#Friendship for $400

[kitconnors]

⮩ wonyoung in ive music videos, for my beloved shri @twiceland ♡

@lgbtqcreators creator bingo: colour [template]

[crownrots]

🍇 PRINCESS RAENESSA TARGARYEN (75 AC - 133 AC) (template by @kanos)

↳ Raenessa Targaryen was born in 75 AC to Prince Aemon Targaryen and his wife, Jocelyn Baratheon. She is the older twin sister of Princess Rhaela Targaryen, and younger sibling to Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.

Meek and emotional, she was oft called The Weeping Dragon behind her back. Ever compared to her two sisters, she lingered in their shadow for most of her life, trailing behind them and cleaning up their messes or sifting though the scraps they left behind.

Her cradle egg, as green as Wildfire, hatched shortly after her birth and finally in 91 AC at the age of sixteen, the timid Targaryen finally took the beast to mount. The Green Jewel of Dragonstone, Vysera, as she named her, seemed to be just as timid as her rider, but was fiercely protective of the young woman. While barely ridden due to Raenessa's distrustful nature, the dragon and rider shared a bond that was as close and unique as any other.

In 94 AC, at the age of nineteen, she wed Donnal Redwyne. The two struggled for years to have a viable pregnancy, and after many failed attempts, their prayers were finally answered when she gave birth to a girl in 113 AC, whom they named Daenys.

Unfortunately, their new found bliss was cut short as a fever took Donnal Redwyne's life mere weeks after Raenessa had given birth. The now widowed mother was never quite the same after that and as years passed she rarely let her daughter out of her sight. Months following the tragic loss, Queen Alicent extended an invitation towards her and the still young child, offering them a residence in the capitol should they want it. Raenessa graciously accepted and the mother and child lived in relative happiness and great comfort for many years.

When the Targaryen civil war commenced in 132 AC, Raenessa declared her support for King Aegon II Targaryen and The Greens, though, suffers a great loss at many turns.

In the days following the slaying of her older sister and her dragon at the Battle of Rooks Rest, Raenessa used the exodus of small folk from King’s Landing to flee the capitol. Amid orders from the Prince Regent, Aemond Targaryen, to seal the city, she managed to slip through undetected. Still reeling in shock and grief, she declared for her cousin, Rhaenyra Targaryen, but subsequently found herself locked in the cells beneath Dragonstone for a time, her untimely and sudden arrival sending ripples of confusion though the Queen’s small council.

Back in King’s Landing, Raenessa was branded a traitor and in retaliation Criston Cole suggests her dragon, Vysera, be slain and her remains fed to King Aegon's mount, Sunfyre, for her treachery.

In 133 AC, after failing to be reunited with her daughter, Daenys, until Queen Rhaenyra takes King's Landing, she suffers another great loss; one that will prove her last. During the riots lead by The Shepherd, Daenys would retreat to the Dragonpit to ensure the safety of her own dragon, Duskwing. Her demise was said to be particularly gruesome, the young woman and her unborn child crushed underfoot by her frightened dragon in its panic as the mob descended upon the chained beasts.

Overcome with grief, Raenessa Targaryen ended her own life just days later, through means of poison, succumbing to the deadly concoction nestled among her daughter's belongings.

tag list (ask to be added or removed 💞): @queennymeria @laiostoudenn @roberthouse69 @wardsables @thedeadthree @statichvm @frankwoods @josephzeppeli @countessrooster @lucky-107 @cptcassian @arborstone

[compacflt]

the thought of icemav celebrating christmas together makes me a bit crazy. what do they give each other???

usually nothing . That’s kind of a big deal. in the 80s/90s they’d (reluctantly) celebrate Christmas with carole and bradley (who took that shit kinda seriously) so they wouldn’t really do anything by themselves. Maybe go out for a nice clandestine dinner just cause. After Carole dies and Bradley’s papers get pulled from the academy, ice’s low key newfound interest in celebrating christmas is one of his many many ways to try and normalize relations between him & maverick and try to improve their relationship in the conspicuous absence of the rest of their family. but yes he does make an effort—as does mav—to take advantage of holiday time to be with him as often as possible so, though their schedules don’t always line up, after 2006 they spend about 3/4 xmases together

