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eemoo1o-animoo · 4 months ago

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10 Grelle-based paraphernalia that I found on eBay, in no particular order but my subjective deeming of relevance or importance

Possibly part one of a series? Perhaps?

If so, then I probably won’t contain it to only eBay, and I’m going off of what comes up for someone who’s based in the UK, so maybe there’s more or less stuff available if you’re in other countries due to shipping limitations, etc.? But eBay at the moment is my main source, and I’m only doing this — work that anyone can do, nothing exceptionally thorough or insightful — because I’m just a little bored, and I know Grelle is the most valued in the fandom and TSOGTR hasn’t been writing itself for the past year and a quarter, so why would it start now?

This is written at 3AM-6AM on 29/8/2024, so if this is found long after this date then there’s a chance my sources have already been bought out or deleted for whatever reason.

Grell Sutcliff Funko Pop 18 Kuroshitsuji Black Butler POP! Vinyl Anime Figure

At the time of writing this, there are no bids for this and so the price remains at £21.99 (item and shipping). The current bid is due to end on ≈1/9/2024. Wait for the last second to bid one pence higher than the asking price and you’re golden.

I actually have one of these, but it was gifted to me, and so I don’t know how much mine was sold for, but seeing as the four Black Butler Funko Pops have been vaulted and are sold for way higher in other places online, I think this is a pretty good deal.

(Fun fact, the person who gifted her to me as well as tracked down other cheap listings for the other three called her Greta. Consistently. So. Greta. Greta Sutcliff.)

As we can see from the item’s pictures, the figure has been taken out of its box, at the very least just to be show-cased or inspected, but it does appear to come with the box. Here is a listing on Amazon (9.99 GBP, excluding shipping) for 10 Funko Pop display sleeves that should match the item’s measurements.

The current conversions for this item’s price (18.99 GBP) are as follow:

25.06 USD

36.91 AUD

33.77 CAD

22.52 Euro

2,103.26 INR

855,31 Turkish Lira

39.92 NZD

3,623.33 Yen

Obviously I’m not including every conversion in here, only the most obvious/prevalent. If your country’s currency isn’t here, then my apologies, and feel free to bring it to my attention (with currency named) so that I may add it to any future episodes to this possible series, or to edit this post back with the conversions of that time.

Black Butler PVC Keychain Grell

The description of this listing says that this is officially licensed and from one reverse image search to find a bunch of listings across several websites for it, I’m inclined to believe that this is actually an official piece of merch and not a fan-made item that is being resold as I had originally thought it to be. (Wow, I’m such a knowledgable Black Butler fan. I know, I know.)

There’s not much to say on this other than the fact that it’s cute and I think a few pence has been shaved off from the original selling price, though I’m not too sure. I imagine it would have easily gone for 8.99 GBP, but again I’m not too sure; it’s 3AM after all and this isn’t a serious project for me.

The current conversions go as followed:

11.87 USD

17.47 AUD

15.99 CAD

10.66 Euro

996.15 INR

405,49 Turkish Lira

18.90 NZD

1,715.62 Yen

Grelle Black Butler manga plushie Anime Soft Toy

It’s not the best price, I admit. If you’re looking for something cheaper then maybe go for the 5" plush, and there’s another listing on AnimeWare, but once tax and shipping get evolved it ends up being more or less the same price, anyway.

I think this is under the same line as Plushlois comes from, and to that I say: if someone buys her, will that come back? Will Grelle’s face be remade by @fancymeatcomputers, as @nullbutler’s Plushlois once had?

Anyway, she’s super cute. Her hair is a bit too saturated, but that’s not much to lament over, and she’s pricey, but is still far less expensive than any available Plushlois listing I could find (£52!! Usually!!).

Here are the current conversions:

39.61 USD

58.30 AUD

53.35 CAD

35.58 Euro

3,323.16 INR

1,351.58 Turkish Lira

63.01 NZD

5,727.47 Yen

Black Butler Kuroshitsuji Grell Undertaker Anime two sided Pillow Case Cover 250

I’d originally listed another pillow for listing number four, which goes for the same price, but decided not to as Grelle is more prominent on this one.

Not much to say about this other than as far as I can tell it’s just the pillowcase and not a case and a pillow, but if you want to add a lil extra something to your Grelle shrine or limit your chances of finding a normie partner by having this as the centrepiece to your 20-something pillow statement on your romantic four-post bed.

Here are the current conversions:

7.91 USD

11.64 AUD

10.65 CAD

7.10 Euro

663.67 INR

269.94 Turkish Lira

12.58 NZD

1,143.54 Yen

Black butler Grell Sutcliffe figure Kuroshitsuji SEGA PVC Scale Anime s01

Another shambolic price, I know. But out of all the non-Funko Pop Grelle figures listed, this is definitely the cheapest.

Out of all of the non-Funko Pop Black Butler figures, it’s far from it. I think the cheapest figures went to Ciel and Sebastian, but with a massive gap between the cheapest Ciel figure versus the cheapest Sebastian figure (there’s a lot of listings for this particular figure, all with free shipping and of similar prices). There’s also a listing that sells Sebastian and Grelle together with free postage, which would value each figure as far less than what this one figure is being sold for.

The current conversions (of 130.22 GBP) go as follows:

172.00 USD

252.73 AUD

231.50 CAD

154.48 Euro

14,430.37 INR

5,874.98 Turkish Lira

273.31 NZD

24,865.90 Yen

Black Butler Grell Sutcliff Cosplay Costume Red Death Men Full Set Outfits New

I’m not much of cosplayer or a cosplay fan, but from the few full cosplays I found that range from £40-50, this seems like a good price.

There’s also a good few listings for Grelle-style shoes? The cheapest of which would be here. And both the shoes and the clothing come in men’s sizes, so it’s a match if you ask me.

The current conversions of the cosplay’s price are:

23.76 USD

34.92 AUD

31.98 CAD

21.34 Euro

1,993.77 INR

811.52 Turkish Lira

37.76 NZD

3,435.09 Yen

Kuroshitsuji Black Butler Madam Red Angelina Dalles Anime Figurine - Play Arts

Look. I know this isn’t a Grelle figure, but I assume that most if not all Grelle fans are also Madame Red fans. And you have to admit that this is a damn good price for a figure of this type. In fact, I’d say this figure is the second cheapest, right behind the aforementioned Ciel figure.

Also the seller has the username “welsh lady”. Surely it’d basically be treason if I didn’t promote it.

The conversions of the item price (6.99 GBP) go as follows:

9.23 USD

13.57 AUD

12.43 CAD

8.29 Euro

774.85 INR

315.29 Turkish Lira

14.68 NZD

1,336.09 Yen

USED Dolk Black Butler Book of Circus Grell Sutcliff Cast Doll 700mm Japan RARE

This is a fucking awful price. It hurts just to imagine buying this. However, it seems like a rare or custom-made doll, in a fancy box, and it was the only listing I could find of it, meaning it’s not a re-sell.

There’s not much to say — as you can see I ranked it pretty low on the relevancy scale, but I don’t know: maybe someone’s into this sort of thing, especially if it comes to Grelle.

The item prices are converted as follows:

2,805.52 USD

4,123.16 AUD

3,776.66 CAD

2,519.24 Euro

235,385.31 INR

95,779.75 Turkish Lira

4,458.47 NZD

405,826.75 Yen

1 x playing card Black Butler Anime Sebastian Michaelis - Jack of Hearts ZT 85

For one playing card, to me this price seems ghastly. There’s also a Sebastian variant for the exact same price, but that’s all I can find in this style. The other listings for Black Butler playing cards aren’t in this style, coming wholly in colour with patterned frames. As far as I can see, on eBay there are only two listings for this type of playing card, and I’ve already linked them both to this post.

The current conversions of the item price (2.49 GBP) are:

3.29 USD

4.83 AUD

4.43 CAD

2.95 Euro

276.04 INR

112,34 Turkish Lira

5.23 NZD

476.23 Yen

10.

Black Butler Ceramic Mug Grell, Sebastian

There’s a more expensive mug with just Grelle on it that I’d contemplated listing here instead. (And, hey! From Germany, too. The TSOGTR imagery just won’t quit.) But this one is cheaper.

Besides, enough scrubbing with some iron wool will get rid of that ugly demon mug (no pun intended) in no time, surely!

The current conversions go as follows:

19.62 USD

28.84 AUD

26.41 CAD

17.62 Euro

1,646.22 INR

669,76 Turkish Lira

31.17 NZD

2,841.32 Yen

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #grell sutcliff #grelle sutcliff #redcliff #madame red #madam red #angelina dalles #ebay #anime figure #merch listings #images #list #linked post #links #custom doll #ooak doll #original post #long post

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themattress · 1 year ago

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Untitled Kairi Post II

Kingdom Hearts II is Kairi's other good game. It's (sadly enough) where she peaked.

However, many fans were and still are disappointed in KH2 Kairi. Is that reasonable?

…..Yes and no.

I feel that Kairi’s role in Nomura’s base story for KH2 is really good, barring one factor. She starts remembering Sora and even makes contact with his heart via Roxas which causes her to send her poem out to sea, she befriends Pluto and goes through a Dark Corridor to Twilight Town where she befriends Hayner, Pence and Olette, she gets kidnapped by Organization XIII and held captive in the Castle That Never Was, is rescued by Namine (the other half of herself) and reunites with Riku and in turn reunites him with Sora, is given a weapon and is able to fight as part of the heroic party, she saves Namine from fading through reassimilating her into her heart, and ultimately her poem inspiring pure feelings in Sora allows him to open the Door to Light and bring himself and Riku home after all hope seemed to be lost; he even is finally able to return her good luck charm to her as promised in KH1.

The one factor that needed to be altered was the kidnapping part. It still had to happen, but it preferably should have happened a good while after showcasing her stay in Twilight Town and fleshing out her character. The scene where she goes to Twilight Town should have happened much earlier, and we could constantly cut back to her after completing each world (maybe even have a playable moment or two with her). Do that and everything’s perfect.

However, not only was this factor not altered, but three glaring problems also transpired.

First of all, notice a pattern in all of Kairi’s major scenes?

WE GET IT. Kairi really, really likes Sora; she’s his love interest. That was a huge part of her character in KH1, but there (as I just got done analyzing) Kairi still had a backstory and feelings on matters that were unrelated to Sora and an inner life and an actual character arc that progressed from beginning to end…all of this despite Sora being the one whom she primarily interacted with! And it’s terrible that KH2 isn’t affording her the same treatment when at the same time it gives her so many other characters to interact with like Selphie, Pluto, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Namine, King Mickey, Axel and Saix. The best she gets is with Riku:

Secondly, she gets a weapon. Did it have to be a Keyblade, and did that Keyblade have to be so flowery? No, but whatever. It’s a weapon, and she can fight with it. She says so herself!

