it sent overnight from my house.”

“W- Harry. W-why would you do that?” Realising she probably sounded vulnerable, Bronwyn tried to laugh it off, making a joke. “You couldn’t find a copy here in New York? I mean, this one is in near perfect condition, but I don’t reckon this album is that hard to find.”

“Mmm…” Harry sounded, sending a vibration through the phone. “That particular one is.”

“How so?”

“Look inside.”

Opening the sleeve, Bronwyn pulled out a sheet of paper with lyrics on it. Although she recognised the handwriting, it took a moment for it to register. Stevie’s.

“Oh my God!” Bronwyn shouted.

“Those are Stevie’s original lyrics to a song on there that I really like,” explained Harry.

“‘Ooh My Love’. It’s one of my favourites too.”

“She gave them to me,” Harry said. “Now they’re yours.”

“Oh God, Harry, I can’t accept this!” Bronwyn gasped as she sat down shakily on her sofa, the record and lyrics still in her hands.

“Why not?”

“This is...way too special. You should keep it!”

“I want you to have it,” he declared.

“Why?”

“Because you lost your copy of the album. Mine was just sitting there collecting dust. And you’re the only other person I know who would appreciate it as much as I do.”

Chills ran throughout her body as Bronwyn tried to catch her breath and evaluate her emotions.

“I don’t...know what to say…” she finally murmured, feeling her eyes start to well up.

“Say you’ll have dinner with me tonight.”

“Oh, Harry I-”

“I’m free all evening after...six o’clock. I’d really like to spend it with you.”

Unable to hold back the smile that crept on her lips, Bronwyn instantly felt a pang in her chest as she remembered.

“Harry, I’d love to,” she admitted. “But I have to work tonight.”

“Oh.” She could hear the disappointment in his one little word.

“It’s a local band,” Bronwyn continued. “From Queens. They’re playing downtown, and I’ve done a write-up on them before so they asked me…”

Her words stalling with a jolt, she had a brilliant idea. “Actually...would you like to join me?”

“Oh, I-”

“You totally don’t have to. You probably wouldn’t get recognised too much, at least not a mob. But I could understand if you don’t want t-”

“I’d love to,” Harry interjected.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Should be fun.”

“Great! Um...they go on stage around nine, and I have to be there a little early, so...meet me here around eight?”

“I have a better idea. I’ll come at seven and bring dinner.”

“Harry, you don’t have to…”

“Stop saying that,” he argued. “You have to eat, right?”

“Right. Seven it is.”

“Yes, it was a strain on her, watching her castles fall down…”

Bronwyn sang along to Stevie as she stood in the bathroom, preparing for the evening. Her hand shook as she applied her eyeliner, the thin pen slipping from her fingers and falling into the sink.

“Bloody hell,” she muttered under her breath and picked up the pen. “Get a grip, Bronwyn.”

Never had she felt so nervous before...a date. Was this a date? Harry had made it seem like it was, promising to bring dinner and all. However, she hadn’t wanted to be presumptuous, given that he was leaving in a couple of days. But, she didn’t want to think about that.

Putting the finishing touches on her makeup, Bronwyn slipped into her boots and had just stepped through the beaded curtain when the buzzer sounded. Seven o’clock on the nose.

“Hi love, it’s me,” she heard him call through the speaker, which only added to the butterflies gathering in her stomach.

Buzzing him into the building, she waited for the knock before opening the door. He stood on the other side, a bag in each hand and a grin on his face.

“I come bearing gifts,” he beamed, lifting both bags. “If you consider food and wine gifts, that is.”

“Well, who the hell wouldn’t?” Bronwyn quipped, taking one of the bags.

She headed for the kitchen, Harry on her heels. Placing the bag on the counter, she watched him do the same with the other bag before he looked at her.

“Hi.”

“Hi yourself,” she grinned. Then she turned back to the bags. “Okay, thanks for the dinner, have a good night!”

Harry chuckled which only made her lose her poker face and start giggling.

“C’mere,” he said, reaching for her.

Happy to oblige, Bronwyn fell into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck. She beamed up at him, taking in the twinkle in his eyes as he smiled back. Then tilting his head, Harry kissed her gently, his soft cherry lips tenderly caressing hers.

“You look incredible,” he cooed against her skin, his breath falling over her mouth.

“Thanks.”

“Now I’m worried I might be underdressed,” he remarked, stepping back to remove his jacket. He wore a simple graphic t-shirt with jeans that flared at the bottoms, and his black trainers.

“Don’t be silly,” said Bronwyn. “You look...perfect, actually.”

Harry’s lips twitched into a smile. “Thanks. I reckoned we’d be going to a bar so...didn’t dress up.”

“I might have sent you to change if you’d shown up in that blue jumper,” she teased.

“Heeeyyy.”

With a laugh, Bronwyn took Harry’s jacket and walked to the door to hang it on the rack. She could feel his eyes on her as she turned back around. She liked the way his gaze made her feel. She’d chosen one of her vintage dresses for the evening, a green and black chequered one with long sleeves. She’d always felt pretty in it, but the way he looked at her made her feel indescribable.

“I’ll get the dishes, if you open the wine,” she smiled as she passed him on the way back to the kitchen.

“Oh, yeah,” he blinked, reaching in the first bag. “Where’s your corkscrew?”

“Right drawer,” she said, grabbing two wine glasses and two plates from the cupboard.

Bronwyn watched Harry effortlessly open the bottle of wine, pouring a generous amount into each glass before placing them on her table.

“Hey, I hear Stevie,” he commented.

Bronwyn snorted. “Took you long enough.”

“Well, I was distracted,” Harry smirked as he reached into the second bag. “I hope salmon and greek salad is okay. I wasn’t sure if you ate meat, or had a preference. I should’ve asked, sorry.”

Bronwyn glared at him, then looked down and opened her arms wide. “Do I look like a picky eater to you?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Stop it, you.”

“I’m just saying…” Bronwyn shrugged. “But yes, that’s fine. Sounds delicious, really.”

