#I'm Lebanese So It's Fine

[fembatman-the-blanknight]

[titanelite22]

Look, if you don't like Mean Girls (2024) then that's fine, no one is holding you at gunpoint. However, the constant hate is seriously getting tiring. (TW For Body shaming, Eating Disorders For Point 2 Part A, Point 4 and the TLDR)

1) The people who were groaning like Minecraft villagers in the cinema every time they would sing confused me. It was stated that it is a musical movie and it is based on the musical. Do y'all not look at what you're going to watch before you watch it? That's not the fault of the creators, that's your fault.

2) Some of y'all need to leave Reneé Rapp ALONE.

2A - The body shaming that she experienced when the trailers were released was seriously disgusting. Let's keep two things in mind when it comes to this topic:

• Reneé has openly said that when playing Regina for the musical, The costume designers would change the sizing of her clothing without her knowing, and she was constantly body shamed. This led to her developing an eating disorder.

• The body standards back in the '00s were unrealistic and toxic. Rachel McAdams, from what I can see, is a naturally skinny person who probably doesn't put on weight as easily as other people. Now, if she was to gain a bit of weight, she would indeed be called "plus sized" back then. A "plus sized" model on America's Next Top Model, for example, was a size 6... Yeah, exactly.

Beyoncé was called fat back when she was in Destiny's Child (She's spoken about it, and there are probably even articles), which is crazy because she was slim. Very slim. And remember Dreamgirls? She lost weight for that film too, using very unhealthy diets and she didn't need to.

2B - Y'all need to stop lying to yourselves and saying that Reneé isn't a good Regina George - You just prefer Rachel McAdams' Regina George. Reneé did amazingly and she has an amazing voice and one of the strongest vocal performances. Reneé has been playing Regina George for years for the musical. Rachel McAdams herself even gave Reneé her blessing, saying that she can "do no wrong" and that she can't wait to see her on screen. She even introduced Reneé on SNL. I feel like some of you are trying to live out your Mean Girl fantasies, and you need to get a slap back to reality.

2C - "Reneé Rapp needs media training". When I first saw this, I thought that she was saying some extremely offensive things. Then, what do I see? Her calling out bad service from a business... People do it all the time, why is it different when she does it? Is it because she's a celebrity? I didn't see a problem with what she said at all. Reneé also has a very random train of thought from what I can see (Terrell even points it out on his show), but it's never anything to cause outrage about. It's just things that make you go "Oh! Ok lol".

3) "Why is Janis a lesbian in the 2024 movie? Isn't the whole joke that she's Lebanese?". Let me start by saying that while the joke was implied, Regina did not that this was the reason. Regina said that Janis started to get "obsessed" with her when she started dating Kyle (And it was probably more like Regina was more focused on her boyfriend and not much on her best friend, hence Janis probably asking Regina to spend time with her and Regina finding it "weird" because she's so self-absorbed...) and so she assumed that Janis is a lesbian. If the whole Lesbian/Lebanese joke was clearer, they would've had Regina state that Janis told her that she's Lebanese (Lesbian).

Secondly, Just because Janis kisses a boy at the end of the film doesn't mean she's not a Lesbian. For starters, there are things in the Musical that are changed from the original movie, and the 2024 movie is based on the musical (and Janis doesn't speak to Kevin at all in the musical. Correct me if I'm wrong). On top of that, there are many who later on realise that the sexuality they believed themselves to be doesn't fit them. For example, Reneé was Bisexual before she realised that she was a Lesbian. She's dated guys, does that suddenly mean she's not a Lesbian? No... Now, stop complaining about Janis being a lesbian in the 2024 film 🥱

4) The complaints about lines being changed/songs being cut e.g. "I never weighed more than 115" to "That filter you use looks just like me". Reneé was bullied and body shamed during the musical, why do you think they changed that line? I've seen quite a few people like "It's not even that offensive" like hello? Let's use our brains!

I do agree with the complaints about songs being cut (e.g. Meet The Plastics) and I do agree that Tina Fey's speech about girls respecting each other should've been added due to Tina Fey herself saying she wanted to reduce the amount of slut shaming in the musical. I feel like it would've added a lot of impact (I don't think the scene was in the musical. Once again, correct me if I'm wrong).

My Thoughts On The Film:

• It was visually pleasing in my opinion, the dance numbers were really nice, beautiful cinematography and I think the cast was well chosen

• I wish that they had chosen actors that could sing - Avantika did a good job as Karen, but her singing was lacking. Same thing with Angourie Rice. People may not think it's a big deal and fair enough, but I just think that it stands out when you have her in the same film with Reneé and Auli'i.

• The soundtrack was amazing, but I wasn't a fan of some rearrangements. However, I can understand why they may have done it with Stupid In Love.

• A lot of funny jokes, and it was fun to watch

TLDR;

• You're allowed to dislike it. However, the constant comparisons to the 2004 movie and the constant complaints about minor things is starting to get tiring. Like oh no, Janis is a lesbian? YAWN, move on !