She does so against a horde of Heartless - in a cutscene. Where we only see her take out two enemies and then the remainder of the fight largely happens offscreen. Afterwards, we never see the goddamn thing again! Not even when it clearly is supposed to be there:

Come ON! We needed way more than that! And hey, game developers, couldn’t you have given Kairi a non-party battle AI? You gave one for Axel who wasn’t even supposed to make it that far into the story; so why not Kairi? It makes this whole pay-off underwhelming to many.

Third and finally, what is she doing when not fighting or having a scene centered around how much she cares for Sora? Mainly just idly standing in the back row of the party and saying “Sora!”, “Riku!”, or both. Now, this point isn’t quite as bad as the others since this is shared with Donald and Goofy rather than be exclusive to her, and the game also has several screens where you can talk to Kairi and she has text boxes with dialogue that actually showcases more of her personality beyond just being Sora’s love interest. She reminds you of her knowledge of nautical superstitions, is perceptive enough to recognize the Proof of Existence chamber as a graveyard, says she doesn’t like being left out of adventuring, says that she wants to get more skilled as Sora and Riku in combat so that they get hurt less, and outright puts her foot down and tells Sora in non-negotiable terms that from now on where he goes she goes too (please ignore Nomura totally ruining this in the games past KH2, ‘kay?)

So, that’s why people are often hard on KH2 Kairi. BUT I still say that she still deserves credit for the things done right with her, namely the important plot-relevant actions she undertakes, the fact that she gets to forge connections with so many other characters at all, the fact that she even has a weapon and gets to fight competently with it, those aforementioned text boxes, and her still getting some measure of character development through learning that “waiting isn’t good enough” (again, ignore Nomura’s post-KH2 fuckery!) Plus - her attitude!

And this leads me to my final point, which is….

Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts II manga doesn’t get kidnapped until after quite a while spent in Twilight Town and even receives a focus chapter while being held captive, her relationships with other characters are fleshed out beyond her just talking about Sora with them, she has much more impressive showcasing of her combat skills and is even outright acknowledged as possibly a fiercer fighter than Sora and Riku, she displays her character the whole way through and not just in optionally viewable text boxes, and on top of all this her facial expression are always on point, which isn’t even something that can be said of other characters in the manga! She’s got all of the game upsides, and none of the downsides.

#Disney #Square Enix #Kingdom Hearts #Kingdom Hearts II #Kairi #Opinion #Analysis #Comparison #Kairi Deserved Better #This has been a PSA

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kairithemang0 · 8 months ago

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tell me your thoughts on something (anything) (talk for as long or as short as you want)

ok i've been looking for a reason to talk about this for a while and im just gonna go off the rails here

i recently started watching Colin LooksBack's disney villain retrospectives and I'm so damn obsessed with them. I've mentioned this before, I'm a disney fan through and through. No matter how much I painfully despise so many of their recent movies, nostalgia and the hope of finding something as good as their classics keeps me coming back, as disappointed as I am with their recent features from all sides of the company

I'm especially a disney history fan, I love learning about the first few decades of this company for some reason, their movies from that time aren't even my favorites but just all the old concept art and ideas from the imagineers is so cool to me. Mary Blair's work specifically, her art for Cinderella is stunning.

Disney villains specifically have just always been amazing to me. I was obsessed with Ursula as a kid, I thought she was the coolest freaking character. I love her design, her voice is amazing, I adored her then and I still do.

If we're talking about disney content creators though? Avelo (formerly known as Dreamsounds) has my heart and soul. Her videos are everything to me, they got me through covid. I was so sad when she left when she was getting her bottom surgery, worried she'd never return. I audibly gasped when I saw her return video show up on my recommended because I love her videos that much, and still do, even if it's not as disney focused.

I dunno, I think my disney obsession and Kingdom Hearts obsession go hand in hand (hah, that's a kingdom hearts song). I mean KH and disney are tied together by nature, but I got into KH for the disney. I found my moms old kh1 copy a while ago and I wished I could have the chance to play it on the ps2 (which we sadly don't have anymore). I haven't ever finished kh1, the controls are too clunky and I hate that stupid fucking camera. Even still, it's a game that matters to me a lot. KH2 does more for me in the end though, I reset the game so often just to play through Roxas's section in twilight town. it's nostalgic, not even just for playing kh but it's the type of fun me and my friends would have during our summer vacation. seeing roxas's life fall apart is scary because in some way i relate, the friendship he had with hayner, pence, and olette in the data twilight town wasnt real, and neither were my friendships with those people.

back to more regular disney, i fucking love the disney parks. honestly im so nostalgic for fastpass, i miss needing to go up to those little stands and put it on some card. i hate genie+ and lightning lane because it feels much less personal, so do the disney parks in general for me now. maybe it's because i'm getting older, i wouldnt be surprised if that was the case. even still, i love going. i mean cinderellas castle is my damn wallpaper (godddd i love that wallpaper so much....) and there are multiple of these "disney parks music" videos that i will actively use to fall asleep because idk nostalgia is a bitch. the boardwalk one is a personal favorite of mine, something about it just hits for me. me and my family went right after covid started to slow down, the boardwalk was having a soft opening and we got in for cheap. we got this amazing room overlooking the boardwalk itself, and for lack of a better word the vibes were incredible. like... WOW. we drove down, it sucked because it was exhausting and i cant be in small spaces like that for too long, but in the end it could've been worse. i had given myself this challenge to watch all the disney movies before going, i finished encanto on that drive. it's what got me back into so many of them, treasure planet specifically. it feels like every year ill just find myself obsessing over one specific disney movie around this time, last year it was tp and the tinkerbell movies. this year id say it's alice in wonderland, which ive had an obsession with for years. it's just a plotless fun movie with memorable characters that mean something to me. i dunno, im a sucker for anything nostalgic, twisted is my favorite starkid show for a reason, and i don't just love kh for it's crazy plot and characters (although that's most of it)

sorry this is REALLYYY long.....

#thanks for the ask!

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writerchickmarie · 8 months ago

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John Lloyd Young At Cafe Carlyle - Old Soul, New Standards

John Lloyd Young's voice is like a fine wine, served to perfection at Cafe Carlyle. Pair it with servings of stories, history, and art...and it will never go out of style.

It is always magical to experience a JLY performance - but there's something extra special about being at the Carlyle. No matter how many times we have all been there, we continue to be in awe, and JLY's love, reverence and respect for this storied club are evident throughout his set.

He enters through the back, past the bar wearing his signature shades, and after making his way to the front he commands the stage with "Lightning Strikes". He was accompanied this week by the talented Steve Marzullo on piano, whose Broadway credits and skills teamed well with JLY's superbly tuned vocal instrument. He showed the strength of those vocals with his compelling "My Prayer", which drew wonderful reactions from old and new fans alike.

Before his next song, JLY gave a little history lesson. He told the audience how Richard and Dorothy Rodgers were the first tenants of the Carlyle, and mused that perhaps he had written this song right here several decades ago. It was his nod to Broadway and Upper East Side history, as he sang the romantic ballad "I Have Dreamed" from The King and I.

He then spoke of his admiration for Frank Sinatra, and how he wants to do for 60s music what Sinatra did for the music of his era. He also mentioned that these so-called "golden oldies" have earned the right to be called standards. To demonstrate this, he performed an impeccable "In The Still Of The Night".

The next section featured music by someone that both he and Frankie Valli look up to - Roy Orbison. JLY's "Only The Lonely" made me think how perfect it would be for him to portray Orbison in a biopic. He followed this up with the unreleased track "Say No More", which he really should record himself. He more than does this music justice, and the song needs to be heard.

After a thoughtful rendition of "Since I Fell For You", JLY asked for the house lights to be turned up for two reasons. The first was so he could talk about the stunning canvas murals lining the walls, by French artist Marcel Vertès, who won two Academy Awards for the 1952 film, Moulin Rouge. He pointed out his favorite part of the murals...the small, excited dog with a ball who seems to be running and ready to jump out of the canvas and play. JLY told us that this is exactly how he feels when he gets to perform for all of us at Cafe Carlyle. The other reason was so he could see everyone as he made his way around the room to greet all of us as he sang "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me", much to the delight of everyone in the room.

We then moved into Jersey Boys territory, with the always swoon-worthy "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", an audience participation with "Big Girls Don't Cry" (after his story about teaching it to the Cuban schoolchildren on the cultural mission), and a beautiful "My Eyes Adored You" complete with the stories from the making of the Jersey Boys movie. JLY's anecdotes are always fascinating, and add to the ambiance and enjoyment of the music. It is truly the mark of a great cabaret artist to weave these together to create magic.

He also sang "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" in Italian, which is absolutely breathtaking. During one evening's show, he introduced a couple of his friends in the audience - Marie Royce, the former Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, and Robert Pence, the former United States Ambassador to Finland. Since Mr. Pence is fluent in Italian, JLY dedicated this version of the song to him for his birthday. He also shared some pretty special stories of exalted work that they have done - they are most definitely exemplary people who went above and beyond their duties to help in whatever way they could.

JLY also pulled out another special song - "Moody's Mood For Love". He explained that it was the first song that potential Frankies had to learn for the role, so they could prove why Bob Gaudio knew he had to write for that voice when he heard Frankie sing it. It is always a treat to hear JLY perform this one live, and every note is done to perfection.

We went back to the Cuba trip for more stories, about JLY being set up to sing one of Smokey Robinson's songs right to him, and how intimidating it was, especially after all of the Cuban hospitality with cigars and mojitos. This song takes my breath away, especially the way JLY does it. He then did his unique arrangement of "The Air That I Breathe", leaving the audience breathless.

He came around the room once more to see all of us with "Show And Tell"; he is a master at connecting with every audience member, enjoying it as much as we all do.

The evening finished with JLY's killer version of "Maybe I'm Amazed", which I also hope he records. I am always thrilled every time it's in his set. Then we were all on our feet, singing and dancing along to "Sherry", which capped everything off perfectly with JLY greeting several of us afterward on his way through the club to the back entrance.

It is always an honor and a pleasure to experience John Lloyd Young performances at the esteemed Cafe Carlyle. I look forward to many more magical evenings with him there for all of us, including the new fans he gained that were seeing him for the first time. They will be back - and so will we. The best is yet to come!