As soon as their plates were loaded, Harry and Bronwyn took seats at her tiny table, a small candle burning in the center of it.

“Just realised this is my first time here at night. It’s really nice,” smiled Harry as his eyes darted around the room at the ambience. Candles were scattered about, giving it a warm and twinkling glow. “I like the candles; they’re very you. And they go with Stevie.”

Bronwyn’s cheeks blushed pink as she remembered lighting the candles before he came. “They’re not too much?”

“Not at all.” Lifting his glass, Harry urged Bronwyn to do the same. “Cheers.”

The nerves suddenly came rushing back again as Bronwyn took a sip of the light, crisp wine. She hoped it would ease some of the jitters, although she didn’t want to seem a lush. After a few bites of the delectable dinner, the record stopped, so she rose from the table to turn it over.

“I have to say,” she grinned as she returned, “it’s nice to listen to this again after all these years.”

“I’m glad,” Harry returned her smile. “Exactly when did you move to New York? Not sure if you told me.”

“Summer of twenty-sixteen,” she replied, lifting her glass. “Though sometimes it feels like yesterday.”

“Twenty-sixteen was yesterday,” Harry joked. “What was it like for you after you moved? Was it a culture shock?”

“Not really. At least not like I thought it would be. I’d already traveled here a few times, and as they say, New York is sort of a melting pot of cultures.”

“That’s true,” Harry nodded, his mouth full of salad.

“I met my friend Sylvia my first week here. She lived in this building then and introduced me to some of her friends. She owns her own tailoring shop downtown, and she helped feed my obsession for vintage clothes.”

“Kismet,” Harry grinned.

“Absolutely. I was helping her in her shop for a bit, just doing whatever she needed. I also worked at the Corner Cafe,” Bronwyn laughed. “Just to help with bills, you know. I got a few gigs here and there, but it wasn’t until I found Antonella...that’s my agent...and she started getting me jobs that things really started falling into place. And...well, here I am.”

“That all sounds wonderful. You should be proud.”

“I am. I don’t take anything for granted.”

“Good.” Harry laid his fork on his plate and leant forward. “I’m proud of you too, you know.”

Though his words did sound genuine, it was his tone that sent Bronwyn’s heart aflutter. Shifting nervously in her seat, she looked down at her plate.

“So is this turning into a When Harry Met Sally situation now?” she asked timidly. “We hate each other for years and suddenly become friends?”

“I never hated you, love. That was completely one-sided.”

Pursing her lips, Bronwyn nodded. “Fair enough.”

“Besides,” Harry smirked, another twinkle in his eye, “I believe Harry and Sally fell in love in the end.”

“Alright, so bad analogy.”

Harry’s cackle suddenly rang throughout the tiny flat and increased Bronwyn’s heart rate. She could feel the warmth on her face, and it wasn’t from the wine nor the candles. Wiping her hands on her napkin, she lifted her fork to take another bite of fish, unable to look him in the eye for fear she’d drown.

“I would like to be friends, though,” she heard him comment after a few moments, a small rasp in his voice. Lifting her gaze, she caught the dimple that decided to make its opportune appearance just before he added, “if not more.”

The Double X was a bar downtown, a block from where Bronwyn’s friend Sylvia lived. She pointed out her building to Harry before the taxi driver pulled up in front of the venue. She saw him reach for his wallet and stopped him, her hand over his.

“I’ve got this, Harry,” she insisted, handing the driver her card. When she detected the hesitation on his face, she winked. “I might let you buy me a drink later.”

Sliding out of the cab, Harry followed Bronwyn up the steps to where a large man stood to check IDs. He seemed to recognise Bronwyn, giving her a nod.

“'Ello Joel, good sir!” she greeted him. “I ‘ave comp’ny this evenin’.”

“I see that,” Joel remarked, jotting his chin out. “He have an ID on him?”

“Wha’? This be me best mate fro’ London, ‘arry Styles. You migh’ o’ ‘eard o’ ‘im!”

His mouth in a straight line that told Harry he was in no mood to play a trivia game of who’s who, Joel took the stamp he was holding and marked each of their hands. Once inside, the smell of smoke hitting them instantly, Harry chuckled in Bronwyn’s ear.

“What was that all about?” he inquired.

“I’ve been coming here since I moved to New York, so I know everyone who works here. When they first found out I was from London, they kept asking me to talk. Apparently they think everyone in the UK has a Cockney accent. So I sort of lay it on thick.”

Harry laughed as he ran his hand down her back. “Brilliant.”

Before she got the chance to recover from the chills his light touch had sent throughout her body, another voice boomed from behind the bar.

“London!” the man called. “Haven’t seen you around lately, sweetheart!”

“Been busy, love!” Bronwyn sang before pulling the strap of her camera bag over her shoulder with one hand and grabbing Harry’s with the other. She pulled him towards the bar, where she started the introductions. “Harry, this is Nikoli, though he prefers Nick. Only I’m allowed to call him Nikoli. And Nikoli, darling, this is Harry.”

“Pleasure, Nick,” said Harry, holding out his hand.

“Likewise,” nodded the bartender with a handshake. “You’re famous or somethin’, right?

“Shhh,” Bronwyn hushed with her finger to her lips before giving both men a wink. “So, are the boys here yet, Nikoli?”

“Yeah, they’re in the back. Should be out in a few. Can I get you guys somethin’ to drink?”

“Nothing for me just yet,” replied Bronwyn as she removed her coat, “but you can start a tab for Harry.”

Raising his brows, Harry glared at her. “You’re making me drink alone?”

“Only for now,” she beamed at him. “The wine from earlier is still getting to me. Besides, I have work to do.”

Shrugging out of his jacket, Harry claimed a stool and ordered a drink whilst Bronwyn removed her camera from her bag. He watched her as she seemed to set up her scene, deciding where to stand to take photos. She snapped a few of the empty stage before backing up, nearly bumping into him.

“Sorry, love,” she said, barely brushing her fingers across his thigh. “Mind watching my bag for me?”

“Course not,” he replied.