Ice has very few hobbies besides a.) lovingly working on his cars & plane and b.) reading, so he is exceptionally easy to shop for (as most hobbyless men are): nice tie pins, cufflinks, those unnecessarily expensive hardcover books about weird random topics you find in airport bookstores, fountain pens, nautical /aeronautical themed paperweights, nice leather watchbands etc. highbrow rich guy stuff

Maverick has sooooo many stupid little hobbies that each last between 4-6 months so he is ridiculously hard to shop for— “i thought you were into woodworking so i got you some tools :)!” “uh no that was in April. im trying to learn how to make wallets now” :( so mostly if ice ever gets him anything it’s usually just an expensive dinner date in the city or cash in a blank card or a blank signed check for airplane parts for the next year. Buy whatever you want idc <3

any and all gifts are given with extremely little fanfare PLEASE don’t make it a big deal… hidden around the house with a little “merry xmas!” note attached, or shoved into each others suitcases pre-leaving-for-navy-reasons, or unceremoniously dropped into one’s lap while he’s watching tv, “here you go,” “oh, this is nice, thanks!” Et cetera. love language of gifts/acts of service, but, like, very quietly.

[catharrington]

@harringrovemicrofic

Steve’s face has healed, mostly. Just as Billy’s own face has healed, mostly. He’s still ever the werewolf he felt like that night. The grotesque, ravenous teeth he bared still reflect back in the mirror. Under the tan, the blue eyes, the smile he’s practiced so well… waits the wolf Billy Hargrove is.

But Steve, his face has healed human. His hair is growing longer and his smile comes easier.

Around them the deep Indiana snow has melted out to a brilliant green spring. Steve seems to be thawing out with it. Billy cannot wait to see what gold summer is going to bring into Steve’s cream colored skin.

For Billy, he’s trying to bloom. He’s taking long drives down the backwoods winding roads, driving fast but not fast enough to miss the way wildflowers bloom right on top of last year's rot.

He wants more than anything to let go of his monster, of his rot, but it’s harder than it looks.

Anytime Billy makes an effort it feels unfamiliar to him in a way he can’t stand. In California he was effortlessly golden in summer. It’s just moving, dammit, it shouldn’t have changed him as much as it did!

But it did.

“Hey, Harrington.” He’ll force the words out anytime he passes Steve. He smiles with it, but he’s got a mouth full of fangs.

Steve smiles back at him, a line of sunlight between bare branches that’s magic enough to let the flowers grow.

Billy does the same to every kid who was in that house that night. All the kids he scared and hurt, all the kids who saw the yellow of his eyes. He nods at them in a way that he hopes makes them feel included, that his beast will protect them instead of harm them anymore. That he’s a dog with a collar, for fucks sake.

He doesn’t know if it’s working. His stepsister, Max, hasn’t treated him any differently. The kids… Steve… hasn’t treated him any differently.

It’s his birthday, and there’s flowers growing outside next to the chain link fence of the football field. Billy’s sitting inside listening to his teacher but watching the flowers. The leaves and stems seem so dark green here in the Midwest, Billy thinks the ones back home were lighter. Or maybe not.

The bell rings and he ditches lunch for a smoke break. Slinking under the bleachers to be alone.

“Hey, Hargrove.” The voice is melodic as it interrupts him. Perfect, and horrifying.

Steve stands there, holding out a half crumpled pack of cigarettes that’s colored gold. Billy’s hand shakes as he lifts it to accept one, grinning cruelty as he pulls two and places the second one behind his ear.

Steve clicks his tongue at him for doing it, but still lets him. “Sure, one for later.”

“It’s my birthday, after all,” the words pour out with the smoke after his first puff, he can’t stop them, “so thanks, pretty boy.”

“Fuck, really?” Steve asks. His voice pitching up in a cute way.

Billy pulls another drag, exhaling smoke from his nose as he only grunts in reply.

“Here, you should be the one to take this, then,” Steve’s hand slips the pack back into his pocket and fishes for something. “Since it’s your birthday.”