#john lloyd young friends #john lloyd young #jersey boys #concert review #cafe carlyle

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justinspoliticalcorner · 9 months ago

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat at Lucid:

Last week’s essay addressed the question of how an authoritarian leader such as Trump would endure the experience of a criminal trial. Trump must feel rage and incredulity at being in this situation: a man who organizes spectacles around humiliating others now finds himself exposed and mocked daily (for his involuntary sleeping and farting). This week I want to consider how the unprecedented criminal trial of a former president may also bring us another uncommon spectacle: the real-time deterioration of a personality cult built on omnipotence, invincibility, and control, including intimidating others with his physical presence. These are all qualities and situations which the courtroom setting foils.

What might be the long-term effects of this tarnishing of his cult on his domination of the Republican Party and his devoted base? Journalists and dismissed jurors who have seen Trump up close have commented on how diminished he looks with respect to his image at rallies, on television, and in the fantasies circulated by his fans. This is unsurprising. This trial is a huge mental and physical exertion for Trump. The daily sketches from court artists show a man straining to cope: hardly the powerful, statuesque, and untouchable being that Trump’s cult, like all such personality cults, has presented to the public. This situation will likely worsen as the Trump grows more worn out and angry and escalates his acting out with the judge, jurors, witnesses, and anyone connected to his trial. He has already violated the gag order imposed on him by Judge Juan Merchan so many times that the Secret Service is planning for his protection during a possible short-term confinement. Already, a new Trump persona has appeared in the media: a Trump who has lost his magical touch and his aura of command. “Trump was going to dominate in the courtroom. Instead, he is shrinking,” reads the headline of a recent column by the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin.

[...]

Movement Within the Party: The TINA Problem

While it is still early in the trial, it is worth considering the effects of this shift in Trump’s image on the GOP, which has arranged itself around his personal desires and needs. Authoritarians use threat and corruption to impose the idea that they alone are qualified to lead the party and the nation: thus There Is No Alternative (TINA) to their domination.

TINA is why there is never talk of successors or other options in case something goes wrong. It is why the GOP is currently stuck around Trumpian hierarchies, such as Lara Trump heading the Republican National Committee, and loyalty requirements that police the speech and actions of GOP elites.

While Trump is currently the GOP nominee, the experience of seeing him in a vulnerable and haggard light could fuel existing private dissatisfaction with him as the face of the Republican party and give some GOP enablers an opening to violate Trump’s code of omertà (the Mafioso’s required silence out of loyalty). That would mean more public criticism of him from within the Republican party. As the cult that legitimates his authority is undermined, movement within the party could occur. We are looking here for criticism by sitting GOP officials, since former ones such as Chris Christie and Mike Pence have often declared they will not endorse him and/or vote for him. [...]

The Durability of Personality Cults

One takeaway is not to expect a collapse of Trump’s cult soon. Even if Trump is confined due to being in contempt, he has long used the specter of his imprisonment to emotionally manipulate this followers, who vow they would support him if he ends up in prison. It takes years to cultivate a personality cult, especially when you are forced to operate in a democracy, and it can take a long time for one to recede. Trump started his leader cult in 2015, building on established media relationships and associations of his billionaire persona with dominance and glamour. His strongman profile and propaganda points have been around for almost a decade. History shows that shifts in perception that can lessen leaders’ holds over their followers usually happen over time. Ian Kershaw describes the end of a personality cult as a "slow deflation." Kershaw wrote about Adolf Hitler, whose leader cult was enforced by a one-party dictatorship. It took being bombed by the Allies for people to realize that the infallible defender of the nation they had worshipped was a propaganda creation. In the USSR, Joseph Stalin’s personality cult famously disappeared almost overnight following Nikita Khrushchev’s 1956 speech condemning such “cults of the individual.” Yet millions continued to be devoted to Stalin, and Vladimir Putin built on this subterranean longing when he started rehabilitating Stalin’s legacy. Those are extreme situations, with dire consequences for nonconformity, but even in a democracy, disengagement from a leader cult such as Trump’s is a slow process. That’s because the behavior of many cult members is dictated by aversion to loss and intolerance of the cognitive dissonance that comes when the cult belief system is confronted with reality. The more an individual has invested in the cult world, the more they are reluctant to admit to others, and to themselves, that they have misplaced their trust and love. Just as cultivation and conversion leverage strong positive emotions (belonging, safety), so does disengagement evoke strong negative emotions (shame, humiliation) that many wish to avoid.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat writes in her Lucid Substack that the deflation of the MAGA Cult led by Donald Trump could take many years to deflate.

#Ruth Ben Ghiat #Lucid #Donald Trump #Cults #Joseph Stalin #Adolf Hitler

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cilvix · 10 months ago

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Donald Trump x Joe Biden

Chapter 2 – A Spark

It was a week and the voting was almost over, Trump caught up to Biden by only one state, the other state that he went to went blue. And although everyone in the Republican party was focused on the rallies and votes, Trump kept thinking about Biden. Biden has the risk of becoming pregnant, but he could also get an abortion. But abortion was wrong, Trump knew that and Biden knew that but still after the Omegas had their riots about the ‘Abortion because of Alphas’ movement. “Tch..”. Shaking it off his head, Trump tried waning it off his mind.

Ring… Ring… Ring….

Biden picked up the phone and well and behold it was Kim, the two had a conversation about his succession during the election and how Trump is lacking behind. Although, Biden kept stuttering, maybe Trump wasn’t that bad? Maybe he was a little good? But he and Kim ended the conversation on a good note.

Then suddenly, Biden felt an upsetting shift in his stomach, was it his breakfast? Wait. He hasn’t had breakfast yet. “Uh, Kamala.. I don’t feel okay…” Biden slowly said before rushing to the restroom to throw up. Kamala rushed into the bathroom, worried she grabbed some tissues and tried wiping the throw up off of his mouth. “Joe! Joe, are you okay?” scared, Kamala hurried to call the nurse but Biden stood up and regained his composure. “Yes! I am *cough* okay! Please don’t call the nurse, it might have been a stomach bug or ache. I am alright now..” Biden then gave a smile to Kamala and that let her know he was okay since it was one of those reassuring smiles.

Vladimir was speed dialing Trump again and again but he was not answering. “What the hell happened? This insubordinate excuse for a president is ignoring me! Out of all people.. Me!” Putin slammed the phone down and then getting a new idea, Putin then tried calling Mike Pence. Although that idea died down since he has never even gotten ahold of his number in the first place. Defeated, Putin put the phone down and slumped down in his chair.

Trump getting ready for his next rally, couldn’t keep Biden out of his mind. What if it won’t go through? What if Biden knew? What if he got special pills? “Trump! They are calling you out there! Go out! Speak at your rally! They need you!” Pence hyped up but also shouting at Trump.

Trump! Trump! Trump!

“My name.. My fans are calling me… Biden can take care of it himself!” Trump smiled, and walked out into his rally.Talking with confidence and his goals in mind, he knew what he wanted and he was getting it. Maybe, Texas would be the state that he would win in, but then he saw a picture of Joe Biden on one of the posters someone made. “And I…”.

Silence. Complete silence.

He started thinking about Biden again, the election? The votes? They didn’t matter anymore. That afternoon he had with Biden made him realize things. All his life he has been with women but now being able to feel… explore…. a man. A political candidate at that. It was so thrilling, so exhilarating, looking around the stage Trump realized he paused in his tracks. Looking back he saw Pence trying to get him to start speaking again but it was no use, Trump knew that if he opened his mouth again the first word that would come out of his mouth would be him.

Biden.

Meanwhile back at Harris’s house, Biden had to lay down because of the sick feeling in his stomach. “Are you sure you took your… you know? You know sometimes there are cases where omegas don’t remember what happened to them…” Kamala said while patting Biden’s head with a warm wet towel. “I.. I am sure… I would know.. Surely I would know.” Biden looked down and almost threw up again, because now he was connecting the pieces. Trump didn’t have some form of protection on him. Raw. He did it raw. “I.. I do not know Kamala and… I do not think I would want to know or find out why I am sick.” Biden then threw up after speaking, Kamala watching in concern. “Biden come on we have to run a test on you, we need to make sure. If you do, we will know what actions to take next.” Kamala stood up to try and find a test but Biden pulled her back down on the chair. “No Kamala. No.” He said sternly. Why did Biden choose to not find out whether or not he was pregnant? Who knows. All he knows is that Trump might use this as an advantage, but it could also work in Biden’s favor. He could have the kid, take a dna test, and then frame Trump for touching him inappropriately. Rape. That is the only thing that could knock him out of office… well running for office. He wasn’t president yet, and Biden knew that. He will make sure of that.

“Mr. President! Talk!” Pence loudly whispered from behind the rally curtains but Trump looked down and started a new speech. One with a slight depressing tone. “We Americans.. We have to make sure that our morals are strong. Well… not morals but what we do to sort of hamper the progression of our country… Sometimes we need to make sure the things we do are for our nation.. That is all. I am done.” Trump stated before walking out. Pence rushed to the other side of the stage where Trump was excited and started pushing Trump and shaking him, “That is not all Mr. President! Putin quite literally made you a speech! It was longer than that! What was all that about Morals about progression about hamperingsjjsddjdkdnd”. Silence. Trump spaced out Pence and all that he heard was silence. Which is what he needed. But little did he know, Putin watched it all happen, and although he was furious he didn’t call anyone. All that happened was that he made a plan. A plan that would ensure Trump to win, because Putin didn’t care what Trump was overwhelmed with, he wanted him to win.

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fahrni · 2 years ago

Text

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! ☕️

Kim and I rented a place for a week to share with our kids, grandkids, and our dogs! We arrived around 7PM Friday evening, got setup, had some pizza, and pretty much passed out.

We haven’t had time to do any real recon of the are but I did manage to find a decent pizza joint and a Food Lion so we could pick up odds and ends to stock the fridge for the week.

From Friday to Tuesday it’s all about our kids and grandkids. Tuesday forward it’ll just be Kim and I and our oldest grandchild until next Saturday.

I was hoping to get some extra bunk time but that ain’t gonna happen with a puppy who thinks 5:30AM is play time. 🤣

We’re going to have a great time at the beach and whatever else we can drum up.

Enjoy the links.

Daring Fireball

But even just a small taste of VisionOS made me feel confident that it is going to be the next major platform for Apple and Apple developers, alongside MacOS and iOS/iPadOS.

I wasn’t too excited about any new AR/VR headset Apple was set to release, then I saw it in the keynote.

At first I was disappointed because they were showing someone in an office using it to replace their monitor(s) and that’s kind of boring.

The we see someone celebrating a child’s birthday wearing the headset. Really? What a complete douchebag. No, seriously, that’s a really bad move.

But, when I saw them demonstrate watching movies with it, I was excited! That is what I’d use it for!

Am I spending $3,500 anytime soon on one? Hell no! It’s still to early for me, especially at that price. It’s hard to justify it.