The look he gave her was enough to make her lose her cool and forget about the task at hand. With a quick blink, however, she turned back around and aimed her camera just as a pair of long, black denim-clad legs stepped onto the stage and took a place behind the drum kit. One hoot from the back of the room sounded as the rest of the band climbed on stage and slung guitars over their heads. Only the bloke in the center seemed to recognise Bronwyn, and he gave her a thumbs up before counting off the first song.

The band, somewhat of a cross between pop-punk and 90s grunge, were already three songs into their set before Bronwyn made her way back to Harry and the bar. With possibly the widest grin he’d seen on her face in the last few days, she paused in front of him, her chest heaving.

“Reckon I could use that drink now,” she declared with a wiggle of her brows. With her free hand on Harry’s knee, she leant forward. “Nikoli, darling, the usual?”

“You got it, babe,” called the bartender, grabbing a bottle of golden brown liquor.

“Are you having fun?” she asked Harry, catching his eye. Though she stood very close, she had to speak loud over the music.

“The time of my life,” he grinned, lifting his glass to his lips.

“Pfff,” Bronwyn sounded as Nick handed her her drink. “When they’ve finished this set, we can go sit over there.”

Harry followed her finger to where it pointed in the corner of the room, a large booth.

“Shall I go claim it now, before it gets too crowded?”

Bronwyn took a gander around the room, noticing in fact that it was starting to fill.

“Might be a good idea,” she nodded.

Sliding off his stool, Harry grabbed their coats and Bronwyn’s camera bag. “I’ll take these with me.”

“Thanks baby,” she beamed before planting a kiss on his cheek.

She didn’t miss the adorable look on his face before he turned for the booth. Catching the eye of Drea, one of the cocktail waitresses, she walked up to her.

“Hey girl, you look hot tonight!” exclaimed Drea. “And you brought some eye candy of your own, I see!”

“Thanks love,” said Bronwyn. “Listen, do me a favor? I hate to ask for special treatment but...well, he is rather special…”

“Say no more, hon!” Drea shook her head. “I got your back.”

“I owe you one!”

“No you don’t,” argued Drea. “You bring more business than anybody. It’s probably ‘cause of you we’re still open.”

Bronwyn watched Drea lift her tray and turn toward the booth that Harry now occupied. With a feeling of satisfaction, she set for the other side of the room to take more photos of the band.

After a couple more songs, the singer announced they were taking five, and the band stepped off the stage one by one. Camera in hand, Bronwyn began to cross the room when the singer stopped her.

“Hey, thanks for coming,” he smiled.

“Of course, Austin, you know I would, anytime you asked.”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Austin looked at the ground. “That’s so nice of you.”

“C’mon,” beckoned Bronwyn. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Austin followed her to the booth where Drea was just delivering Harry’s freshly made cocktail. As soon as Bronwyn began the introductions, she saw Austin’s jaw drop.

“No way!” he exclaimed incredulously. Then he looked at Bronwyn. “You know Harry Styles?”

With a gleeful laugh, Bronwyn nodded. Harry, no surprise, offered his hand to the young man.

“Nice to meet you, Austin. Sounding good up there.”

“Aw, thanks man!” Austin blushed. “I can’t believe you’d come to see us.”

“Well, to be honest, the company is the reason I came,” Harry smirked, side-eyeing Bronwyn who’d just slid into the booth beside him. She giggled when he squeezed her knee under the table.

“Ah, I get it, man. Bronwyn’s a cool chick. Her pictures and articles of us are probably the only reason we get booked for gigs anywhere in New York,” Austin snorted.

“Oh hush, you,” Bronwyn waved off his comment. “It’s because you’re good, and you know it.”

As Austin turned his head, he caught sight of one his bandmates who strutted over.

“Hey man, look who’s here,” he told him.

“No shit!” the tall blond cackled. “Somebody said he was here, but I didn’t believe it. Good to meet ya, man, I’m Jeremy.”

Jeremy and Harry exchanged hellos and handshakes, and soon enough, the rest of the band followed. Sipping on her drink that Drea had brought over, Bronwyn was happy to see her friends so elated. However, she didn’t want to make Harry’s appearance too big of a deal, so she was glad when the band returned to the stage. Grabbing her camera once again, she started to slide out of the booth.

“I’ll be back in just a few,” she paused to tell Harry. “I only have to take a handful of photos until the last song.”

“Okay,” he grinned, his eyes already starting to get glassy.

“Still having a good time?”

“The best.” Before she could anticipate it, Harry slipped his hand behind her neck and pulled her into a kiss. It only lasted for a second, but Bronwyn could feel it down to her toes.

“Be right back,” she whispered against his mouth.

That kiss made it hard to concentrate on her job, but Bronwyn managed to take several great live shots before opting for a break. Stopping at the booth, she smiled at Harry and returned her camera to its case.

“Going to the ladies’,” she announced.

Harry gave her a wink to which she responded with an air kiss. Once in the tiny stall, she let herself exhale loudly. All of the feelings she’d had that night seven years ago had returned full force. Not the bad feelings when she’d thought Harry had intentionally hurt her, but the good ones she’d experienced before that moment. Every nerve in her body tingled and her skin was on fire. She wanted him just as badly as she had that night...no, she wanted him more. A thousand times more.

At the sink, she splashed a little water on her face, hoping it would cool her a bit. It helped ease the warmth on her skin, but not the burning flames rising inside her body. With another breath, she opened the door and nearly ran into Drea.

“Oh girl, you’re so lucky!” she cheered. “He’s an absolute doll!”

“He is, isn’t he?” she heard herself say, not that she wanted to deny it. Not anymore.

“And he’s kept his eyes on you all night.”

“He has?”

“Oh God, hon, yes! I was watching him when I asked him if he wanted another drink, and when I brought it to him. His eyes were glued. I’d say he’s smitten.”

Biting her lip, Bronwyn returned to the booth and slid in beside Harry.

“Okay, I’m really back this time,” she said.

“Good,” Harry grinned, leaning forward so his forehead almost pressed against hers. “I was starting to get lonely.”