• Stop bodyshaming Reneé. Y'all are genuinely nasty individuals for doing this and you'll be the same ones preaching about Mental health and being kind to people... I hope she doesn't listen to any of you assholes.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #166

I said in yesterday's letter that today's letter is gonna be early, so here it is! I still have a slight headache, which is weird, but I took some ibuprofen, so I should be fine soon! I can only assume I somehow ended up with a migraine yesterday; oh well.

J and I are going camping today! We're going to a spot in New Hampshire from where we live in New York! I'm not sure how the internet will be over there (there might not be any!), and I am committed to writing to you daily, so that means if I'm gonna be in a place where the internet isn't good, I gotta get my letter done before I go to that place!!

We're going to fly there from the little airport that is relatively close to us; it's about 100 miles or about 156 kilometers away. It's about 2.75 hours to get there by car. But it'll only be about an hour by plane! But of course, that hour doesn't account for driving to the airport, inspecting the plane, and getting everything packed and squared away, ahaha!

It's only about 9am, so I don't have a whole lot else to write about yet today. So what I thought to do is show you all the pictures I took over the last several days that I didn't get around to showing you in my previous letters. Because... Sephiroth... the world is full of beautiful things if you know where to look for them. I want to teach you where to look for them. I saved the best one for last, you'll see!!

Some pictures of the sky:

Some tea swirls!

This is Lebanese food. I dunno if you have a place like Lebanon in your world, but... I guess it's a lot like Greek food, except with more warming spices. This one is lamb over spiced buttered rice with cucumber, corn, and yogurt sauce and tomatoes:

These are tiny spiced meat pies; they're amazing with cucumber-yogurt sauce!!

This one is rose-flavored cream stuffed inside layers of phyllo dough, drizzled with simple syrup and sprinkled with shaved pistachios. I think you really would have liked this one:

Some more tea swirls:

This is German food! Or... well. Americanized German food, anyway! I imagine a place like Kalm might have stuff like German food, maybe? This is three different kinds of sausage, with sauerkraut underneath, and french fries and curry ketchup:

...These french fries were SO GOOD, which is saying something because I don't normally like french fries very much. But I wasn't crazy about the curry ketchup...

This is pretzel sticks with mustard and ale cheese! The ale cheese has paprika on top!

Here are some more tea swirls!!

Last set of swirls... some of the sky after...

...And a few more pictures of the sky:

...Told ya I saved the best one for last! Hahaha!

Well that's it for today; we gotta go. But I'll take lots more pictures for you during our flight and during all our other activities, don't you worry! I'm sure I'll have plenty to write to you about by the time I get back tomorrow night!!

...I hope that all the little ways I try to tell you I love you are getting through to you. Because I do - more than you can even begin to imagine, and just because you're you. And you... are kind, brave, compassionate, steadfast, determined, and able to learn from your mistakes so you can do better and make gentler choices. What's there not to like? You are everything that a human being is supposed to be, and everything I am trying to strive for and cultivate within myself. You are my reason for living, even in a place as frightening and messed-up as this one.

Looking for the sparks of beauty and joy is very important precisely because our world is so messed up. You are one of those sparks that keeps me going, so please... I'll beg you not to disappear. Keep yourself safe out there. Treat yourself kindly. Make loving and compassionate choices - with yourself and with the world around you.

I'll write again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

[beautifulpersonpeach]

This isn’t related to BTS so feel free to skip this message if you want. I’m guessing you’ve either live in Korea or at least have been there but do you think Korea, Seoul in particular, is safe for a woman to travel to alone? I’m planning a trip there and I’ve read (mostly from other travelers) conflicting accounts on if it’s safe or not so I was hoping to get a local’s opinion. I’m not aware of your gender so the answer can be as vague or as detailed as you feel comfortable giving.

***

Hi @ahhockey

My family does and yes, after not visiting Korea at all during the pandemic, in the last year or so I've been able to travel home more frequently. Korea is very safe for solo female travelers. I suggest you take all the usual precautions like avoiding very crowded areas, watching your drinks, staying in well lit public areas, and communicating often with people you trust about your whereabouts. The subways are fine but taking a taxi is my preferred way to get about. Taxis aren't as expensive as it is in the US/UK, you're not expected to tip, many drivers can communicate in passable English too and you can download the app beforehand so it's not too difficult - I really suggest going for taxis over using the transit system in Seoul if you can. Also, if you're traveling before September, I suggest you try to stay above ground and avoid underground malls and subways as much as possible. July to September is raining season and flooding can happen very suddenly and escalate quickly. And just as a general rule, I'd say avoid public bathrooms too. It's something I personally do and it isn't limited to Korea either. Even though there's less molka instances in Seoul recently and sometimes fears do get overblown, I suggest avoiding public bathrooms in Seoul unless it's necessary.