Steven Beschloss

Donald Trump himself broke the news this evening that he’s been indicted—making him the first former president to ever be charged with a federal crime.

King ding dong himself is finally being indicted for his retention of government documents. It’s not about him accidentally having a few mixed in with his other papers, it’s about boxes of them, not returning them on request, and lying that he did return them.

The right like to say “What about Biden and Pence?” Indeed, what about them. They self reported having documents and turned them over right away.

TFG is a real garbage human wrapped in a suit. My hope is, at a minimum, he’s banned from running for any federal office ever again.

Colin Paice

Easy question – hard answer, how to I convert a hex string to hex byte string in C?

Go along for the ride. I haven’t taken the time to think through how to solve this and I only have nits to pick with Colin’s solution.

Virginia Mercury

Richmond’s post-graduation mass shooting reflects America’s gun violence epidemic

This is so sickening. The shooting is absolutely horrific but to do it at a graduation? It’s heartbreaking how callous our nation has become.😔

Swift.org

This document is the reference guide describing how to mix Swift and C++

Since this was done as an official way to use C++ from Swift there was all kinds of thought out into safety. That’s fine, but if you have a great hunk of C++ that has been thoroughly tested and you feel good about it you probably don’t need the training wheels provided by this support.

Just wrap your C++ in a thin layer of Objective-C++ and call it from your Swift code without penalty. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Robert Reich

Goodbye, CNN’s Chris Licht. But what’s the lesson?

I know he screwed the pooch with that TFG interview thing but man, that was pretty quick.

512 Pixels

The number of 2019 Mac Pros sold cannot be huge, but the new one’s numbers are going to be even smaller. As a Mac Pro fan that worries me. Yes, there are users who are reliant on PCI solutions and I’m sure those folks will upgrade to this new machine at some point.

Who is this computer for? That’s the question on most folks minds. When I heard it wasn’t nearly as expandable as the 2019 version it made me wonder why they bothered? Beyond the awesome SOC it doesn’t have more to offer than its 2019 counterpart.

Then again, I’ve never been the target of this computer. I’m still using a 2019 MacBook Pro and I’m fine with it. Heck, I have a brand new M2 based MacBook Pro sitting in a box waiting for me to set it up. 🤣

Audibon.org

But as Adams scanned the bustling crowd of King Penguins, elephant seals, and Antarctic fur seals, he spotted something bizarre in the distance.

Go check out the post. This bird is gorgeous and I want it.

Jalopnik

Could The NASCAR Garage 56 Camaro Beat Every GTE Car At Le Mans?

I’d love to watch this all the way through but that’s not gonna happen. I hope NASCAR has partnered with someone to do a full documentary on it. The process from concept to reality to running the race. I hope it makes it the full 24 hours. That alone would be a huge victory.

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wilwheaton · 4 years ago

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Can you please not bash on third party voters? Green party voters could have voted for Democrat nominees. It's not like green policy positions are hard to figure out! And there is absolute urgency to enact Green party positions. If a Democrat party nominee didn't get their votes, it's *the Democrats fault.* Democrat campaigns need to run campaigns that show support to their progressive allies through policies, not knee jerk reactions and shaming.

So first of all, it’s “Democratic”, not “Democrat”. “Democrat” is framing pushed by right-wing authoritarians who hope to create the impression that Democrats are not “democratic”. It’s a deliberate slur, and a dogwhistle to other right wing authoritarians.

I don’t know if you’re using that phrasing deliberately, or if you just don’t know. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, and respond to the substance of your comment.

I don’t disagree with you that Green Party positions, particularly as they address Climate Change, are vital. That’s why I work to elect candidates who believe in and are working to fight Climate Change. Where I am a realist is in American electoral politics, where I’ve lived my entire life and voted for 30 years. I know that Greens will NEVER be elected to the presidency in this country. Same for the execrable Libertarians. That’s the reality of the American electoral system.

At this point, and in any general election, really, the choice is very clearly between two people. One of them will be president, and that’s how it is. You may not like it, but you have a choice to make: are you going to be responsible and vote for the candidate who is *closest* to your positions? Or are you going to have a tantrum and support the candidate who we *know* will fight to undo everything you care about, just so you can feel smug and superior? I mean, grow the fuck up. Voting isn’t dating. Voting is taking the bus that gets you closest to your destination.

This election is the most consequential in my lifetime, and likely the most consequential election in American history. If Trump and the Republicans can cheat and steal this election, it is the end of American Democracy.

I respect and admire your commitment to climate change policy. I promise you that Biden/Harris will be more concerned about climate change policy than Trump/Pence/Exxon will be. If you’re going to throw a tantrum and refuse to vote for Biden and Democrats because they aren’t perfect enough for you, you are giving a giant fuck you to the planet, the climate, and vulnerable people all over the country.

I get that you want to change the party and move us to the Left. I want to do that, too. Electing young, progressive, passionate people like AOC is going to do that far more effectively than voting for someone who gives you the fan fiction you crave, without any chance of actually holding office.

We moved Biden to the Left because we supported and worked with Bernie and Senator Warren, not by threatening to hold our breaths until he took our threats to vote for someone who he’s never heard of and doesn’t care about seriously.

Anyone who identifies as progressive and is still supporting and planning to vote for anyone other than Biden is someone I don’t take seriously, or respect at all. The future of our country and planet is at stake, and at this point the choice is Biden, or Trump. Period. Full stop. You may not like it, which is absolutely your fundamental right, but that doesn’t change the facts or reality of the situation.

Vote Biden/Harris like your life depends on it, because it does.

#bdizzleforeal

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sserpente · 3 years ago

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Hi Stef! i know you don't discuss Tom's private life on your blog but i have to ask, have you seen the new pap pics of Tom and Zawe? They basically confirm that the two are a couple and i just don't know how to feel. Like, I'm sooooo happy for him but at the same time, i've literally been crying my eyes out????? like, actually crying. i feel so stupid and bad for feeling this way! 😭

Oh, love, don’t feel bad about how you feel! First off, yes, I have seen the pictures, they’ve been really hard to avoid and you’re right, and as I don’t want to comment on Tom’s private life, I will keep talking about his relationship to a minimum and focus on your ask instead, alright? ♥ I really want to respond to you because I feel like you need to hear this and I’ve experienced something very similar in my teens so hear me out, you are absolutely normal for feeling this way.

First of all, your emotions are totally valid. I know a lot of people will say “lol, stop whining, you never had a chance with him to begin with, are you like 13 or something”. I think most of those fans are pigeonholing and judging without even trying to understand what it is like to be infatuated with a celebrity because they’ve never experienced it themselves, and that’s regardless of your age—you could be as old as me. It doesn’t always mean you’re crazy, naïve or ignorant. Some people like sports, others don’t. Some have very strong feelings about celebrities and about fictional characters and others don’t.

So here are my twenty pence. I believe that it is not truly about Tom being taken at all. Think about it. Sure, if you are of legal age, you might have had the glimmer of hope that you could meet him and sweep him off his feet. The chance is so little it’s barely there. But it’s not entirely impossible. That doesn’t make you delusional at all. As long as you realise that Tom Hiddleston is a man who does not know you (whether you met him or not) and you’re not 100% convinced that you will end up together one day, get married and live happily ever after, you’re not crazy. It’s alright! After all, there are millions of other fans who had this particular glimmer of hope. Hey, I would never say no to dating this gorgeous man either! You're not crazy for thinking that!

I believe you like the idea of Tom so much you consider him boyfriend material for yourself. He comes across as a kind, considerate gentleman, a feminist who loves animals and who has a passion for film, theatre and literature. People don’t say for no reason that he is the type of man women write in romance novels. Now that he’s taken, you feel this idea of him being your love interest is taken from you, along with that teeny tiny glimmer of hope. And that is what makes you sad—because I am going to assume that the rational part of you knows it was unlikely for you to end up with him to begin with! You might be a little sad because you can’t be with him, that’s okay. But I also believe you’re sad because you loved the idea of being with someone like him. If Tom embodied your “perfect man”, then of course you will have stirred your romantic interest and ideas of what it would be like in a relationship towards him, especially because he was single (and you are too, I assume). Your feelings are absolutely valid. You created a parasocial relationship with him--which is a relationship that is one-sided and where only one party puts in love, effort and energy into the so-called relationship, the other doesn’t. This very same phenomenon happens with fictional characters. As long as you realise you’re not actually in a relationship with him (or are 100% convinced that you’re going to be), it’s a normal psychological occurrence, not a mental illness or an OCD.

“Crushing” on celebrities can teach you so much about yourself and your feelings. First of all, you can learn what traits you appreciate in a potential partner (while keeping in mind that we don’t know celebrities in person anyway), second of all, you get to know your feelings better. It’s totally okay to be sexually attracted to him too and explore that (so as long as you don’t sexualise him or are being inappropriate online and/or when you meet him).

What you are experiencing now is lovesickness. Not a heartbreak but lovesickness. You feel hopelessness because of a failed romance, an unreciprocated love: Psychologically speaking, the part of your brain that is responsible for emotions does not have the ability to distinguish between real and unreal. Why do you think we cry over Loki so much? We know he's not real and yet, our brain produces these emotions and sends signals to our body that you can't just ignore or switch off. And the very same goes for a celebrity. That's just how our brain works. Never apologise for what you feel! Even anger and nasty thoughts are okay, so as long as you don't try to either physically or verbally harm them online or in person. I tell you what's actually really bad is to ignore how you're feeling and believing what some fans say on here--that you're just a young and crazy and delusional fangirl with no attachment to reality. Don't put yourself down. Don't think "well, he wouldn't have dated someone like me anyway". Not to get your hopes back up--but you have to know your self-worth. Tom is only human too but he obviously can't date all of us, that doesn't mean you're any less amazing than any of the women that Tom is dating!

It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to cry. I’ve been there. You should have seen me cry my eyes out over my first-ever celebrity crush. It’s okay. There is nothing wrong with you, you are not being a bad person for feeling this way—because think about it, you even said it—you are also incredibly happy for him, right? I am too! Imagining him getting married, having children, even if it doesn’t involve you?

It’s okay to be envious. I’m sure he understands that there’s lots of women out there who would only love to be in Zawe’s place. Heck, it’s even okay to think that you couldn’t ever imagine being friends with her because she gets to kiss the very man you are infatuated with so much at the moment. The only thing that is not okay is to hate on her or be abusive in any way.

I hope that helps a little, love! Remember that your personal Tom Hiddleston is out there somewhere and until then—you’ve got Loki and all those other characters of Tom’s. Those aren’t taken if you don’t want them to be because they’re fictional and they’ll always be there. It’s okay. And I’m always here if you want to talk. ♥

#tom hiddleston #zawe ashton #marvel #mcu #loki #disney+#betrayal #harold pinter

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veilder · 4 years ago

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Hi! Would you happen to have Convin or Reed900 fics to recommend?