“I doubt that,” Bronwyn jeered. “I’m willing to bet anyone in this place would be happy to come sit with you.”

“Mmm,” he hummed. “I don’t want just anyone, though.”

Bronwyn chuckled. “Someone’s drunk.”

“No. Just feel good.”

“Oh. That’s good to know.”

Bronwyn lifted her hand then and ran the back of it against the stubble on Harry’s chin. He shut his eyes and let out another low hum, sending a vibration through her fingers. She was just about to allow her lips to brush his when she heard her name come from the stage.

“That’s her over there!” Austin shouted into the microphone. “With our new buddy, Harry. She’s fucking awesome, you guys. We probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her. So raise your glasses, your bottles, whatever you got...raise ‘em up high for Bronwyn! This song’s for you, babe!”

“Shut up!” Bronwyn exclaimed, immediately slapping her hand over her mouth as the band kicked into the rock song.

She felt Harry’s hand take hers then, threading their fingers together. She looked up at him, his face aglow with pride. Her eyes began to well up, but she quickly wiped them with a cocktail napkin before pulling out her camera.

“Guess I should take a few more shots and call it a night.”

Rising from the booth, Bronwyn made her way through the crowd, taking a few photos up front, next to the stage, and then scanning the perimeter. Austin smiled, giving her another thumbs up, which she took a shot of before lowering her camera and blowing him a kiss. Then returning to her date, she slid in next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

“That was sweet,” she commented.

“Looks like I’m not the only one you’ve made an impression on,” Harry murmured in her ear.

“Oh hush,” she spat, swatting at him with her hand. “He’s like nineteen.”

“So was I,” Harry laughed.

“Yes, but I was only twenty-two then.”

“Wait. That means you’re...twenty-nine? Oh my God, you old woman! What was I thinking?”

“Stop!” Bronwyn cackled, reaching over to tickle him but only managing to get herself pinned inside the booth.

His breath grazed over her lips and she smelled the tequila as her giggles slowed to a stop and she looked into his eyes. Though they were heavily hooded, she could still make out the twinkle.

“When do I get to take you home?” he slurred.

As though on cue, the band played their final drum beats, ending on a strong chord echoed by reverb. The crowd cheered and Austin thanked them before jumping off the stage.

“I guess right now,” Bronwyn breathed.

Slipping out of the booth, she made one last trip to the loo whilst Harry paid the tab. She wasted no time, meeting him at the bar.

“You guys have a great night,” nodded Nick.

“Goodnight Nikoli, darling!” called a very buzzed Bronwyn. “Night Drea!”

She wasn’t sure if Harry carried her out of the bar, or the other way around, but somehow they managed to get a cab. On the ride back to her flat, Bronwyn leant her head back and sighed.

“That was fun, Harry. Did you have fun?”

“Yes,” he laughed. “You’ve asked me that several times.”

“Sorry. Just wanna make sure.”

“I enjoy being with you,” he confessed, reaching for her hand. “And I’ve realised something about you tonight.”

“What’s that?” Bronwyn asked, turning her head to look at him.

“You’re in your element when you’re in public.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean...at your flat...you seemed almost timid and shy. Like you were afraid to tell me what you were thinking. Kind of vulnerable, I guess. Not that it’s a bad thing. It’s just...when you’re out in a place like this...just like the night we met...you’re so much more…”

“Flirty?”

“I was gonna say alive,” Harry chucked, “but yeah.”

“It’s a facade, Harry,” Bronwyn declared with a straight face.

“What? Why?”

“I don’t like being vulnerable. Especially around people I don’t know that well. So I pretend I’m not. The way I see it…” she paused, looking down at their joint hands, “if I come off as confident and flirty from the get go, no one is ever the wiser. That’s how they think I am all the time. So...everyone wins.”

“But you’re not like that all the time.”

Bronwyn considered his words, then raised a brow and shrugged. “We all have a dark side, Harry.”

“I didn’t say it was a dark side, I just-”

“Which me did you invite to your hotel room?”

Bronwyn stared at Harry for a moment, waiting for an answer, perhaps. But she knew what the answer was, so the point was moot. The silence grew between them as the taxi drove through the city and arrived at her flat.

“I’ll um...understand if you don’t wanna come up,” she muttered.

“What? Why wouldn’t I?” Harry glared at her incredulously.

“I mean...if you changed your mind.”

“I didn’t.”

“Okay.”

Bronwyn wanted to kick herself as she climbed out of the cab and up the stairs. She heard Harry’s footsteps following hers up the hardwood floor, stopping at her door. She wanted to take back what she’d said, yet she’d known it was the truth. The air was thick between them, and she wanted to clear it and start anew. As she put her key in the lock, however, Harry beat her to it. She froze in her spot as she felt him brush her hair off her shoulder and lower his head to kiss her neck, ever so softly. His breath in her ear and against her skin sent such shivers through her body, she almost dropped her keys. As she lifted her chin for him to get a better aim, she felt his chest press against her back until he turned her around to face him. Trapped between his body and the still locked door, she looked into his eyes. They seemed to plead with her, silently before he tilted his head and caressed her lips.

“Harry…” she gasped, her eyes still closed.

“It might’ve been the other you that nineteen-year-old me invited to his hotel room,” she heard him say, making her eyes flutter open to reveal his beautiful, sincere face. “But it’s this Bronwyn...the one who’s stood before me now...that I’m asking to sleep with me tonight.”

**dramatic music**

Please like, comment, reblog or send me a msg!

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK

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lulu2992 · 1 year ago

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Exploration of the now-offline Far Cry 5 official websites

Part 10: Joseph Seed

Recovered content

At first (archive from July 13th, 2017), Joseph didn’t have a description on the American website. He was just called The Father.

THE FATHER JOSEPH SEED Check back soon to learn more about The Father.