He holds out a skimpy looking white flower, with short and cute petals only a little roushed. It’s got dark green leaves on a dark brown stem only about as long as a palm. And Steve’s hand looks huge as he offers it to Billy.

“It’s called a salt and pepper, or a harbinger of spring. I’ve been told.” He laughs as he searches over the tiny thing. “El— oh, well, one of the kids gave it to me. But I think she’d be okay with you having it.”

Billy takes it slowly. Worse than how he took the smokes. Shaking and nervous, his fingers bump into Steve’s as he picks the flower. He pulls it close and it smells like rich-boy cologne, it smells like hair spray, it feels like heaven.

He blows more smoke out his nose.

“Do ya wanna skip the rest of the day with me?” He asks the flower. The harbinger of spring, Steve had called it. Billy’s got to remember how his mother pressed flowers so he can keep this for his whole life.

“Hell yes,” Steve answers. And Billy’s smile doesn’t feel forced.

[learabeau]

Une sortie

@chlcavalier

Développement : Octobre 2024

[martin-schumann]

[heyytearcatcher]

magical healing tour of friendship or whatEVER.

[lavellane]

the way tactician + the full party mod has straight up reignited my enjoyment of the game.... i went to bed at 5am this morning 🙂

[fruitgoat]

I was kinda annoyed this morning when my dad said it would be a good day to rearrange the freezer. (The big deep freeze in the barn, not the ones in either house.) I agreed because I wanted to be the one that knew where everything was. I do 90% of the cooking and 80% of the grocery shopping, but my parents are prone to doing a Costco Run while I'm at work. And it was raining so I didn't want to do Outdoor Work. I didn't start until after 3:00pm because I didn't want to actually do it. (I wanted the task to be done, and I wanted do it myself, I just didn't want to actually DO IT. You know what I mean.) Pretty much as soon as I started filling coolers, I knew fully defrosting the freezer was happening. It's now barely 5:30pm. I'm totally done. When my mom defrosts the freezer it takes at least four hours. It's craftsmanship. Whatever. I don't stand for that kind of nonsense. I go in hard and I go in messy and I don't give a shit how much water gets on the floor. (There is a full load of towels in the washing machine as we speak/type.) But we can all cross "defrosting the freezer" off the To Do List. It's officially on the To Done List.

[praetorqueenreyna]

I also wanna read acotar, ur enthusiasm has piqued my interest 👀

YEAH DO IT!!!

honestly, the first book is genuinely enjoyable! The characters and worldbuilding are fun enough to have me entangled in a fandom comprised mostly of straight women, so that means something! It's not perfect, but it's a good read. Don't read any of the sequel books. Not only do they take everything good about the first book and undo it, they are just BORING. I couldn't even finish the second one because I was BORED.

ALSO being a Tamlin stan and shipping Tamlin and Lucien feels very much like getting to be a zukka shipper during the ATLA renaissance. Like, getting to project your own headcanons onto the characters so hard that you turn these regular ass dudes into queer icons. BUT it's guilt free, because unlike ATLA, ACOTAR is poorly conceived and heterosexuality rules these lands. So I'm having a good time with it.

[moinsbienquekaworu]

Our - I guess english language ?? teacher is really invested and nice but her homework is the worst thing ever. We had to do a 'podcast' last semester, group work, annoying. This semester everyone has two classes with her. In one it's writing a 500 word press article about a cultural event (I'll be doing it on TOH) and in the other it's either commenting on Bartleby the Scrivener or writing our own short story. I don't care about Bartleby so I thought I'd do the creative writing, except to be fair to the others who have to come in and write their commentary during the one-hour slot the creative writing is ALSO to be done in one hour during the test in class! Absolute hell on earth trying to write a short story in a singular hour!! I'm not a writer ma'am I can't do that! But if she gave us more time it would be unfair to the others, despite the fact those are two completely different exercices. Anyway.