Oh, hello! I can definitely help you with Convin fic recs at least, lol! Reed900, not so much, but there are plenty of blogs around that you could ask for that ship. ^_^ But yeah, I’ll try to categorize these as best I can! And give a little summary, too! :D

Longfics 75k+ (Complete)

1. Mission: Unexpected by J11nxed (@j11nxed) Rated E (violence, sexual content, language, abuse): Super great casefic with lots of amazing character development. Very funny. Probably my favorite characterization of Connor and Gavin, lol. The fic I read when I’m feeling down. ^_^

2. Golden by jarpad (@embaggins on Twitter) Rated M (dark themes, mature content, allusions to self-harm/suicide, mental health issues, language): An absolutely beautiful story of healing and overcoming your demons handled in a very respectful manner. The subject matter is very thought provoking and it brought me to tears, both cathartic and not, more than once. It’s a heavy story, but... So worth it, imo.

3. like roses, death blooms by alekszova (@ewates) Rated M (violence, rape, torture, abuse, mental health issues): A very, very dark revenge fic. Definitely the darkest one on this list. If you like heavy angst, this might be for you, though please heed the tags. A lot of this story is about the aftermath of horrific events but there are still some very brutal scenes.

Mid-length fics 20k-75k (Complete)

1. Running Uphill by NHMoonshadow (@sharysisnhmoonshadow) Rated M (violence, peril, language): The ultimate time travel soulmate AU fic imo. Absolutely top tier Gavin characterization and development. Rich backstories and relationships. Definitely some trauma, omg. But ultimately, a happy ending. Definitely a must-read for any Convin fan imo.

2. Traces by berryblonde (@berry--blonde) Rated M (language, peril, minor suicidal ideation): One of the first long fics I ever read for this ship and still one of my faves. Excellent casefic setup, very interesting premise and some very dynamic characters. Also, really A+ backstory for Gavin. This is basically a classic for anyone who wasn’t around in the early days of fandom. Highly recommend!

3. His Robin by wolfetz Rated T (drama, language): Absolutely fantastic coming of age story set in a human!AU world. Really great character work for both Connor and Gavin and their relationship through the years. Love this one.

4. A Scratched CD/A Faulty Code by consecrated Rated T (mental health issues, language): Companion pieces told from Gavin and Connor’s POVs respectively. These were also very early fics I read when I was first getting into the fandom and I love them both dearly. The characterization here went a long way towards me loving the ship to begin with. A great intro to Convin.

5. That Boy is a Powder Keg by QueenHarleyQuinn Not Rated (language, violence, mature content, mental health issues): One of the most realistic takes on Gavin going from his canon asshole self to someone who could feasibly be in a relationship with Connor. I’m definitely due to re-read this cuz I can’t quite remember the details anymore, but I know I really enjoyed this at the time. Good for anyone who likes a more antagonistic take on him.

Shortfics/Oneshots (~20k)

1. Sedum Spathulifolium by Burrahobbit Rated T (language): This fic... is so dang sweet. I’ve read it so many times. It’s absolutely adorable, what can I say? Love their dynamic here. ^_^

2. Always know that you are not alone by Liveinelf Rated T (language, drama): Another fantastic take on Gavin and his growth as a character. He starts off very close to canon here and is one mean asshole. But this fic does a great job of explaining why he acts as he does. And how he changes. Highly recommend.

3. Some things never change by berryblonde Rated T (language): An absolutely hilarious fic, lol. The view of Convin through the eyes of some rookie trainees, omg. It makes me laugh so much. XD

4. Mankind Needs More Empathy by BrightestStarInTheSky (@brighteststarinthesky) Rated T (language, drama): Some good old-fashioned Gavin-getting-his-head-out-of-his-ass, lol. I love fics like this. Need a good basis to start a relationship, after all. Apologies are in order. ^_^

5. as i see them by rekal Rated T (language, drama): Same as the previous entry, this one deals with Gavin’s character growth and how he and Connor grow closer in the aftermath. It’s lovely.

6. Sweet/Wise men say... by 99MillionMiles (@99millionmilesaway) Not Rated: Two short, sweet fluff pieces that absolutely delight me every time I reread them. And as a bonus, some beautiful art by @deep-in-mind67, too!

7. Melted Phoenix by Astrapod Rated M (violence, trauma, mental health issues, mutilation, peril): This one... This is a heavy fic. It starts off with a very harrowing description of android violence that might be too much for some folks to handle. Proceed with caution. But, if you can weather that, this is an absolutely beautiful fic about love and healing. Definitely recommend.

8. So Pathetic and So Lovely by alekszova Rated M (language, drama, mental health issues, mature themes): I think the fic’s description speaks for itself here: “ Neither Gavin or Connor think they are capable of being loved by the other, but that doesn't mean it's true.” Definitely worth a read.

9. An unexpected turn of events by Smokey310 Rated T (language): This one is freakin hilarious. Connor and Gavin and a night out at the club, omg. I love this fic to death. XD

10. As Do I by berryblonde Rated T (drama): A human!AU where your soulmate can feel the injuries of their other half. It’s the story of a lifetime together. All the way til the end.

11. because the bed’s warm and it’s cold out by voidpants (@voidpants) Rated G (no warnings): Connor and Gavin being old men together. It’s beautiful. Such a lovely take on the two of them.

Unfinished Fics/Honorable Mentions

1. Spinning Yellow by sheepishwolfy (@sheepishwolfy) Rated E (violence, language, mature themes): Amazing casefic with top-tier characterization. What’s written of it is still amazing, even if it’s not complete.

2. Amidst a Crash of Worlds by fireplanetz Rated T (violence, mature themes, war, language): A fic told entirely through letters between Connor and Gavin in the aftermath of the bad ending of the game. It’s such an awesome idea and it’s executed so well. Definitely recommend.

3. The Bet by Pence Rated T (language): Brooklyn 99-inspired DPD shenanigans. Need I say more? It’s so funny and I love the characterization of Connor and Gavin. Mostly finished, too! Just the final chapter missing!

4. Wicked by MercuryPilgrim Rated M (language, mature content): I love this one. It’s such a unique take on Connor and Gavin and it works so well, too. They are delightful here. Love the dynamic!

5. (can’t say) i don’t love you by Chibbers (@teh-chibi) Rated M (language, drama, sexual content): An angsty hanahaki!AU fic where these two idiots don’t realize they’re in love with each other. Really great writing here. Very emotional. Made me feel a lot.

And I guess I should mention that I have fics of my own, too, about half of which are Convin? You can check them out on my AO3 here! ^_^

So yeah, there we go. Those are really all I can think of off the top of my head. I know I missed some amazing works, too, alas. But at least this can give you a good start, yeah? Hope this helps @pancrystal! And thanks again for the ask! :D (Also, if I messed up any of the link or if there’re any glaring typos, lemme know. This was a lot of janky, Tumblr formatting, omg. >_<)

#dbh #fanfic #fic recs #convin #connor #rk800 #gavin reed #reed800 #gavcon #please feel free to add any onto this in the comments!#I definitely know I missed some!#and also add your URL if you like since I didn't know everybody's lol! XD #pancrystal

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scifiisforgirlsgaystheys · 3 years ago

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Reasons why this is total bullshit:

1) The “experiment” of identifying Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence from photos is ridiculous.

Sure, some people may not be able to pick Nancy Pelosi from a crowd (and this goes for all ages), but I do not know a single person my age who doesn’t know who Nancy Pelosi is. Gen Z is one of the most politically aware generations considering how young we are (honestly how many teenagers in the 80s knew who Thomas O’Neill was?). Plus, that picture of Nancy Pelosi sarcastically clapping at Trump was one of the biggest memes of 2020, so I feel like most of us still could identify her from a picture. And don’t give me shit about not being able to identify Mike Pence. The dude looks like every white guy ever that golfs at pretentious county clubs after Sunday morning church, okay? Show Gen Z any picture of VP Kamala Harris and they’d know EXACTLY who she is.

2) A person can’t know what they have never been taught.

This article is upset because teenagers could identify Kendall and Miley, two people who have PR teams that spend millions of dollars targeting our age demographic with the very purpose that we know EXACTLY who they are. I’m not a fan of any Kardashians, but even my google news feed is constantly filled with their family’s latest drama and my Instagram is always suggesting content from celebrities I’ve never cared about. If kids aren’t aware about current or past political events, it’s because the generations before us are failing at teaching them. Everything we are stems from who they are, for better or for worse. If you’re upset with how generations after you have turned out, you have only yourselves to thank.

3) Anyone complaining about Gen Z like this is entirely missing the point.

You’re aren’t going to fix anything by telling people how annoying and stupid they are. You fix things by encouraging, teaching, understanding, and genuinely caring about the future generations.

4) Gen Z, we are an amazing, socially aware generation.

We have so much potential to change this world. We are a generation of Greta Thunbergs. We are a generation of Amanda Gormans. We’re are a generation of Emma Gonzalezs. Don’t let others belittle you or discourage you because they don’t understand you, because they failed you. Learn from their mistakes, do good, and leave the world a better place than you found it.

#I know not sci fi related by this article really pissed me off and I needed to rant #the article gets worse the more you read #it talks about the reason we’re all depressed and anxious and doing drugs is because we’re not traditional American families anymore #politics #political rant #rant post #mini rant #gen z #baby boomer bullshit #ok boomer #new york post #gen z post #gen z problems #gen z thoughts

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themadauthorshatter · 3 years ago

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... I think you guys are going to like this.

358/2 Days REWRITE Part 2

Riku is around, but he's all over the place, and he has a mission: Find and capture either Roxas or Xion, unless he CAN manage both, so DiZ can use them to help Sora recover. He's on a time limit, though, because Sora's heart is damaged and the longer Roxas and Xion are around, the less likely Sora is to waking up or even sleeping; I mean, he'll BE sleeping, but it'll be much quieter and it will be absolutely pointless to try waking him up.

For the first few days or months, he keeps his distance, trying to decide who he's picking, sadly.

Pros of bringing Roxas to DiZ: He has the closest connection to Sora, being his nobody, he's got the keyblade, Riku can probably take him one v. one, if there are any problems, he just needs to get a reaction out of 'Sora.'

CONS of bringing to Roxas to DiZ: Have fun trying to run from the remaining Organization members, he'll have to avoid Non-form or he'll get beaten all to Hell, he runs the risk of hurting his friend for reals, Roxas is rarely alone, Roxas is one hell of a runner and fighter, he'll just feel bad.