On or before February 9th, 2018, the website changed and more information was added about him:

FATHER Joseph has been spoken to by God who has tasked him with saving as many souls as he can from the end of the world. But rather than choosing to harvest these souls through peace, The Father chose the most vicious forms of manipulation possible. Backed by his siblings, The Heralds, and an army of fanatics, The Father is quickly cultivating lost souls and preparing them for The Collapse. And leaving a lot of blood and bodies in his wake.

The video was the Story Trailer:

youtube

Further down on the page, there was another information box dedicated to Joseph:

LEADER OF THE PROJECT AT EDEN’S GATE JOSEPH SEED Joseph came from a small town in the deep south of Georgia. His life was listless until one morning when he heard a Voice whisper to him, telling him that the world was headed for a Great Collapse. The voice gave Joseph a single directive: “Save as many as you can. Whether they wish to be saved or not.” Joseph welcomed the poor, the disenfranchised, the wayward souls who had been left behind by society and formed The Project at Eden’s Gate and after a time, migrated from the south to Hope County to create their “New Eden”. Joseph is driven only by The Voice and the knowledge that he alone is humanity’s savior.

Finally, on or before March 27th, 2018, a trailer about him was added.

Here is the video in question:

youtube

The page existed at least until February 7th, 2020.

On the European website, there was no description or biography, only a quote: “I am your Father. And you are my Children.”

Commentary

We saw (in previous posts) that the Father used to be described as a “maniacal leader” who was “merciless and manipulative” in 2017. In 2018, the Voice, Its message, and Joseph’s commitment to It were finally mentioned, turning the predator who would terrorize and abuse everyone he apparently was in an early version of the story into the character he became in Far Cry 5: a man who believes he is on a mission and will stop at nothing to accomplish it. That doesn’t change or excuse the fact that Eden’s Gate’s methods are more than questionable, and the website still rightly says the harvesting of souls (so the Reaping) is a “vicious”, bloody, and not at all peaceful process, but at least their motivations are now clearly explained. In my opinion, aside from making him more human, mentioning his absolute certainty that he is on the right path also makes him seem even more dangerous as an antagonist. Over time, Joseph became a more compelling character, and I like that the archives of the website highlight this evolution.

Under the cut are all the available source files, saved directly from the website, of the images you see in the screenshots:

#far cry 5 #joseph seed #eden’s gate

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salvadorbonaparte · 3 days ago

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February 2025 in Films

I watched a totally normal amount of films in February

Island Etude (2006) - A film about a deaf college student cycling around Taiwan and meeting interesting people. This film is so slice of life and slow that I originally thought it was a documentary. There is very little plot but beautiful landscapes and snapshots of people. I was moved by the enthusiasm and readiness with which locals helped the protagonist. I think there is something inherently exciting about getting to help another person and it's not every day you see a young man bike around the entire island with nothing but a bag and guitar.

The Laundryman (2015) - A hitman being haunted by the ghosts of the people he killed and teaming up with the medium is a great concept, but the film suffers from some messy writing. However, there is a gratuitous crossdressing scene and some very gender moments that are so intriguing that I want to watch it again.

18x2 Beyond Youthful Days (2024) - Similar to Island Etude this is a film about the connections we make while travelling and the unexpected kindness we meet. It follows a more predictable romance structure that made it a little boring to me and the plot twist didn't quite pack the punch it should have.

Midnight (2021) - Like Hush, this is a cat and mouse horror film with a Deaf protagonist and suffering from the same casting issue. It really utilises misogyny and ableism well though, which makes it a terrifying watch despite the setting being less isolated and the cast being larger.

My Lovely Angel (2021) - A drama about a scumbag pretending to be the father of a Deafblind orphan to get her dead mother's money and thus falling into so many things I dislike but somehow it still managed to pull on my heartstrings by the end.

The Divine Move (2014) - I don't know much about Go, except that it is complex, but I don't think it usually includes cheating, gambling, boxing, hypothermia or saw traps. Not a good film but I did have some fun.

Save the Green Planet! (2003) - A guy who kidnaps and tortures a CEO because he thinks he's an alien about to destroy earth. This is a really wild ride and I will present on this film in a class soon. Shin Ha-kyun is great in this. I am interested in how the film deals with reality, insanity and reliability.

Marathon (2005) - A biopic about an autistic marathon runner that has some outdated language and attitudes but it is from 2005 so what can you do. It did exceed my expectations and I particularly liked when the film made fun of Rain Man.

Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020) - A gorgeous neo-noir with Greek tragedy levels of dramatic irony. A series of unfortunate events. Fans of Fargo would love this.

Bangkok Dangerous (1999) - I could only find this dubbed into Spanish and pixelated as hell so I think I missed some nuances.

Angel's Voice Recorder (2015) - I am the first person to log this on letterboxd and I had to watch it with a VPN and google translate. As far as I can tell, this is about a Deaf family whose daughter begins to lose her hearing too and the father commits a crime to finance her hearing aids so she can continue singing in choir. Tung Ming-hsiang, who is also in Island Etude, is Deaf in real life, so the casting was good on that end.

Abang Adik (2023) - I love when tragedies are about love. This is a crime drama about two undocumented orphans in Malaysia struggling to survive and it rips your heart out. Same casting issue regarding hearing actors, though.

A Scene at the Sea (1999) - All of the ingredients of an underdog sports film but slower, quieter, and with an amazing soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi. Same casting issue, see above, but perhaps the time and plot make that a bit more understandable?

Pinoy Sunday (2009) - Two Filipino guest workers try to transport a couch through Taipei. I'm not a guest worker, but I get it. I transported a television through two towns in a suitcase recently. The longing of comfort in your home away from home, the homesickness, the need for solidarity.

The Village of No Return (2017) - A historical fantasy comedy about a village falling prey to a scam artist with a machine who can erase your memories. Funny, political allegory and some very cool set and prop design. Joseph Chang plays the himbo of all himbos and I wanted to kiss his stupid face.

Reign of Assassins (2010) - Michelle Yeoh, Jung Woo-sung, gorgeous costumes, wuxia physics, a love story for the ages. What more can you want?

Cobweb (2023) - Song Kang-ho as an unhinged filmmaker obsessed with changing the ending of his film but only having two days to do it and having to deal with censorship and other problems. Deeply chaotic and hilarious.