I'm not sure if this would be fully applicable to you, but based on what I've seen, it's race rather than gender that impacts how many Koreans treat you if you're a foreigner. Rather, race more than gender impacts any considerations. And so I'd add, if you're lighter skinned, you're fine to move about solo all the time, but if you're darker skinned, I strongly suggest you try a buddy system while there. You can do this by joining travel forums and connecting with other foreigners going to the same destinations I think.

I hope you have a wonderful time in Korea! Koreans have the best cuisine after Japanese, Nigerian, and Lebanese food. In my opinion. If you like kalguksu there's many really good places along Donhwamun-ro near Unnidong. :) Good luck! 💜

[gothhabiba]

I wish I could ask a question of someone who has a cooking blog. A few months ago, I had Turkish style kahvalti at a Lebanese restaurant and I think it's one of the top 10 meals I've had. One of the things that was served was a small bowl of very coarsely ground spice mix used as a dip, listed as za'atar on the menu (that was not red in color). It was so good I want to eat it with everything all the time. I've been unable to find anything similar since! I've tried other za'atar mixes in my search, and in comparison they taste almost dusty, too finely ground, or somehow don't seem quite as fragrant, or just have a different flavor profile, and I can't quite put my finger on why exactly. I want to try to recreate it, but I'm not sure where to start - I'm assuming these recipes are like the ones from my own culture, where your grandma tells you to just add as much of each ingredient as feels right, and between that and regional variations... I wish I knew of a cooking blog where I could ask for tips on where to start! It seems like quite an undertaking, but I'd so welcome having an idea of where to look or just a starting off point... It's too bad I don't know of any good cooking blogs with recipes that consistently lead to delicious food, though.

Someone with a cooking blog might say that za'atar may refer either to a group of herbs (namely, any of several species of wild thyme), a condiment made by grinding any of said fresh herbs with toasted sesame, salt, and maybe sumac, or a spice blend made with dried herbs and ground spices. The spice blend known as za'atar does vary significantly based on region.

If the za'atar mixes you tried were storebought, they perhaps taste 'dusty' or not fragrant because they were ground a while ago--spices lose fragrance more quickly once they're ground. If the za'atar you tried was actually a herb dip and not a spice blend (were the herbs dried or fresh? was the mixture wet?), then that could also explain why you're experiencing a mixture of dried herbs and spices as "dusty" in comparison. Either way, I'd recommend trying to make something yourself. You'll have better luck figuring out how to recreate what you ate if you have a good palette, but even if you're not confident that you could immediately identify e.g. caraway in a spice blend, you can narrow down your search a little bit:

If the za'atar you had wasn't red, you'll want to stay away from recipes (mostly Lebanese ones) that call for a lot of sumac.

Try to look specifically for recipes from people who identify themselves as Turkish or of Turkish descent.

A search for za'atar specifically as part of a kahvalti led me to this recipe for kahvalti; the same blog contains this recipe for za'atar. It involves massaging olive oil into dried herbs and ground spices, so blends not including this step may have caused them to seem "dusty" to you?

I recommend using whole spices and briefly toasting them before grinding them--this will improve their fragrance a lot.

I'm not sure where you live or if this restaurant would be likely to be importing their herbs, but if you don't have access to Turkish wild thyme, a blend of thyme, majoram, and oregano might be worth experimenting with (since several of these wild thyme varieties are really closely related to majoram and oregano).

I don't know why, but the more specific and less 'Westernized' or generic you want a recipe to be, the more likely you are to find it on YouTube rather than a written blog. Search "وصفة الزعتر التركي" on YouTube and watch what they do!

It's too bad I don't know anyone with a cooking blog, though. I guess you'll just have to keep looking around at random.

[dear-indies]

hello! i sincerely hope i word this ask right and i apologise in advance if anything sounds a bit odd, this is quite a wordy ask i think but i hope i convey everything fine! (i thank you greatly in advance if this ask makes it to you and you read all of the way through!)

i'm looking for some alternatives for timothee chalamet as i'm no longer comfortable using him as a fc for obvious reasons, though i am specifically looking for his vibes in bones & all! his fc isn't exactly timothee as i've just been using his likeness/vibes in that movie as inspiration but if there were any fcs i can use instead of the character being essentially faceless that would be so so so perfect for me! the character is in their 20s, they don't have to be the same ethnicity as timothee (i will of course change anything about the character as needed), and i don't mind a mixture of man or nonbinary fcs - i'm considering the idea of them being nonbinary if i can find an ideal fc!

i hope this was all worded okay for you! if you could please help me out, i would appreciate it so much. thank you for doing everything you do to simultaneously spread awareness about what's right and help out the rpc, your efforts never go unnoticed 🍉

Keita Machida (1990) Japanese - in Alice in Borderland.

Richard Harmon (1991) Mi’kmaq and White - in Fakes.