Pros of bringing Xion to DiZ: She has more 'keyblade' potential, maybe her voice will help wake up Sora(?), she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé gets a new friend(as long as DiZ doesn't decide to throw her away).

CONS of bringing Xion to DiZ: She looks and sounds like Kairi, she's crazy skilled, she hits hard, she's laughable when she's mad, but it's gut wrenching to see her cry or be hurt, she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé is probably getting Thanosed when DiZ is done with her because he's a dick right now, so giving Xion to her as a friend will mean nothing, the connection to Kairi, he'll feel bad.

As you can tell, Riku is great at making decisions(sarcasm)

While he's too caught up to do anything, let's check on the sea salt trio, who are getting closer as friends, i.e. seeing Hayner, Pence, and Olette do stupid stuff a KH equivalent of TikTok, which the trio repeats on their own without a phone recording them, eating ice cream, talking, and exploring the Disney worlds for fun, both old ones and new ones that will appear in future games.

In this time, Xion becomes a mix of Kairi and Naminé, outspoken, but careful with who she runs her mouth to, smart, but still open to learn, protective and still needs something if a protector, etc. She is also a wickedly fast learner.

We also get organization shenanigans like Demyx being lazy on missions, Roxas getting annoyed at Xigbar for calling him tiger, dealing with Saïx, trying not to annoy Xaldin, even getting head pats from Xemnas, and, for fluff, Roxas and Xion finding Axel asleep on the floor of the clock tower and the two scaring him away for shits and giggles.

Yes, a lot of time passes, about 9-11 months, give or take.

Roxas and Xion also become closer as well with Axel being something like their chaperone, only he reports to Xemnas and Saïx.

Speaking of Saïx, he meets up with Axel one day and expresses disdain with the fact Axel would rather be friends with an unstable Roxas and a literal puppet that doesn't even exist.

Axel, on edge already with Xemnas on his back, tells Saïx to put a cork in it. Saïx only pushes back, asking if Roxas even KNOWS what Xion is, even what HE is. To both their credit, the two are wonderful at playing make believe and Axel, being the child he is, is a great at being their playmate.

Axel shoves Saïx back, snapping for him to shut his mouth before he says something he'll regret. Saïx, losing his composure, shoves back, asking if he should because Axel can't handle the truth; he never has been good at it, so it's not surprising.

Ring a bell, someone, please, because Axel throws a punch into Saïx's cheekbone. Saïx returns with a left hook directly to the side of the neck and knees Axel, who grabs his leg under his knee and rolls, making them both fall and throw more punches on the ground, bruising and bloodying each other in full view of the remaining organization members. Maybe we get a gag of Xigbar and Luxord placing bets on who will win, Demyx worrying because they should probably be stopped, Xaldin scoffing at the immature display, and then Roxas and Xion walking in and instantly getting worried because Axel is not winning this fight, as evidenced by Saïx slamming his head into the floor.

When the two stand up to keep fighting, Roxas and Xion race between them, the boy in front of Saïx and a very nervous Xion in front of Axel, who tells her and Roxas to stay out of this or they'll get hurt.

Roxas obviously refuses, but Xion leads Axel away from Saïx, who asks if Axel really needs children to protect him.

No, he needs to protect these two idiots, especially Roxas, who hasn't moved and his eyes have gone Non-form-y, like he's about to transform.

Saïx returns with berserker eyes and smashes Roxas into the wall by his neck, daring him to try it.

It draws a gasp from EVRYONE, even Xaldin, but Saïx scoffs that they shouldn't try pretending to be worried, what with how unstable and how much of a nuisance Roxas is, not too mention weak, which he says while watching Roxas try to break free. He kicks at Saïx, and misses, but Saïx smirks and summons his claymore, wanting to see how tough Roxas really is.

There's a reason Xion pulled Axel away and is so nervous, because said reason puts a hand on Saïx's shoulder and asks him if he enjoys this façade of a life and would rather not disappear.

Yep. Xemnas is here, and everyone backs down, including the the bet making Xigbar and Luxord, who so they can have deniability.

Saïx snaps out of berserk mode in the blink of an eye and begrudgingly lets go of Roxas, i.e. lets him drop down.

Axel and Xion start toward him, but freeze when Xemnas eyes them, like scary eyes.

He has an announcement: There's an imposter and he could be anywhere. He's in a coat just like everyone else's, but his hood's usually up. When he's not wearing it, he's a silver haired teen. Oh, yeah, and his name is Riku.

Axel, Roxas, and Xion all gasp, Axel because Riku was in Castle Oblivion and probably knows where Sora is and Roxas and Xion because it brings back memories from Sora.

Xemnas sees the reaction, but only focuses on Roxas, asking softly if he's okay and if he was hurt.

He's fine and he wasn't and he shakes his head to chase away Non-form.

Xemnas still helps him up and orders everyone to keep their eyes open and report ANYTHING on this imposter because the sooner they catch and... well, just catch him, the better, that part being Xemnas not wanting to upset Roxas, make him go into Non-form, and have everyone need to knock him out to calm him down.

Xemnas takes Roxas away to be checked on, in case he was really hurt and doesn't know it, and Roxas asks what will happen to Saïx and Axel for fighting. He didn't see a lot of it, so he’s not even sure who started it.

They’ll be 'interviewed' and reprimanded accordingly, but they won't die, so relax.

What about the imposter? Who's Riku? And who's Sora??

Xemnas stops checking on Roxas and puts a hand on his head, which he doesn't need to worry about because the organization can deal with it. All he needs to do is keep doing missions and giving his 100%. Roxas sighs that he IS, hell he's giving 150% because Non-form's acting up, but he's kept it calm, even with the hallucinations of Sora, Ven, and now Non-form.

Xemnas finishes checking for any wounds and commends Roxas, saying that is why he chose him. Before Roxas can ask, Xemnas tells him to go in the lobby because he has a mission with Xaldin.

Roxas does so and passes by and reassuring Axel and glaring Saïx, though Roxas glares back.

Xemnas has the two sit down and that warmth he had with Roxas is GONE IN A SECOND, asking both of them what they were thinking, picking a fight in front of everyone and endangering the two most vital components to the plan. Saïx jabs that Axel is letting himself be distracted while Axel states he's doing his job and doesn't want either of them to get upset or angry to the point of dysfunctionality. Besides, He did not start that fight, which he didn't even WANT to partake in.

Does Axel have legs? For now he does, yes. Can he stand? Yes. Can he DEMONSTRATE that he can stand? This is getting tedious, but sure, and Axel stands. Now can he walk from where he is to the far wall? Again, this is tedious, but yes.

If he did ALL OF THAT, why didn't he actually do it?

With no words, Xemnas dismisses Axel, telling him to accompany Xion on their mission.

Axel nods and leaves Saïx to be scolded.

We cut to Riku as he watches Roxas and Xaldin fight of heartless and some knights in Beast's Castle, maybe even go toe to toe with Beast himself, who manages to catch Roxas off guard and momentarily confuses him with Sora.

Xaldin knocks him away and the two leave, Riku coming out and asking if that smaller nobody really was Sora.

Beast admits it was a spur of the moment, but he could have sworn it was Sora.

Meanwhile, Xion and Axel fight hard in Hollow Bastion, squaring off against Squall, Yuffie, Tifa, and Cloud, where we see both more of Axel's gymnastics and Xion's ability with a keyblade.

The fight ends when Xion stops who she believes is Riku the imposter and chases after him, Axel following her in case shit hits the fan.

Xion follows Riku to a cliffside and he gives her an offer and a warning: either give him Roxas or hope that they never meet face to face again. Xion arms herself and demands to know what that means, but Riku also arms himself right as Axel throws a chakram between them and tells Riku to fuck off before he gets hurt.

Riku gives Xion one last glance before falling off the edge and leaving through a dark corridor, making it look like he just disappeared like a badass. They’re both confused, but still call it a day, Xion asking if Axel is okay after that fight with Saïx, because he’s still a little banged up. He expresses he’s fine(he’s a big boy!!) and tells Xion not to worry.

She’s going to anyway because Riku is after Roxas, and threatened her with a fight if she didn’t bring Roxas to him. Axel, although he’s shook, tells her everything will be fine.

LIES, because Xion is sent on a mission to defeat Riku. All she needs to do is knock him out and they’ll come collect him, no problem.

Xion IS strong, but not strong enough because Riku wipes the floor with her and is about to take her to DiZ when dusks, samurai, and Non-form Roxas, who also gets whooped, but at least fairs a little better.

The two wear Riku out enough for a lance to graze his arm, an arrow/bullet to hit his leg, and a few cards to distract him.

The rest of the organization arrive, even Saïx and Xemnas, the latter using thorn/vine things to bind Riku’s hands behind his back.

He remarks that Riku’s a lot bigger than he thought he would be, stronger too, and we get one of those creepy manga Xemnas moments as he grabs Riku, pulls him close by the jaw, and states he’ll have fun seeing just how strong he is; he knows that Riku is hiding Sora, Kairi, DiZ, and his witch, and will tear him apart with his bare hands to know where they are.

With Riku thoroughly freaked out, Xemnas stands and everyone returns, all tired and ready to find Sora.

Xion, however, isn’t. Because Riku said some very interesting things to her during their fight.

She considers telling Roxas, but he’s too worried making sure she’s okay, because Riku was tough. She goes to Axel instead, knowing he has a key to the dungeons, and he’s instantly skeptical; she asked if he could take her to see Riku. Xion lies through her teeth and says she just wants to rub in Riku’s face that they won and he lost.

Axel agrees, but decides he’s going to follow her, just in case.

They arrive as Xigbar leaves, asking if they’re going to welcome the new arrival and need help in doing so.

Xion counters that she’s actually going to return a favor and would like to do it alone.

Axel’s surprised and Xigbar whistles for her to stand down; he was just asking because she got kicked like a soccer ball, no harm in asking for help.

He leaves and Xion goes toward Riku’s cell, asking Axel to stay by the door until she’s done.

He does so and Xion walks towards Riku’s cell, where she and we the audience see Riku is banged up from being interrogated; looks like Xemnas is taking his time.

Riku asks what she wants and Xion responds with a deal:

Tell her about Sora and she’ll give the organization a good enough lie to let him go so he can help Sora. During their fight, the two had an argument, Xion saying she was going to protect her friend and Riku snapping she had no idea what friends were because she’s a nobody and a replica, and the reason Sora can’t wake up.

Spark Notes of the deal: If Riku tells Xion about Sora, Xion will give the organization an answer that will buy Riku enough time to get back to Sora.

Fair, but he has one condition: If he tells her, she was to decide what she will do; he’s not refusing because she genuinely wants to know more about Sora.