[epersonae]

As the older person, I've just started leaning into it and having a good time

You can also provoke an opposing existential crisis by mentioning prices of whatever at the time (I do usually also apologize)

having friends notably older than you is fantastic actually, cause you can drop in a little mention of how old you would have been at the time of a story they tell and watch the existential crisis set in

[tenapricots]

The Saskiad by Brian Hall is so slept on it makes me sad

Saskia White she is so darling. I have not read anything like her narrative voice before, but I love it so very much. She and Jane Sing(h) have my whole heart

[learabeau]

Xtreme Fest 2023 - Les copines en festival hardcore

Développement : Août 2023

[nosferatufaggot]

My AO3 expierence would be leagues better if I could remove tags. Not block tags, just like the "additional tags" box a "remove tags" box for that specific search.

[threeacttragedy]

Entry 6 – The One Where I Explained the Claddagh Ring to My Dad

I will preface this entry with an acknowledgement to my father. He is the most intelligent, quick-witted, and level-headed person I know. He’s also a bit of a bitch and tends to be blatantly honest. Sometimes that honesty hurts but it’s also nice to know he’s the one person in this world who won’t feed me a line of bullshit. He is also the best friend we all need.

On October 16, my father called me – like he does almost every day – to chat about, like usual, absolutely nothing. But, on this day, I was quite distracted (because the Time article about Nicola had just come out), which he called me out on almost immediately. Our conversation went something along the lines of:

Dad: “I can tell you’re not paying attention to me.”

Me: “Oh, I’m just reading an article that came out today. Actually, can I ask you a question about it?”

Dad: “Sure.”

Me: “I just want to read something to you, and I want you to tell me what you think this person is saying.”

Dad: “Okay.”

I then proceeded to read him verbatim the snippet from the Times article where Nicola talks about her relationship with Luke.

Me: “What do you think she is saying?”

Dad: “That this person is her best friend, and she thinks very highly of them.”

Me: “Oh, okay.”

Dad: “Why?”

Well, he opened the door so I gave him the backstory. I explained who Nicola and Luke were. I explained Bridgerton. I explained their chemistry during the World Tour. During this 15-or-so-minute conversation, my father took to renaming Nicola “Ireland” and Luke “Thang,” because that’s how he remembers things. Then I brought up the Claddagh ring.

Dad: “Wait. Stop – STOP! – STOP!! I said STOP TALKING! Why didn’t you lead off with this ring? I change my answer. She’s saying she’s in love with this guy!”

Me: “What?”

Dad: “Whatever you read earlier – I change my answer. She’s not saying they’re best friends. She’s saying she’s in love with him.”

Me: “Are you being legit?”

Dad: “Absolutely! Now, go back to the beginning because Ireland and Thang are a thing.”

Welcome aboard the USS Lukola, Daddy.

Recently, this conversation with my father got me thinking about how naïve I have been in believing all Lukolas were aware of the significance of Nicola’s Claddagh. I mean, surely, most of us know the term and meaning of “ring truther,” right?

Maybe not.

I’ve always chucked the Jakolas and A-holes up to be Conscientiously Stupid about the ring – disregarding it because it didn’t fit their narrative. But, shit, maybe they just don’t understand the Holy Grail of the Lukola fandom. So, I figured today, I’d dedicate my entry to explaining the ring to those who have no fucking clue what we mean when we say, “we’ll die on that ring!”

If you don’t want a history lesson or my opinion on the significance of the ring, you can move along and wait for my next post. Otherwise, happy reading. Actually, it’s a rather dull read – but informative. You may just need some caffeine to keep your focus up.

GENERAL HISTORY:

The Claddagh originates from Galway – yes, Nicola’s hometown in Ireland – and has been around for over 400 years. The ring typically shows two hands holding a heart which wears a crown, with the hands symbolizing friendship, the heart signifying love, and the crown representing loyalty.

The way a person wears their Claddagh traditionally signifies their relationship status.

On the RIGHT hand, with the HEART FACING OUTWARD away from your body (and towards your fingertips) means you are single, i.e, your heart is available for love.

On the RIGHT hand, with the HEART FACING INWARD towards your body (and towards the back of your hand), suggests you are in a committed relationship, i.e., your heart is taken.

On the LEFT hand, with the HEART FACING OUTWARD away from your body (and towards your fingertips) means you are engaged.