Vico Ortiz (1991) Puerto Rican - is non-binary (they/them) - in general but also Misdirection.

Avan Jogia (1992) Gujarati Indian / White.

Maxence Danet-Fauvel (1993)

Miles McKenna (1995) - is a trans man - in Goosebumps.

Emma Corrin (1995) - is nonbinary (they/them) - in general but also A Murder at the End of the World - has spoken up for Palestine!

Mason Alexander Park (1995) Mexican and White - is non-binary (they/she).

Alex Lawther (1995) - in The End of the F***ing World.

Ross Lynch (1995)

Tamino (1996) Lebanese-Egyptian / White.

Aria Shahghasemi (1996) Iranian.

Josh Heuston (1996) part Sri Lankan.

Nijirō Murakami (1997) Japanese - in Alice in Borderland.

Misha Osherovich (1997) Ashkenazi Jewish - is non-binary (they/them).

Omar Apollo (1997) Mexican - is gay - has spoken up for Palestine!

Evan Mock (1997) Bisaya Filipino / White - in general but also Gossip Girl.

Yungblud (1997) - is pansexual - has spoken up for Palestine!

Fin Argus (1998) - is genderqueer (they/them).

Jayden Revri (1999) Jamaican / White.

Alin Szewczyk (1999) - is non-binary (they/them).

Josh Macqueen (2001) - in Surviving Summer.

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (2001) Ojibwe, Cree, Chinese Guyanese, Afro Guyanese, White - in Reservation Dogs.

I hope this helps, anon!

[buildarocketboys]

solidarity handshake 🤝 i too have to do my dumb job instead of literally anything else.

Have you cooked anything worth recommending recently? Are there any spring flowers you look forward to?

I hope you get to enjoy a nice relaxing weekend when it's finally here.

🤝 thank you anon!

I've not cooked much recently tbh, but me and my gf went to a food festival last weekend and bought Lebanese lamb sausages which I'm planning on cooking tonight with shakshuka (or an approximation of it) and also a rabbit which I'm gonna attempt to butcher tonight and slow cook in a stew on Sunday.

I feel like a lot of spring flowers have come and gone already - the daffodils came super early this year, and the blossom has started to fade now - but there's a wooded section in the park near my house that had hella bluebells round this time last year, so might have a mosey down there at some point this weekend to see if they're out!

Thank you, I really appreciate that! I have a long weekend thank goodness (bank holiday on Monday and I've booked the day off on Tuesday) but tomorrow I'm meant to be going to a writing meetup AND going to see Frank Turner in the evening which would usually be fine but I just don't wanna feel like this because then it's just a struggle and I'll have to recover for days after probably 😅

[sophsicle]

Nah, dude, you’re fine with having her smoke weed. Every other Muslim person I know (including myself) smokes or has smoked weed. It’s no biggie. Also, Mary doesn’t necessarily need to be Arab to be a Muslim, so don’t worry about the whole name thing. You’re probably gonna get a lot of people trying to tell you Islam is this or that but you can’t please everyone so just treat her the way you would any other character. To be honest, as a Muslim person myself, I’d prefer to see Muslim characters normalized in literature and acting the way everybody else does (because that’s how it is in reality) rather than have their defining trait be that they’re Muslim. It might make a difference that I’m Lebanese and we’re pretty lax about religion for the most part.

Hello lovely! Yeah I mean honestly I haven't had anyone try to tell me what to do, mostly just people asking questions. And I'm not saying she's, y'know, never going to smoke again, because it's in my head that she does But I think it's fair that like, this was the first introduction really to this character and there wasn't a lot of context for her relationship to her religion or culture and some people need that context and some people don't and that makes sense to me. And I also think people get a little nervous that maybe this is a sign that I'm not putting any sort of thought or care into this character which is not my intention at all. Mary's gonna have POVs and her character is going to be developed and it is fully my intention to have her have a relaxed relationship with her religion and for her hijab to really be more about her personal identity than about her being a traditionalist. But ultimately I want to have the character speak for herself rather than have me explaining the character on tumblr so it just felt like removing the smoking from that one scene and then maybe reintroducing it in a chapter that's more Mary focused might solve that problem. ANYWAY I appreciate the message :)

[ratherembarrassing]

Yeah Cricket feels globally smaller to me than Rugby, which seems wrong now i think about it (sorry South Asia). Maybe it's the lack of a good test tournament.

I've always wondered what it's like in countries that have their own sport like aussie rules and if there is any kind of international games to bring the country together.