Lost to Shame (2016) - A cis actor is cast in a trans role, his friend comes out as gay, and he integrates himself with a local trans support group to understand his role better, but then this film takes an interesting, uncomfortable sharp turn towards hypocrisy and performative activism. I think it could have afforded more ambiguity.

Prince of Tears (2009) - I struggled to find a copy of this so shout out to my uni library. Like A City of Sadness, this film thematises the White Terror in Taiwan by focusing on how it affects one family and the people around them. There is some lesbianism, betrayal, accordion playing, and metaphorical as well as real hauntings (ghost sex?). I uploaded this to YouTube for free.

Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) - Apparently the answer to "what would get me to watch another MCU film" is Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh.

Sad Movie (2005) - Stupid title, mediocre anthology film. Only watched this to complete more of Jung Woo-sung's filmography but it was hilarious to see him play another character called Jin-woo using sign language but this time instead of "tell me that you love me" it's "tell her you want to see her boobs because her sister pranked you".

Happy Together (1997) - Hey, I have the sneaking suspicion they're not that happy together. Wong Kar-wai invented love, heartbreak, colours and he's the only director who can make smoking look sexy.

Joyland (2022) - The first film from Pakistan I watched. As a double feature with Happy Together this is the "these titles fucking lied" duology. Someone on letterboxd called this a film where "almost everyone is guilty but no one, in particular, is to blame" and that hits the nail on the head. Shout out to casting a trans actress.

High Heels (2014) - A crime drama about a closeted trans cop who wants to quit and transition but is pulled back into work by forces outside of her control. I have so so so so many issues with this film but the concept is intriguing and I think I could fix this if they let me remake it.

Murmur of the Hearts (2015) - The descriptions made it sounds like a love drama but it's mostly about family and trauma. If you know this it's good but I was a little disappointed. Since I was totally blorbo watching this, my favourite scene was the boxer (Joseph Chang) imagining his dead father helping him with the fishing hook as his eyesight is deteriorating.

Fly me to Polaris (1999) - Does this count as a cure narrative? Anyway, too melo too drama.

The Stolen Years (2013) - A woman wakes up from a coma not remembering anything after her honeymoon, including the divorce. I expected this to be a cute film about new beginnings and falling back in love but about halway through this suddenly turns into an Alzheimers drama and then ends in a mercy killing. Not a good film but still made me cry by the end. Shout out to it starting with a home movie scene that made me type "why is Blorbo from my Shows so dead wife in a flashback coded".

A Moment to Remember (2004) - A far superior Alzheimers drama that made me sob uncontrollably at like 1:30am. The funniest meet cute in the history of cinema. Jung Woo-sung in the same horrible haircut as in Mutt Boy. Watch this if you have 2.5h and want your heart to be broken.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - Another film for my Cinema Paranoia course. Slow start but then gets fantastically scary. Great cast. I argue this film is about Watergate and draws on the Martha Mitchell effect.

The Martha Mitchell Effect (2022) - Not sure if this even counts because it's just about 40 minutes but I watched this in preparation for my discussion on Invasion of the Body Snatchers because it's eerily relevant.

Rodan (1956) - Big rubber bird on a string. Watched this because our professor showed us a trailer and we all couldn't hold back laughter in our very serious graduate seminar.

City of the Rising Sun (1999) - Gay little earrings and homoerotic friendships and chronic nosebleeds and debt and dancing. Great film. Great soundtrack. Great outfits.

Daisy (2006) - Some of the most baffling editing choices I've seen in my life, not enough bicycles for Amsterdam, stalking, but there's something interesting about it.

Musa: The Warrior (2001) - A group of soldiers and a freed slave try to rescue a princess from Mongols in 14th century China. Some great fight scenes. To be fair I'd also act like a half feral guard dog to protect Zhang Ziyi.

Ringu (1998) - There's a good reason this put Japanese horror on the mainstream radar back then and it's because it absolutely slaps. Watched this for class and I have many thoughts about gender and the inevitability of death.

A Man of Reason (2022) - Sometimes actors need to make their own mediocre genre film for enrichment. That's okay. The directing was actually really good but the plot and pacing needed some work.

Beat (1997) - I had a bad day when I watched this and the 90s editing made me zone out occasionally. Motorcycle riding without a helmet is so scary. This feels like an early draft of City of the Rising Sun (homoerotic friendship and crime) and somehow also Mutt Boy (chill guy good at fighting) and Musa (slavery).

Woyzeck (1979) - I actually watched this for a class but it also counts towards my attempt to study Werner Herzog under a microscope. Klaus Kinski, as usual, is really good in this and I hate that with every fiber of my being. Surely there must have been other good German actors at the time.

Cold Eyes (2013) - It took me three attempts to watch this because my concentration span was so poor and the film so slow. I enjoyed the amount of stabbing.

Mothra (1961) - My beautiful princess Mothra. The film is sadly relevant to our times and I wish we were dealing with a big beautiful moth instead of fascism and climate change.

The White Dragon (2004) - An insane wuxia comedy/parody in a way that feels very early 2000s. It's about a shallow teenage girl becoming a kung fu master and falling in love with the blind swordsman she was meant to kill.

Asura: The City of Madness (2016) - My blorbo gets choked, slapped, beaten, kicked, burned, shot and he literally eats glass. Constantly covered in blood. What more can you want?

Another Round (2020) - Getting the immersive experience by drinking alcohol and worrying about my teaching. My first Danish film.

#film log #2025 in films #February in films #macks musings #cinephile

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thunderstomm · 3 months ago

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Welcome!

Hello, and welcome! My name is Tomm! I'm a 19 year old Australian artist and animator, currently in my first year of university!

My Interests

My current interests (in terms of media I enjoy) are as follows! I love to talk about the media I enjoy, as well as creating fanart, writing fan-fictions, discussing theories, analysis, and so much more! My interests are always subject to change, but things listed closer to the top are the things I am generally more interested or invested in. I have media outside of the ones listed which I enjoy, but these are the ones which I am most invested or interested in.