Xion agrees and Riku tells her to take a seat, because they’re going to be here for a while.

#kingdom hearts #kh roxas #kh axel #kh xemnas #kh xion #sea salt trio #kh riku #kh saix #kh 358/2 days #rewrite #there will be a part 3 #violence tw #picking on the little guy

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maddrmatt · 3 years ago

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A Beautiful Future: A Premonition or a Punishment? (SoKai Week 2021)

Greetings readers and fellow SoKai fans! It is I, the Mad Doctor, participating in SoKai Week for the second year running. This year, I have a special multichapter story that will be posted throughout the week. It’s going to be quite an emotional rollercoaster that I hope you all enjoy!

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Chapter 1: Two Hearts Become One

Radiant Garden

Dressed in an elegant white suit with golden highlights, Sora gazed over Mickey’s head at the long aisle ahead of him. It was going to be quite a walk. But it was going to be one worth taking given what was going to happen at the end.

Just then, music filled the air and Mickey began his walk. Once the mouse king was far enough ahead, Sora followed after him. ‘Okay. Here it goes. No pressure. It’s only the happiest day of Kairi’s and my life.’

As he walked, Sora took in his surroundings and marveled at how different the setting was from when, on occasion, he would picture his wedding day. ‘If the Keyblade had never come to me and I had never got caught up in my adventures, we probably would’ve been getting married in a simple beachside ceremony on the Islands with just family and friends from there. I never thought it would be in another world. Especially in front of a crowd like this.’

The Radiant Garden chapel that the ceremony was taking place in was indeed far from a beach setting. It had needed to be magically expanded to accommodate all the various friends from around the worlds that he made on his many adventures. There was even a giant screen hovering up front in the air so the guests could see the altar no matter where they were in the chapel.

There had probably never been such a gathering of guests in the entire history of the worlds. It was composed of various humans, animals (both regular and anthropomorphic), monsters, magical beings, artificial constructs and other kinds. And all of them looked incredibly happy to be there to witness this happy occasion.

Hercules pumped his fist. Rapunzel’s eyes were wet with happy tears. Stitch shot him one of his toothiest smiles. Jack Sparrow gave a salute.

Sora smiled at all of them as he passed by. ‘We may be shattering the World Order to bits for this wedding. But I’m so glad they could all be here today. Because they’re not just friends. All of them are family.’

Finally, Sora reached the altar and stood before Mickey. The mouse had never looked more like a king since he was dressed in his most official robes. It was fitting because he was the officiant for the ceremony.

‘Never would have imagined that we’d be getting married by a king who’s a giant mouse,’ thought Sora as he turned around and gazed down the aisle as his groomsmen, all dressed in matching black suits, approached.

Fittingly, the first groomsman to arrive was also the very first person Sora had helped in his lifetime. ‘I’d barely been born when I saved Ven. And because of him, I gained the Keyblade and became the hero the worlds and Kairi needed.”

Then came his former Nobody. ‘Roxas certainly earned his spot among my groomsmen. He gave up his existence to wake me up so I could stop the first Organization.’

Sora gave a little chuckle as he saw how identical Ven and Roxas were in their suits. ‘They truly do look like twin brothers. I can’t believe how many of the guests here really thought they were that.’

After Roxas, came the two who had been with Sora through nearly every step of his adventures. Donald and Goofy looked like proud parents seeing as how they had long considered Sora to be like another nephew and another son respectively.

‘An anthropomorphic duck and dog among my groomsmen. Now there’s something I definitely never thought I would have at my wedding. But I never would’ve gotten anywhere without them. Not that I would tell Donald that. Goofy maybe. But not Donald. He’d never let me hear the end of it.’

Then Riku came down the aisle. As he took his place right beside Sora, the two of them exchanged smiles.

‘Riku, I’m so happy that through everything that’s happened, our friendship not only endured but got even stronger. You’re my brother in everything but blood and there’s no one else I’d choose to be my best man.’

Now that all the groomsmen were in place, it was now time for the bridesmaids to come down the aisle. ‘My bride really didn’t have a lot of female friends when we were growing up on the Islands. Now, thanks to our adventures, she has plenty to fill her bridesmaids’ ranks,’ thought Sora.

The first bridesmaid to arrive, dressed in a pink dress that they were all wearing, came Olette. ‘She was probably the first person to call our story a romantic one. How right she was.’

Xion was next. ‘Her appearance is living proof that my strongest memories were always of Kairi.’

Following Xion was none other than the blue haired Keyblade master who was ultimately responsible for him meeting the love of his life. ‘I can never thank you enough for setting us up to meet, Aqua.’

Then came Kairi’s former Nobody. ‘I’m so glad that Naminè didn’t want to wake me up without my memories of Kairi. Although, I wish there had been a better way that wouldn’t have required Roxas and Xion to make sacrifices. Oh well. It all worked out in the end.’

Finally, came the maid of honor. ‘She may have been uninvolved in our adventures. But Selphie’s been Kairi’s oldest female friend, so she deserves to be maid of honor.’

Sora then gazed to the front rows of seats where the groups from Disney Castle, Radiant Garden, Twilight Town and Shibuya were all seated. In the very first row was Master Yen Sid, Terra, Axel, Isa, Hayner, Pence, Tidus and Wakka as well as his parents, Hayley and Jones who looked extremely proud of their boy.

‘Mom, Dad, I hope that our marriage turns out as wonderful as yours.’

Next to come up the aisle, was Pluto with Jiminy Cricket riding on top of his head. The dog had a cushion clutched in his mouth which upon it were two paopu fruits each in the middle of a crown of flowers. In the cricket’s hands was a cushion with two golden rings.

Once Pluto had reached the altar, he walked up to Selphie, who reached down and took one of the rings from Jiminy’s cushion. The dog then walked up to Riku who took the remaining ring. With the rings having been delivered to the maid of honor and best man, Pluto assumed a sitting position next to Riku until the time came for his next duty.

Then the music changed. All the guests rose to their feet.

After a short while, Sora’s eyes widened. Coming down the aisle, preceded by Chirithy who was scattering flower petals and between her adoptive parents Parker and Dorothy, was his bride.

Kairi was dressed in a lovely white sleeveless wedding gown. Golden designs were stitched into the fabric with an elaborate shape of a heart on her chest. Her hair had been done up in a bun and she was wearing a tiara with seven shimmering white heart-shaped jewels. In her hands, she carried a bouquet of flowers. Her eyes were bright with happiness and her lips wore a radiant smile.

‘She’s so beautiful,’ thought Sora.

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‘He’s so handsome,’ thought Kairi as she and her parents reached the altar with Chirithy taking its place beside Selphie.

The music faded and the guests resumed sitting. It was time for the ceremony to begin.

“Welcome all honored friends and family from around the worlds. We are gathered here on this most joyous day to witness the joining of Sora and Kairi in the sacred union of marriage. Who presents this woman to be married?” asked Mickey.

“Her father and I do, with all our hearts and with every blessing,” said Dorothy.

“We also say this on behalf of her birth parents and grandmother who sadly could not be here today but would surely be so proud of her,” said Parker solemnly.

A bittersweet feeling came over the bride. ‘I hope, wherever they are, they’re very proud. I just know they would’ve loved Sora especially after hearing about everything he’s done for me.’

Kairi handed her bouquet to Selphie and exchanged a loving embrace with each of her parents. ‘I can never thank you enough for taking me in, Mom and Dad. You’ve been the most wonderful parents I could ask for. I love you both so much.’

The bride then walked over to the groom’s side. Sora was then suddenly embraced by Kairi’s parents.

“Keep taking care of her, Sora,” whispered Parker.

“Just like you always have,” added Dorothy.

“I will. I promise,” Sora responded back as Kairi’s parents broke their embrace and headed for their seats.

‘And there’s never been a promise that you’ve failed to keep, my soon-to-be husband,’ thought Kairi as she took Sora’s hands into her own as Mickey started up again.

“What we are witnessing this day is the next step in what has been an incredible journey. Sora and Kairi began this journey as childhood friends. But although they were young, the light of love was present right from the start and it continued to grow over time. That light has guided them through many trials and tribulations throughout their lives. And now they have reached this day when their hearts, which have always shared a special bond, will now truly become one,” said the mouse king.

‘It certainly has been quite a ride for us, Sora. But everything that we’ve gone through, even the darkest times, has been worth it. Even more worth it since it has finally led us here to this day,’ thought Kairi.

“Sora, Kairi, your love and devotion for one another is greatly admirable. But while marriage is a beautiful symbol of that love, it is a commitment not to be taken lightly as you go through all the challenges that life will throw at you. But there is no doubt among anyone present here that the two of you will rise to meet those challenges together,” continued Mickey.

Kairi smiled at her groom who smiled back. ‘As many of our friends have said, when we’re together, Sora, there is nothing we can’t do.’

“Now, let us hear you both recite your vows of love for one another. And as Keyblade Masters, it is tradition to swear them on your Keyblades. Sora?” asked Mickey.

As he had been instructed by the Keyblade Masters, Sora released one of his hands from Kairi’s, held it out and summoned Kingdom Key eliciting a gasp from several of the guests. Planting the tip to the floor and kneeling down while not once breaking eye contact with Kairi or releasing her hand.

‘Okay, Kairi. Let’s keep it together. You don’t want to start crying and ruin Selphie’s hard work on your makeup. No matter how wonderful Sora’s vow is undoubtedly going to be,’ Kairi thought as the love of her life began.

“Kairi, when my adventures began, what kept me going was the thought of reuniting with the people I hold dear at the end. But looking back, I realize while that was true, it was not entirely accurate because the one I was fighting hardest to reunite with has always truly been you. You’ve always been the one who inspires me to be the best I can be, and you’ve always been the light that leads me out of the darkness and back to where I’m meant to be: where I can hear you laugh, see you smile and just be where we can share our lives and our love. So, this is my vow to you. As your husband, I will stand by your side in all things that may come our way whether it be fighting together to protect the worlds from the darkness or raising a family of our own. I will laugh with you in the good times and comfort you in the bad times. And most of all, I will love you now and forever even beyond the time we part for good.”

Kairi had bee successfully in refraining from crying. But it had been no easy task. Sora’s wonderful words of love had imbued her with immense joy.

As Sora rose and dismissed his Keyblade, Mickey turned to Kairi and said, “Kairi?”

‘Sora, that was absolutely beautiful. I only hope my own vow will touch your heart in the same way you’ve just touched mine.’

Like what Sora did earlier, Kairi held out her hand and summoned Destiny’s Embrace. She planted the tip on the floor and kneeled down while her eyes gazed into Sora’s while keeping one of her hands in his. It was fortunate that her gown had been designed so she had no trouble kneeling down for this part.