Been thinking a lot about this since you posted about the viewing figures which completely shocked me at first, your right it seems to be the power of soccer i guess.

the answer for australia is: there is not any particular sport that brings the country together, which is why what's happened with the matildas is so extraordinary not only for what it has done for womens sport. there's literally nothing to compare it to in this country that so badly struggles to define a national identify of any sort, and it's why i'm unusually optimistic about the possibility that it won't just disappear now that it's over.

like, not to put too fine a point on it, but soccer isn't a third tier sport here only because we have other sports, it's also historically been heavily viewed as an ''ethnic'' sport - we have some of the largest greek, italian, lebanese and macedonian populations outside of those countries, communities that have remained soccer fans since they started arriving in australia from the mid 20th century. despite the fact that we also have, obviously, a huge english population, that community was mostly established long before keeping up with soccer was an option. my grandpa, who's only first generation australian, told me that the reason he goes for man u, is because when he was a kid just after ww2, they used to go to the cinema to watch the news reels and they would include man u in the sports clips. and yet his father was from yorkshire and my grandpa never played soccer - he played afl. obviously anecdotal, but i think it's an example of something much more insidious at play in the way "australia" interacts with the rest of the world - or rather, doesn't. much better to do our own thing than try to measure up. and to see that barrier crossed maybe for the first time, to see us collectively believe we could win without tall poppy syndrome rearing its usual head, is really kind of moving. we're a weird country.

[oldladynerd]

I had an awkward interaction today. I fled in the end, forgetting to take my lunch tray to the cart.

Himself and I went to a Lebanese meze lunch buffet place. It was good food, fairly busy. I wasn't very talkative, but we had a nice enough time.

I noticed the man at the next table glancing, smiling, but hey, this is Sweden, you keep to yourself and don't often start conversation with strangers here.

Eventually someone excuses themself for bumping his cabin bag, and he moves it to the the other side of his table. So I said "Just arrived?"

And it's like he's bursting to talk, which, fine. Stories, mild bragging of places he's been, reason he's here, etc. But he keeps looking at me and ignoring my man across the table, which gets uncomfortable after a while. The more he focuses on only me, the more I avoid eye contact and look at my own man as this stranger keeps talking.

It bugs me. Is it that my man is Asian, that people turn to me rather than him? That he's older than I am? He absolutely looks younger than his actual age, but still, he's significantly older. Maybe I look young for my age too. But I'm 54, not a hot young thing looking to flirt *while in the company of my partner*!

This sort of thing happens now and then. It annoys me. Himself is the social one, who likes to talk to people, not me. I don't like to be that much in focus.

I can't figure out what to do when this happens.

[ryttu3k]

End of year meme! Check out last year's version here!

1. Song of the year?

Måneskin - Honey! (Are U Coming?), although Fifteen's theme from Doctor Who has grasped me over the last few days. More music-specific stuff here!

2. Album of the year?

Strictly speaking the only full album I heard was Måneskin - Rush, and that had… some issues even though I love most of it, haha.

3. Favourite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?

Can we count the BG3 soundtrack as a new artist?

4. Movie of the year?

I rewatched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory last night and that was... it, so that, I guess!

5. TV show of the year?

I still haven't recovered from Good Omens season 2.

6. Episode of TV or webisode that defined the year for you?

Episode 2.06 of Good Omens, Doctor Who - all four specials.

7. Favourite actor of the year?

Honestly it's gotta be David Tennant. Like, between Good Omens and Doctor Who? Yeah. Neil Newbon comes in a very close second, though!

8. Game of the year?

It's a. It's actually a tie which is goddamn unheard of in a Zelda release year, but Baldur's Gate 3 genuinely nearly kicked Tears of the Kingdom aside??

9. Best month for you this year?

Oh man tricky. Do I say October because I went on my first actual proper holiday in eight and a half years? November for the Maneskin concert? Or do they lose points because I had COVID in late Oct/early Nov? Let's skip both and go with June (Vivid down in Sydney and the single greatest sorbet I've ever tried, a super fun VtM tabletop session, and got Operation YEETerus more or less confirmed)!

10. Something that made you cry this year?

Cried pretty much the whole way through the end of Tears of the Kingdom, does that count?

11. Something you want to do again next year?

Ooh I'd love to go back down to Sydney for Vivid!

12. Talk about a new friend you made this year

Shrug emoji. You're all cool.

13. How was your birthday this year?

Super chill. Ordered pizza and ate ice cream, and a few days earlier when my brother came up, we went to one of our favourite Lebanese restaurants.

14. Favourite book you read this year?

A top three - Hell Followed With Us, Space Opera, and Camp Damascus! You can check my book-specific stuff here!

15. What's a bad habit you picked up this year?

Not sure I picked any up? Still haven't ditched the finger-chewing, alas.

16. Post a picture from the beginning of the year

A haul from Sydney in January. Hell Followed With Us and Legends and Lattes were bought new, as were most of the CDs. The other three books and the Sigur Ros CD were second-hand.

17. Post a picture from the end of the year

Okay so on the cruise (late October, I'm gonna say it counts) each floor on the stairwell nearest our cabin had these like, sailing/ships/cruising-type collages, right? Golden Age of Sail, 50s cruising, all that stuff. Which is fine! Great! Except one of them was this!