On the LEFT hand, with the HEART FACING INWARD towards your body (and towards the back of your hand), suggests you are married.

This is not gospel so please do not finish reading this post and start running around in circles, jumping up and down, exclaiming Nicola is married.

NICOLA’S CLADDAGH:

In June, Chupi announced it had designed and created a Claddagh for Nicola and noted “Nicola reached out to Chupi recently and requested a bespoke Claddagh Ring to celebrate the third season of Bridgerton.” Nicola’s ring was custom-made and differs from virtually all other Claddagh rings in that the hands of the ring also display rings of their own.

After creating the ring for Nicola, Chupi continued to sell it through its website, noting that the heart-shaped diamond in the ring was “[h]eld in a pair of hands that honor friendship and strength, with the left hand wearing a North Star signet ring.” In its original description, and for four months following this initial announcement, Chupi never explained the meaning of the ring on the right hand holding the diamond. We will speculate on that in a moment. Further, Chupi explained that the three diamonds in the crown “represent the traditional emblem of loyalty and also symbolize the past, present & future, along with a nod to the fact this is the 3rd season of Bridgerton.” There’s that Bridgerton reference again.

Now, let’s break down the hands holding the heart-shaped diamond, starting with the left hand.

The left hand is wearing a signet ring. This one is easy to explain because Chupi described the ring the left hand is wearing for us. It is the North Star signet ring, which Chupi sells through its website as its “North Star Diamond Original Signet Ring.” Chupi explained that the ring represented “True North.” What is “true north?” Besides its literal meaning, the phrase “true north” represents your “internal compass or your personal calling” and “your authentic self.”

The right hand is wearing a ring on its middle finger. This ring has always been a bit of a conundrum. As mentioned above, Chupi never explained this ring in its original description. In fact, it remained silent on its significance until November 1. And, even after it “explained away” the middle finger ring in an Instagram story (which disappeared after 24 hours), Chupi never updated its website to confirm its meaning. Why? Well, you’ll find that most “ring truthers” believe it’s because this middle finger ring represents Luke. Luke often wears a ring on his middle right finger. In fact, in his People spread for Sexiest Man Alive released November 14, he’s seen wearing a ring on his right-hand middle finger. You can also find him wearing a ring on his right-hand middle finger throughout the Bridgerton Season 3 World Tour.

But, let’s pretend for a moment that the rings on the two hands holding the diamond heart have no significance whatsoever. That does not negate the fact the ring was made as a nod to Bridgerton Season 3. Yes, the season that both Nicola and Luke repeatedly described during interviews throughout the World Tour as their “shared experience.”

To round out this little “history lesson,” and just so I am completely up front, on November 1, 2024, Chupi reshared to its IG stories a story shared by Ashley McDonnell explaining that the right-hand middle finger ring on the Chupi-branded Claddagh represented “power” (basically, women’s empowerment). As of that date, Chupi had also removed all mentions of Bridgerton from its Claddagh ring descriptions and left only a reference to the rings being “inspired by” Nicola. However, the Claddagh could still be found under Chupi’s “Engagement” ring section and the articles titled, “Designing a Chupi Claddagh Ring for Nicola Coughlan” and “What Way to Wear a Claddagh Ring” still, to this day, reside under its “News” section. These articles still reference the ring’s ties to the third season of Bridgerton.

A BUNCH OF POINTS I’M TRYING TO MAKE:

Point 1: Nicola had the ring commissioned herself, per Chupi. We can surmise she understands the meaning of the ring based on her Irish (and Galway) heritage; thus, we can also deduce she knows the meaning behind how it is worn.

Point 2: The ring is important to Nicola. I’m not even going to use disclaiming phrases like “may be” or “seems to be;” I’m just flat out stating the “ring IS important” to her. She has been seen wearing it a lot in her personal time. In fact, on September 20, she was photographed wearing the Claddagh during the Gucci afterparty, which means she took off the “workday” jewelry she had been wearing earlier in the day to put the Claddagh back on her finger. She has not been shy about flashing it in public. From her Chupi articles to her Tatcha stories to wearing it in public (at concerts, walking about).