“Sora, when I first met you, it was during one of the darkest times of my life. There I was: a lost little girl whose home world was swallowed by the darkness and had been sent away to a strange new one with no memory other than her own name. And then there was you: a boy with the brightest smile who opened his heart to me and helped me build a wonderful new life. I don’t know what would have happened to me had you not become the friend that I needed. I realize now that it was not some random chance that we met. It was destiny. Destiny brought us together. Destiny always reunited us whenever we were separated. And now, destiny has led us here where our hearts will be united. And so, to you, I vow that I will support you in everything from the responsibilities as Keyblade Masters to bringing up our future children. I will always cheer you on and be your source of strength. And most importantly, I will love and cherish you for the entirety of our lifetime and beyond.”

Kairi looked into Sora’s eyes and saw a tear welled up in it. He too was clearly struggling to not make a scene. Her heart warmed to see that her vow had indeed succeeded in touching his heart.

Mickey wiped away a tear of his own from his eye as Kairi dismissed her Keyblade and rose up. “Those vows were beautiful, both of you. You should both be very proud,” he whispered to the bride and groom.

The mouse king then regained his composure and continued on with the ceremony. “The groom and the bride shall now exchange their rings.”

Sora turned away from Kairi. Riku immediately handed Sora the ring. After shooting his oldest friend a look of gratitude, he turned toward his future wife and took her hand into his.

“Kairi, wear this ring as a symbol of my oath to love you and my wish for the wonderful lifetime for both of us,” he said as he slipped the ring on her finger.

Kairi gazed at the ring. Engraved upon it, was a perfect recreation of the drawing from the Secret Place. A drawing that had evolved from simple childhood artwork to a foretelling of a very important moment in their lives.

‘Those Moogles certainly are quite the artists,’ thought Kairi.

“Kairi?” whispered Selphie snapping Kairi out of her thoughts.

‘Oh! Right! Time for me to give Sora his so we match!’

Kairi turned to her maid of honor who passed the ring to her. After giving her oldest gal pal a slightly embarrassed smile, she turned to her groom and took his hand.

“Sora, wear this ring as a symbol of my oath to love you and my wish for the wonderful lifetime for both of us,” said the bride as she slipped the ring onto the groom’s finger.

Mickey smiled. “And now, before we conclude the ceremony, there are two unification rituals that we shall observe. They are traditions that come from the two worlds represented here. First, from the bride’s world of birth, Radiant Garden, the flower crowns.”

Pluto left Riku’s side and moved until he stood before the bride and groom. With a smile of gratitude to the dog, Sora and Kairi reached down and each took one of the flower crowns off of the cushion.

“Entwined in these crowns, are three kinds of flowers. First, the yellow sunflowers represent your friendship, which was where the two of you began. Next, the pink carnations represent your love for each other that grew from your friendship and led you here. And finally, the white daisies represent the brand-new beginning of a whole new journey that two of you will share together in your love. Sora, Kairi, on this day, wear these crowns as symbols of everything your marriage encompasses.”

At the end of Mickey’s words, Sora raised the crown in hands and gently lowered it down onto Kairi’s head, careful not to disturb or obscure her tiara. Once he had finished, Kairi did the same, managing to get the crown past his usual spiky hairstyle that she loved so much.

Kairi then heard what sounded to be some snickers that could have come from either the audience or the groomsmen. Clearly the sight of Sora wearing the flower crown had amused some.

She shook her head with a small smile. ‘I can imagine he might be getting teased after the ceremony likely from Riku, Donald, Axel, Wakka or Tidus. I’ll have to remedy that by assuring him just how adorable he looks.’

“Now, for the tradition from the Destiny Islands. And it is one that carries a certain significance for Sora and Kairi: the sharing of the paopu fruits,” Mickey continued.

Once again, Sora and Kairi reached down to Pluto’s cushion. This time, they took the two star-shaped fruits from it.

“For those who do not know, there is a legend from the Islands that when two people share these fruits, their destinies are bound together, and they remain a part of each other’s lives no matter what. While Sora and Kairi have shared these fruits before, they will do so again here on their wedding day to renew and strengthen that bond.”

With that, Sora and Kairi began to reach their fruits to the other’s mouth. As they inched closer, they both recalled the day before their fight against Xehanort on the paopu tree, where they shared them for the first time.

‘Even if what followed that day were things we’d rather forget, the moment we first shared these fruits will always be one of our most treasured memories. But, this time, I know for sure that there’s nothing but good and wonderful things to come after we share them today,’ thought Kairi.

Finally, the fruits reached their mouths and simultaneously, Sora and Kairi took a bite out of the other’s. After chewing and swallowing, they returned the fruits to Pluto’s cushion. As the dog returned to Riku’s side, the couple took each other’s hands once again and faced Mickey.

Mickey gave them a smile. “Sora, Kairi, you have pledged your vows. You have exchanged your rings. You have crowned each other with the symbolic flowers. And you have strengthened the bond of your destinies with the paopu fruit. So, by the power vested in me as the king of Disney Castle, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Sora, you may kiss your bride.”

Sora took Kairi into his arms and the two of them exchanged the brightest smiles they ever shown. Their feelings of happiness could not be greater now that their hearts had been joined together.

‘It’s time, Sora. Time to make another memory to treasure for the rest of our lives.’

Closing their eyes and preparing for the thunderous applause that would soon fill the chapel, they slowly inched their faces closer together.

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But alas, the memory never came to be because the kiss never happened. At this exact moment, the wonderful dream had ended, and the dreamer woke up to a reality that was far less bright.

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Notes from the Mad Doctor:

As much as I hated to cut short what would have been a very lovely SoKai moment, it was necessary due to the path this story is going to take.

I really had to do some heavy research to make this feel like a believable wedding ceremony. I really hope I pulled it off and I hope you all liked what I included as special unification rituals. I always felt the paopu fruits would be used in Destiny Islands’ weddings and I also imagined flowers would play a part in Radiant Garden’s wedding ceremonies on account of the world’s name.

I was thinking, for the music that would play at this wedding, they’d use a new wedding rendition of Dearly Beloved for when Sora and the wedding party are coming down the aisle and an instrumental of Don’t Think Twice for the bride’s entrance. Any thoughts and ideas of your own, readers?

Now, I have mentioned this before in my other stories. But for the benefit of any new readers, I’ll mention it again. Since I couldn’t come up with good Kingdom Hearts-ish sounding names for Sora and Kairi’s parents, I decided to name them after recurring actors from Disney live-action movies. Here are their derivations:

Hayley, Sora’s Mother: Hayley Mills from Pollyanna and The Parent Trap (also doubles as a reference to Haley Joel Osment)

Jones, Sora’s Father: Dean Jones from the Herbie the Love Bug film series

Parker, Kairi’s Father: Fess Parker from Davey Crockett and Old Yeller

Dorothy, Kairi’s Mother: Dorothy McGuire from Swiss Family Robinson and Old Yeller

I give my thanks to whoever reads this chapter.

I’d also like to give a special thank you to my sister-in-law for helping me with picking out the best flowers for the flower crowns. I couldn’t have done it without her!

Comments, likes and reblogs are much appreciated! Stay tuned for we’ll be exploring what the subtitle of this story means as we go along!

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Onto the next chapter!

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imp-furiosa · 4 years ago

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been seeing a lot of bad takes comparing real life politics, particularly in the last week, to star wars or harry potter and I think I know the underlying issue

I mean, the issue aside from people being so buried in just one major source of media and especially one that has been so heavily tailored to sell stuff

the issue is that in both of these franchises, politics all gets boiled down to intensely interpersonal relationships to the point that a single death of a named character means much much more than a horrific act of genocide--and the narrative/author treats it that way so much that we may as well assume they feel that way too

many Potter fans love Snape. abusive, racist, sycophant of the wizard-hitler up until wizard-hitler killed his crush. so then he bides his time until he can get revenge in some manner and we’re supposed to understand that as some ultimate romantic nonsense and completely redeeming. never mind what he facilitated and how that arguably in part led to the death of the Potters. never mind that these teachers are just out here teaching power to kids and it’s just sort of understood/hoped that they’ll be good about using their powers or that Dumbledore will have the sense to find them in a moment of conflict to provide a one-on-one sort of ethics lesson. the institution of Hogwarts is absolutely fucked as far as providing a social framework for how and why to use magic in a responsible manner

the star wars scene that stands out to me as especially illuminating of this is in Revenge of the Sith when Anakin and Obi-Wan fight on Mustafar. Kenobi tells him Palpatine is evil and his response is that “from my point of view the Jedi are evil.” the whole story arc of the prequels hinges on Anakin’s relationships, particularly to Padme. Palpatine claims to want to help Anakin save her and the Jedi believe his attachment is immoral. but while it provides a personal motivation, and is a halfway decent condemnation of the sort of thing that’s wrong with the Jedi Order, we don’t really touch in any way about what sort of systemic stuff is going on or what any actual politics are aside from Palpatine wanting dictatorial power from an American-esque representative chamber

there’s no systemic analysis. and thus many people who enjoy these works are not taking any sort of lesson about how systems work to oppress people from them. it leads directly to a mentality of fight the people you don’t like because they’re evil because you don’t like them because they’re evil... it’s why even now Pence’s image in the eyes of liberals is partially rehabilitated because he simply did nothing to help Trump’s coup attempt. Pence is a monster, has been a monster, was a monster before Trump was ever on the political scene. but he’s literally being compared to Snape in some circles right now as admirable

on the flip side, Fury Road grounds EVERYTHING in what’s happening systemically--who controls the cars, the gasoline, the water, the very blood and bodies of the people? it’s intricately tied into the plot and the culmination of the movie, from the personal relationships to the structure of the world, is about reworking the the system. we see it in Max donating his blood to Furiosa in an intensely intimate moment. we see it in water being released to the masses in a grand and victorious gesture destroying the status quo

what I’m getting at is systems are set up to turn people into tools to continue to perpetuate that system. it doesn’t matter if you personally like a politician or not, you have to step away from that and see them as a tool of the system just as much as they see you as a tool (a vote) to get them elected. is this or that particular tool doing things to oppress you? are they fighting for your material well being? are they saying they’re fighting for you but actually advocating policy that will oppress you?

we need to understand politics as our relationship to the arrangement of power structures if we’re ever going to actually have those structures serve us. and more likely we need to recognize they were not built to serve us and we will only be served by destroying the structures and building new ones

finding a Snape or even a Harry Potter to cheer for will never accomplish that

#politics #Mad Max Fury Road #harry potter #star wars #this is basically a first draft of this idea #but it's been bouncing around my head since like the 7th jan

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