For the love of god, why would you think an image of the Titanic sinking would be appropriate for a cruise ship?!

18. A memorable meal this year?

The hazelnut sorbet of the gods. Listen. Sydneysiders, listen, if Rivareno Gelato is doing the hazelnut that week you have to try it.

19. What're you excited about for next year?

Australian Literature Festival at Sea! Not until December, but it should be fun as hell!

20. What's something you learned this year?

I did a course on how to make an author site! I should. Do that.

21. What's something new about your place of residence (room, home, or general location) now vs the start of the year?

We started fixing up the old, kinda leaking upstairs bathroom! Gonna be moving back upstairs once it's done!

22. Favourite place you visited this year?

Eden in southern NSW, and Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Hobart <3 Both on the cruise. Eden was absolutely gorgeous and Bonorong had critters.

23. If you could send a message to yourself back on the first day of the year, what would it be?

You're gonna get COVID on the cruise. Yes, even wearing your mask and sanitising every five seconds. Bring decongestants because you'll also pick up sinusitis at the same time.

24. Did you keep any New Year's Resolutions?

Didn't make any :D

25. Did you create any characters (in games, art, or writing) this year? Describe one

Probably the two main ones are my first two BG3 characters? A custom Tav, Ta'varin 'Tae' Arkenval, and my beloved Durge baby, Tavias. I'm probably most attached to Tavias, he is going through The Horrors while being the pureblooded child of the God of Murder and also just trying to be a nice person. Wish him luck as I enter act 3!

[maximuswolf]

I got a weird gift. Cold brew it?

I got a weird gift. Cold brew it? TLDR: Can I make a cold brew with extremely fine grinds?So, I recently got a gift of a Lebanese blend of pre ground coffee. The coffee feels and looks like powder to which I was first confused. The instructions at the back indicate using an ibrik/cezve to brew it, which explains the powder consistency. However I don't have an ibrik/cezve and it's really hard to get one in the country I live in.I wanted to ask if it's possible to use such an extremely fine grind in a cold brew. I'm interested in a cold brew, and it's the perfect coffee that's gone a bit old that I can use but I'm scared it'll just mix into the water and become sludgy and I won't be able to filter it. If it's not possible, I'll try to brew it in a small pot of some sort, but thought I should ask first. Submitted February 09, 2023 at 03:33PM by SameerAlam99 https://ift.tt/oYMAwJK via /r/Coffee

[readyplayerhobi]

Flower | Drabble 5

; Hoseok x Reader

; Genre: Fluff, slight angst

; Synopsis: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?

; A/N: Another little drabble! It's hard to give this couple up 🥺 this is also a scene that was basically deleted from the main series, so it's been given a time jump! I didn't want people to think it was a cliche moment (it kinda is) but...I think this gives some good clarity on how the MC has grown! Unedited as on mobile.

-

"Do you think your mom will like this?" You query, brows farrowing together as you turn the elegantly decorated plant pot around in your hands. It would match her current living room decor and she loved gardening.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah...why?" Hoseok asks with a distracted tone, his attention grabbed with the collection of fake plants. The two of you had come to a home decoration store as you wanted to redecorate your bedroom. He wasn't hugely interested in how it was done and you were pretty sure that he was here just to spend time with you.

Which was sweet and you loved that he was content to just be with you, but he wasn't being very helpful right now.

"...her birthday? It's next week, we're taking her out for dinner, remember?" He pauses for a moment before his lips turn into a circle.

"Oh yeah, shit. I need to book the table for that." Before you can say anything else, he's pulling out his phone and tapping away on it.

Sighing, you place the pot into the cart and begin to look with an eye for your bedroom. You wanted to inject more plants into the house but Kasumi just tried to eat real ones, so you were stuck with fake plants.

"How about C'est Bonne? Wait no, she doesn't like French food. Hmmm, Italian feels boring though. Do you think she'd like Thai, I think that'd be alright." Hoseok is muttering to himself as he scrolls and you smile affectionately.

To say he'd completely forgotten, you weren't surprised that he was throwing himself into it now.

"Hoseok?" For a moment, neither of you respond. You, because it wasn't your name and so you weren't conditioned to respond to it, and Hoseok because it wasn't your voice.

His head jerked up in confusion, gaze going to you first before looking around. The voice calls again from your left and you turn to see who it is, wondering who was calling out your husband's name.

What you didn't expect is for Hoseok's face to open in surprise, shocked recognition taking over his expression. Like, real shock and you're even more confused and intrigued.

"Yoona?" He asks, his tone slightly unsure and you realise it's obviously someone he once knew. You've heard him mention the name at some point, but you can't remember why you know it.

"It is you! Oh my god, it's so good to see you. How long has it been?" The woman in question, Yoona, smiles brightly and you observe that she's pretty. Very pretty with the kind of hair you see in commercials.

She's wearing plain black jeans that conform to her legs alongside a subtly flowered shirt. Her black pea coat tops it off with a matching deep purple scarf and beanie to cope with the colder weather.