Point 3: Based on comments made by Chupi on June 25 in its article titled, “Designing a Chupi Claddagh Ring for Nicola Coughlan,” it took four weeks “from a sketch to sparkling reality” to make the ring. This means, at the latest, it had to have been commissioned by May 9, 2024. However, some Lukola sleuths have stated the metadata they pulled from the sketches uploaded by Chupi indicate it was as early as April 26 (don’t even side eye me; I didn’t pull that shit). Based on this information, the ring was likely commissioned during and/or between the World Tour stops in Australia and Italy.

Point 4: Nicola wore the ring publicly as early as June 6 during the Dublin premiere. At that time, she wore it on her right-hand middle finger with the heart facing inwards. The way she wore the ring was also evidenced the following day in Galway by way of pictures in Chupi’s article titled, “What Way to Wear a Claddagh Ring.”

Point 5: Nicola flashed that glittering baby in her June 15 Tatcha IG post (I’m convinced that post holds so many secrets) and continued to wear it throughout the summer months (on her right-hand middle finger) as evidenced by pictures of her at the Taylor Swift Eras tour and in her August 1 Tatcha IG post. And, let’s round out the summer with her displaying the ring in her September 17 Tatcha IG stories, on September 20 during the Gucci afterparty, and in Alex Babsky’s September 25 IG post about Nicola being “in London today.”

Point 6: On October 1, Nicola had seemingly switched her diamond Claddagh from her right hand to her left-hand middle finger as exhibited in her Choose Love IG story. This switch was further indicated (but not confirmed because she conveniently put her caption over it) in her October 5 airplane IG story (deduced from the small gold band switching to her right hand) and in pap pictures of her published on October 8. On October 11, when she posted her Olaplex IG story, it appeared the ring was on her left-hand ring finger. We can also barely see the ring in the October 21 “Polin” picture; however, it cannot be determined if it is on her left-hand middle or ring finger. We haven’t seen her “out in the wild” since so the current status of her ring is not known, but we can probably safely assume she’s still wearing it, with the heart facing in.

Point 7: I believe everyone needs to make their own decision as to whether the right hand of the Claddagh – the one wearing the middle finger ring – represents Luke. Personally, I believe it does, but it is perfectly fine if you disagree. It could very well be a "power move." I’ve always believed the left hand of the Claddagh – the one wearing the North Star signet ring – represented “true north,” or Nicola’s internal compass to choose her own path. But, please do not let my opinion cloud your own.

Point 8: Regardless of your opinion about the hands holding the Claddagh’s heart-shaped diamond, the ring was acknowledged to represent Bridgerton Season 3 and that has Luke all over it.

Point 9: From Day 1, Nicola has worn the Claddagh with the heart facing inwards, meaning her heart is taken. To the best of my knowledge, this has never changed.

MY THOUGHTS:

First and foremost, Nicola has told the world her heart is taken.

Based on the above, why would Nicola wear that ring for anyone but Luke?

My father’s response: “She wouldn’t.”

Why? Because it would be fucking weird if she did.

Let’s play pretend for a moment.

You’re dating Nicola (and, NO, you can’t be Luke in this scenario). You’ve watched Nicola’s Bridgerton press tour for the past, say, six months. You’ve watched her flirt with Luke. You’re fully aware Lukolas ship her with Luke. In fact, you’re aware several of her castmates and crew ship her with Luke. You’re aware that, by the end of the World Tour, interviewers were getting bold enough to ask Nicola and Luke about their “friendship” because they, too, were intrigued by their chemistry. You’re also aware that, “People want [her] to marry Luke.” And, you’re fully aware that Nicola had that Claddagh ring made to, at a minimum, remind her of Bridgerton Season 3, the season she shared with Luke.

Would you be okay with her wearing THAT ring to signify the state of YOUR relationship with her?

If you are, get the fuck off my page.

Now, riddle me this, Batman –

Why was this ring made during the World Tour? And, more importantly, why was it worn during the World Tour?

Why did Luke and Nicola take a special trip to Galway? And (purely speculation here), why did the meeting with Nicola’s mum seem so emotional?

Why did the ring switch hands?

Why, Batman, why?