Monster High (G3 & G1 Dolls + Animated Series)

Hot Wheels (Die Cast Car Collecting + Netflix 'Let's Race' Animated Series)

Grojband (2012 - 2015 Animated Series)

The Fairly OddParents ('A New Wish' Animated Series)

Rainbow High (2020 Dolls)

List updated as of February 2025!

My Blogs

@thunderstomm (You are here!) - I post my personal artwork here, as well as fanworks for multiple fandoms here, as well as any other 'general' posts.

@thunderstomm-extra - My reblogs blog! If I reblog something without adding my own insight, commentary, or thoughts, it'll go here!

@flamebadge - My portfolio blog! This blog includes all of my professional work, as well as my university work!

List updated as of December 2024!

Disclaimers

My ask box (Talk to Tomm!) is ALWAYS open to everyone! Please be aware, however, that I cannot answer every question instantly, and to keep anything you send to me appropriate! I love to talk about my interests or projects, and am super-grateful for anything sent my way!

Please do not repost my artwork without explicit permission from me! If you are given my permission, please be sure to credit me, with username included. You are free to use my artwork as your PFP, as long as credit is given somewhere on your page!

Art requests are currently closed! Art trades are open to mutuals and friends only.

DNI If... If you're a proshipper, homophobic/transphobic, racist, ableist, zionist, etc. (standard DNI)

#thunderstomm #tomm talks #introduction #introductory post #pinned post

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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 3 months ago

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I got some word from the trenches... Well, someone else got the word from the trenches, and gave me the word...

Regarding MOANA 2's ascension from Disney+ show to feature film.

It was indeed speedran into this process and fast-tracked for this past Thanksgiving because an original animated feature slated for this season had gone down a particularly rocky road.

It was indeed the film set to be directed by Suzi Yoonessi, who was named director of an upcoming untitled original WDAS movie waaaaaay back in November 2019. That Middle Eastern-set fantasy... Something about it being a "massive mess", and Yoonessi "running out of time and chances" to fix it...

I think that translates to: Jennifer Lee and studio management and focus groups micromanaged the picture to death, trying to chase some kind of perceived greatness and great box office. It indeed often worked out for John Lasseter a lot, but not so much Lee most of the time, for STRANGE WORLD and WISH did very badly at the box office. MOANA 2 may be a juggernaut right now, but it's got mixed critical reception and won't be locking an Oscar nom. But we know why it's doing numbers, it's a freaking Moana and pals movie! That was destined to be massive on opening weekend. The film could have the worst legs and still be profitable.

So it seemingly is true, if the birdies are to be believed...

We just witnessed a very weird, frustrating, and fascinating chapter of Walt Disney Animation Studios' century-long history...

Following the start of a global pandemic, a flawed leadership turned out two films that failed miserably at the box office - STRANGE WORLD and WISH, the latter of the two films intended as a centennial celebration. Their next original was set for Thanksgiving 2024, but because of the micromanaging that helped hurt STRANGE WORLD (remember, that film's director Don Hall left the studio shortly thereafter) and WISH, it got put on hold. Possibly cancelled...

... and amidst the streaming bubble burst of the early 2020s, the same leadership decided to take a serialized spin-off of a past hit movie - MOANA - meant for Disney+ and hastily turn that into a feature to fill the vacant Thanksgiving 2024 slot. Turning it into a stopgap feature that pretty much made up for those past losses at the box office probably on brand recognition alone... Oh, and the chief creative officer stepped down prior to its release, with only a six-year tenure to her name...

I think I see what's happening here... They realized that this kind of leadership wasn't working out, or the way Lee herself was doing it. Again, director removals from movies and their stories being micromanaged is nothing new in feature animation. The big Renaissance faves went through iterations that were torn to shreds by Jeffrey Katzenberg. Lasseter made sure every movie made under his watch was to his liking, that the directors were making "Lasseter movies" at the end of the day. But Lee just wasn't cutting it, though not to the point where she completely departed the building. She's still there, now in a filmmaking position, so there's that.

But there's something screwy about all of that. This isn't like Walt Disney rerouting after World War II took the wind out of the studio's sails, and opting for anthology movies made up of multiple shorts and scrapped feature ideas (such as WIND IN THE WILLOWS and MICKEY AND THE BEANSTALK). Nor is this like how WINNIE THE POOH got fast-tracked at WDAS during Lasseter's tenure, about merely 2 1/2 years before its eventual release. Or even the rumored fast-tracking of FROZEN a little after it had been put on ice. Or even WDAS looking to Marvel after the parent company recently acquired them, for a feature only once. This was done very, very quickly and almost out of nowhere. When it was announced back in February, I was taken *completely* by surprise.

... and the thing was a huge success out of the gate... A temporary save for WDAS, and likely to become one of their biggest movies financially. This thing, a literally rushed TV show to movie...

It's a real first, and likely the only time that happens. At least, in terms of closeness to release date. I already emphasized that TIANA likely stays a Disney+ show, but if it gets turned into a movie, I can only hope it's a decision made well before any projected release date.

I think the era of WDAS (and Pixar) making quasi-movie-caliber shows for Disney+ is over, what's left for now is TIANA, and on the Pixar end there's the long-delayed WIN OR LOSE in February, DREAM PRODUCTIONS this month. I know of nothing else in the works for Disney+ that's like any of those shows or what came before (i.e. BAYMAX!, ZOOTOPIA+, CARS ON THE ROAD, DUG DAYS, etc.).

So now the next chapter begins...

Stopgap movie/former D+ series MOANA 2 is here and already made massive coin, Jennifer Lee is no longer CCO, two confirmed movies on the release calendar - ZOOTOPIA 2 and FROZEN III - started out as movies... And are also sequels to recent favorites. No matter who is in charge, more of them are simply inevitable. You'll likely hear a MOANA 3 or ENCANTO 2 announcement some time soon. But yeah, more sequels will keep coming. Been the nature of the beast for a while now...