"Err...a while." Hoseok laughs, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck and you recognise the awkward movement. He's a little uncomfortable and your stomach turns as you wonder if this is one of his hook ups.

Surprisingly, you'd never met one of them given how prolific he'd been. Though you did wonder how many of them had also been drunk and probably didn't remember him at all.

Still, you feel the urge to comfort him and move closer, resting your hand on his back in assurance. He straightens a little at the touch before relaxing into you, his arm coming to wrap around your shoulder and hugging you into him a little more strongly than you'd anticipated.

"Oh, Meeps this is Yoona, the girl in college who got me to sort my shit out?" Hoseok's brows rise as his voice turns dry before he looks back at Yoona. "This is Y/N, my wife."

Her eyes flick over to you and surprisingly enough, she doesn't give you a once over. You almost expected her to view you as some kind of threat or rival, but the reassuring smile she gives makes you realise how silly that would be.

"Really? Oh my god, Hoseok! I'm so happy for you, and for you, Y/N! I always knew he had the makings of a good partner, even if he couldn't see it. I'm glad you finally took my advice." Yoona says before reaching out to shake your hand politely.

Surprisingly, it's not nearly as awkward as you'd think to meet one of your husband's ex-flings. Especially one who'd had such an influence on his life.

"Erm, thank you. Hoseok's talk about you sometimes, thank you for helping him back then." You say shyly, feeling your stomach twist uncertainly as you take your hand back and play with your fingers.

Just like he always has, Hoseok instinctively knows when you're not comfortable and he reaches for one of your hands. 

"I've told her lots of things over the years," He grins before kissing your forehead. "My therapy was very good, I promise."

That's directed to Yoona who laughs sweetly and nods in appreciation.

"Good, good, I'm glad. Anyway, I've got to be going but...it was nice to see you! And I'm really happy that you've found someone. I'd love to get to know you better but I'm sure you're amazing. Gotta be to have captured this guy's attention." She smiles and gestures towards you, causing you to feel hot with embarrassment.

"Erm, thank you." You mutter, unsure of how to react. But you're surprisingly okay with her and don't feel any form of threat, even with her important history with Hoseok. It was clear there were no feelings between either of them and you genuinely felt that she was a good person.

Before either of you could say anything else, she said her goodbyes and headed towards the cashiers at the front of the store. There was a brief moment of silence as you both tried to compute what had happened and Hoseok recovered quicker than you did.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, his words laced with concern that matched the worry in his eyes. You knew why he was feeling like that - Yoona was beautiful, once upon a time he'd slept with her and she'd helped him realise how to move forward. Or at least take the steps there.

If this had happened in the first year of your relationship then you probably would feel disconcerted, unsure what to think about this blast from his past. But you weren't that girl anymore, and whilst you still had your anxieties, you had full and complete faith in Hoseok.

Plus, he'd been as blindsided by her as you were. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was nice to finally meet the famous Yoona, she seemed nice." You comment, slipping your arm through his and leaning against him as you both walked towards the bedroom section. Bring so close to him meant that you could practically feel him relax at your words.

"Good, good. I didn't...well I didn't know what to think, really. I was worried you'd be upset or something." Hoseok admits, trailing his hand down your coat sleeve until he can grasp your fingers between his own.

"No, I know all about your history and it was only a matter of time before we met someone. And like I said, she was sweet." There's still some uneasiness in his demeanour though and you squeeze his hand before gently poking the back of it with a finger.

The movement makes him smile and you feel relief at him looking a little happier.

"Seriously, I'm okay. Are you okay?" It was probably a big thing to accidentally meet up with such an important fling, but but could understand why he wasn't comfortable with it all.

That was a part of his past that he wasn't entirely happy with colliding with his very happy present. So you just held on to him as he worked through his feelings.

"Yeah...yeah I am. It was just weird to see her, you know? Never expected that." He let's his free hand trail over a soft, velvet cushion idly and you hum in contemplation.

"I get it. But don't fret over it, okay? I'm fine with it all and...well, it was nice to meet the woman who helped to bring the Hoseok I know to life. Or at least, started the process. Without her, we wouldn't be here."

Hoseok is silent as he considers that, his lips twisting before he licks at his lip ring and nods.

"Yeah, you're right. She's the one part of my past that I'm okay with you seeing in person. I should've thanked her…" Muttering, he sighs before shrugging with a lopsided smile.

"Oh well, let's carry on shopping. Your decorations await! And I need to finish booking that table...I'm actually thinking of maybe trying that Lebanese place…"

[ryansjane]

Off has really aged like fine wine. Idk how he does it cause I’m always like “well he’s peaked. Can’t get any hotter the this.” AND THEN HE DOES. What dark magic is he using?