It now seems that Suzi Yoonessi's movie is either dead in the water, was given to another filmmaker, or is being retooled further and will be held off for a while - maybe finally debuting in 2026. Maybe not. Maybe a completely different original movie has been cooked up over the past few years and will be ready for a fall 2026 release...

We'll have to wait and see where all the pieces fall...

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aectpen · 1 year ago

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𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ❆ 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐍

m.list

pairing: sunghoon x ex figure skater->idol!fem oc

synopsis: 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧'𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐲 𝐤𝐩𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩, 𝐤𝐚𝐲𝐨, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐘𝐁𝐄.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬.

chapter four: dear diary

in the spirit of reminiscing on the old times, once chaerin got back to the dorm, she opened up her "home" box. its where she kept her valuable items that brought her comfort away from home. the items include her diary, photos, jewelry, and more precious items. she hasn't written in her diary in a while, but its a relic of all her experiences. she was especially into journaling during her figure skating and trainee years.

as she sifted through the pages, she landed on a page that stood out. her fingers trailed over the tear smudged ink. her anger was evident through the force she used while writing the entry, almost tearing through the page. she felt like she teleported back to the moment she wrote it.

february 4, 2020 dear diary, i hate park sunghoon. i thought he was playing a sick prank on me, but he never turned around. how will i compete without him? how could he do that to me??? after how hard we worked.. i've never met anyone more selfish than him. he just laid it on me like it wasn't that big of a deal i'm gonna burn everything that has to do with him.

chaerin paused her reading to look back into the box. she most definitely didn't burn nor throw away anything that had to do with him. she picked up a polaroid she took with him on a day out. they went to the movies and got milkshakes afterwards. she put whipped cream on his nose and snapped the photo while he pouted and she smiled. it was the first time they had hung out outside of skating. it was the day they became friends rather than just partners. they realized they liked each other's company much more when they weren't so serious.

i'm crying but i'm not sad.. i'm angry i have cried out of frustration and obviously sadness but i never cry when i'm mad but honestly he will regret it when i'm at the olympics and he is in the dungeon training to be a flop idol god i really hate him fuck park sunghoon

"wow," chaerin whispered to herself. she forgot just how harsh her feelings toward sunghoon were. she continued flipping since she was so immersed in the angst of it all.

march 8, 2020 dear diary, i miss sunghoon skating is so boring it feels like a chore and my new partner is way too serious like wtf today i laughed after i fell on my ass and he was all like "is this a joke to you?" all stern boy bye i know sunghoon would've mocked his voice and we would laugh about it i was angry before but now im sad he was more than my partner, he was my friend and now i miss my friend sunghoon

chaerin reached for their good luck bracelet they made during practice. their initials separated by beads. they always wore it during competitions. they were undefeated since they made them, so they swore it was magic.

a month after writing that entry, she threw in the towel. she quit after a competition she had placed first in. she knew it was over when everyone was happy, but her.

june 1, 2020 dear diary, so today my friend told me about that new mnet survival show i-land right and i'm like okay i like txt so i'll tune in and today they revealed some trainees and you won't believe who i saw PARK SUNGHOON like you have to be kidding me my fantasy about him being a flop idol won't come true i will NOT be tuning in

june 26, 2020 dear diary, i lied i tuned in he looked okay i guess.. alright he looked good and he was really good perhaps i guess so maybe fans are loving the whole ex figure skater thing but its triggering me i kinda regret quitting figure skating. i could've went to the olympics and rubbed it in his face i thought i stopped hating him but i didn't. seeing his smug smile while everyone praises him and here i am hate-watching from my bedroom. if he didn't quit on me i would be so much more productive with my life i still hate park sunghoon.

september 18, 2020 dear diary, does the universe hate me? i cracked my phone, lost my keys, missed the bus, got an F, and park sunghoon made it to the debut lineup. i know one is not like the other but it was the cherry on top to my suffering :( i feel like an absolute failure doing nothing with my life while he's a famous idol my mom said i was used to be the child a mom would brag about, but now i'm the child you don't mention she said it so casually but i went to my room and cried for an hour straight i really have nothing going for myself

chaerin felt guilty looking back on how she treated sunghoon's success. she felt nothing but jealousy and hatred. how could he leave her and be successful? she thought he was making a big mistake quitting, but the truth was that was the best decision he could've made and she hated that. she wanted it to hurt him the way it hurt her, but not everyone gets what they want.

sunghoon's members began teasing him when they found out who he was with when he went missing for an hour.

"streets are saying sunghoon is already making a move on chaerin," niki announced.

"is sunoo's nickname streets now?" jay laughed.

sunghoon put his hands up in defense "oh come on, i was just catching up with her."

sunoo gasped "catching up? we missed out on some sunghoon lore."

"elaborate," heeseung crossed his arms.

"she was my figure skating partner."

"and they were figure skating partners." jake mocked.

"so you don't have a crush on her? i was really gonna take credit for introducing you guys." jungwon scoffed.

"i don't have a crush on chaerin."

the same was happening at kayo's dorm.

"chaerin!" haru barged into chaerin's room.

chaerin scrambled to put all the items back into her box, but she missed one.

"what's this?" haru asked picking up chaerin's polaroid with sunghoon. "oh my god? is that? that has to be a look alike."

"come on give it back!" chaerin chased after her.

"you guys have to see this." haru passed the polaroid to jie.

everyone gathered around to see while chaerin watched their reactions.

"how do you date park sunghoon and not tell us?" sujin shook her head in disbelief.

"i didn't date him, he was my figure skating partner."

"emphasis on partner, this is totally a boyfriend girlfriend pic," zena laughed.

"we were just friends that's all."

"no wonder you two were so buddy buddy earlier," jie was now much more confident in her prediction.

chaerin stared at the ceiling, trying to sleep, but she couldn't stop thinking about sunghoon. the time she spent with him reversed all those feelings she angrily wrote down. her thoughts were interrupted when her phone buzzed beside her pillow.

[unknown] are you up? [chaerin] and this is? [unknown] sunghoon

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