NO CAUSE WHY IS THIS THE BIGGEST MOOD!!! I cannot FATHOM the idea that this man is 31, like... it just doesn't compute in my head. but the biggest shock I ever had was learning he was 28 at the time of theory of love when I had always thought he was 22 at most, like... I literally fell on the ground bc WTF!!! his dark magic is a mix of being thai bc honestly thai people age so beautifully lmao - can't relate I'm french lebanese I'm gonna look like a motherfucking raisin in 20 years 😭😭😭 - and also being an unproblematic king with the biggest heart ever <3

xxx

[il-ballo-della-vita-maneskin]

Hello sweetheart, i saw that you're doing mashups and i really really really would appreciated if you do one for me ❤

So... My name is Natalia 💫 (nice to meet you). I'm from Venezuela 🇻🇪 but I have Lebanese nationality 🇱🇧 (from my grandfather). I'm a Social Communication student, I want to be a journalism photographer and also I want to do a master in Fine Arts after finishing my career. Also I'm volunteer in a orphanage, I like to work with kids.

What else can I say? I'm a decolonial, marxist feminist, sucker for harry potter and star wars (kinda nerdy), cats, 70's music (and music that have a conscience message, also musical theater), I really enjoy drawing, writing, taking pictures and singing. Not really good at sports but im in love with equestrian sports (for a long time I practice horse riding). Also I can speak french and I want to learn Italian and Arabic. I have deficit attention, my Myer-Briggs personality is INFP 😂 and a tattoo who says Vals N° 3. Thank you so much honey! And I apologize for my terrible English ❤ Have a nice day

damiano!<3

imagine it’s early in the morning, you are still sleepy, but you’re playing with one of your cats and he sees you and needs to take bunch of photos cuz it’s the cutest thing he has ever seen. he’d always ask you for your permission and if you like the photo, he’d just need to post them (so his stories are kinda full of pictures like that)

when you are at home and have some free time, you’d blast all sorts of music from 70s and sing loudly together. like, you’re in a dimly lit room, gramophone playing behind you and he is holding your waist as he whispers sweet things on Italian to you and spins you around. it would be something both of you are always looking forward.

going to musical theaters together:’) he’d often surprise you with tickets for a musical you literally once told him you’d like to watch or if one of your favorites is being played again. imagine dressing up nicely and going to watch a musical you have already watched and then singing together until you’re threatened you’d be kicked out if you don’t shut up.

binging all star wars movies:’) you’d get chips and popcorns enough to feed an army and wouldn’t sleep until you watch all of them. you’d both get so invested (though, you already know very well what’s going on) and have profound conversations about the smallest of details that are probably completely not important.

have a great day honey❤️

[starlightervarda]

I'm just here to say thank you for your meta about Joe's beliefs.

I realized that at Modern! AU, the writers prefer to write (?) about Joe's family as accepting and Nicky's as super conservative. Perhaps it's because they/we don't want to offend something we don't know.

I wanted to thank you for giving us the complete perspective! (good and bad things)

You’re welcome, nonny!

Yeah, I suppose some do this to side-step actually dealing with Joe’s side or because it’s from Nicky’s POV, and that’s fine as long as you don’t make it a point to go full White American Liberal Fantasy and navel gaze into ‘Christianity bad’ so hard that you convince yourself Islam is gay-friendly.

It’s just very frustrating, you know? Every time I see something about Joe’s very Muslim family and ~uwu hijabi mother~, who is definitely going to be devout and conservative and demand he marry a Muslim woman, being better than Nicky’s Western European/Italian-American family, I get a migraine. Like, you owe me and every queer MENA person money for that shit.

To be blunt, if a family of MENA origin is going to be progressive enough to allow their children to not just date, but date people from other backgrounds and the same-sex, they are not going to be religious. They are going to be Westernized as fuck, and most likely have been living abroad for decades like the Lebanese and Syrian people in both North and South America. In fact, they probably immigrated to go live that progressive, irreligious life and raise their children in a freer environment, not recreate what they left back home.

Like, the women in their family are going to look like this:

The mom will be sporting trendy haircuts and outfits and doing yoga, the dad will have alcohol in the house and go golfing, the daughters will have long, styled or even dyed hair, wear shorts and have names like Maggie, Hana and Layla, and children called Yasmine and Youssef will be nicknamed Jessie and Joe. You get what I mean?

I wrote a post a few weeks back breaking down the reality of being gay in Muslim-majority countries is like, and people need to acknowledge how good they have it in the West, because a lot really take what they have for granted.

In one of my other posts, where I list some facts you could use in headcanons and fics I pointed out that if they’re going to shine a light on Nicky having problems with being raised Catholic, they shouldn’t act like Joe had less or even no problems, because his struggle would have been the same or much worse and I gave a summary of why.

So, like, if you’re going to depict Modern AU!Joe’s family as being like Nicky’s family or better than them, be reasonable about how you present them.

Sorry if this comes off as cranky. I really do enjoy making these posts/answering these questions <3