#also moldova never misses

[mey-rin-is-fabulous]

When you guys say the juries hate fun I want you to remember Citi Zenni who scored HIGHER WITH THE JURIES THAN WITH THE TELEVOTE

[purecommemasolitude]

Thoughts on Eurovision rehearsals so far

Norway - Not sure about the hair, but other than that I love the outfit upgrade! One of my favourite parts of seeing NF choices in the actual contest is seeing upgrades like that :) Other than that it seems to be pretty much the same as the MGP staging, which is fair enough-- if it ain't broke don't fix it and whatnot

Malta - Suddenly this has shot up from "meh probably won't qualify" to "oh boy this has a good chance of qualifying". The staging looks fantastic; the Maltese delegation really outdid themselves. Excited for how the choreography seems to be more elaborate than the NF choreo 👀

Serbia - Once again not much to say on this one since it's essentially the same as the NF-- I was expecting something very different than the NF staging for some reason, but I hope they make it work and can qualify!

Latvia - Falls a little flat in the videos, but the pictures look fantastic, so I have no doubt that this is going to be elevated tenfold by the camerawork. The light work is great and I really hope they get their costumes back from their allegedly lost luggage jksdfh

Portugal - I miss the couch :( and honestly I prefer the dress from the NF way more, but I have faith that Mimicat will probably pull off a great live show regardless. It looks like the lighting is gonna be excellent also!

Ireland - It seems like nice staging! And their costumes look good too, though I'm not as sure about Conor's as I am about the others. I don't think it'll be enough to save them from NQ though :(

Croatia - An alas in the chat for them not seeming to have a real traktora 😔 Other than that though, the staging looks even more buck wild than the NF, and I'm terrified by the fact that they seemingly got the okay for the stripping and butt corks (?). Honestly I still don't think they'll qualify, but I won't be upset at all if they do (and I am very looking forward to seeing first-time reactions to them)

Switzerland - Mixed feelings on this one honestly. I love that they have contemporary dancers and also the lights, and massive props to Remo for singing so steadily while running, but I'm not sure how I feel about him dancing alongside the dancers (I was hoping for more of an elaborate choreography piece around or behind him that tells a more elaborate story), however I am reserving full judgement until the semi-final because the staging seems to evolve a lot and that makes this snippet even less of an indicator than most. Also not a huge fan of his outfit, but it's growing on me a little

Moldova - I can already tell this is going to be great. Moldova never fails with staging and this is no exception-- the lights, costumes, choreography, etc all come together to create an excellent atmosphere very fitting of the song

Sweden - Well, she's keeping the platform! I'm not sure if the Swedish delegation is going to really have to play camera angle tricks to make it look bigger/more impressive or if it really will look as cool as the Melfest one did to people who haven't seen her NF staging. Very nitpicky but I'm not as big of a fan of pattern of the. I don't even know what to call it honestly. The shell? The outer casing? of her platforms, but it'll probably become inconsequential come the live shows

interim text so I don't exceed the character limit for the lists which apparently exists 👍 also a good place to put a read more

Israel - Ohhh I can already tell this is going to be fantastic. The costumes look great, the stage setup is excellent, the choreography is tight and well-done-- I had my doubts about the dance break but it already looks like it's shaping up to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the evening. The only things that could maybe kill this are a) bad camerawork or b) if people compare her too much and too negatively to Chanel, but even then I don't think that'll make that much of a difference, especially when it comes to her qualification

Azerbaijan - Oh no :(( oh girlies no :((( This staging pretty much killed any chance I saw of it qualifying, and I really like the song-- it's very much on the left-hand side of my ranking. Actually, the more I watch it the more I do like it, and it does have good aspects-- the costumes are fun to look at and I really like the lighting-- but I don't think it'll be enough to qualify, and I'm not a fan of centring the guitars so much in their performance when everyone knows they'll just be mimed? It works for other, less common instruments, like the violin or the saxophone, or of course folk instruments, but something as generic as the acoustic guitar doesn't really add that much (okay I looked closer and one of them is actually a bass whoops. That makes it slightly better but I don't think it'll do that much in the long run)

Czechia - Ahh!!!! Czechia!!!! I never really had my doubts that much about what their staging was going to look like, but now that we've seen it will after all be dramatic like the music video I'm so so excited to see the final product. I didn't like the pink in the pictures, but it works much better on video, and if they can get their vocals well then the entire package is going to be phenomenal. I'm predicting that their full performance will probably give me child night of the semi-final

The Netherlands - The staging seems pretty similar to S10's last year, which is fitting because they're similar songs. I'm not sure on the staging, but I'm predicting camerawork will make a world of difference, as tends to be the trend, I feel, with more intimate songs + stagings like this and Latvia. I love their costumes, and I'm wishing them the most broken of legs in terms of performance

Finland - Ahh I'm excited!! Very intrigued to see the upgrades to the staging, and I think the dancers' hair being plastic as well is a nice touch. I think the music video will always be my favourite visual representation of the song, but this is shaping up to be quite nice staging, an excellent closer (but we already knew that), and I think making the stage + lights rainbow instead of just gold was a really good one

Denmark - The set looks really really cool, I'm excited to see it in motion! Still have no idea why this is opening, and that might hurt its chances a bit, but the staging seems much more exciting than I was expecting. I honestly liked his outfit today more than any other outfit he's performed the song with so far and was very disappointed to learn it's not his actual costume elemayo. I hope his final costume is something similar

Armenia - Not what I expected! I love her costume and the first part, but I was hoping she'd get off the platform at some point-- looking at it, I doubt they'll not be able to make it work, though. I wasn't too keen on the lights at first glance, wanting something more like her preparty performances, but I watched it again and it actually does look pretty nice-- if they pull the lights off well the whole song and have good camerawork, this is going to place high, I'll wager

Romania - It looks fun!! I never really had problems with either this or his NF staging, but I'm seeing it's not very popular staging still, which is a shame. The outfit is nice (obviously I love the Pikachu socks) and the only complaint I have at the moment is that having yourself be a giant background sure is a Choice. My prediction is that he'll either NQ or borderline qualify and get a low result in the final, but I'm hoping he'll do well! He's a great vocalist and an excellent performer, especially considering he's only 18

Belgium - This song has been rapidly growing on me recently, and the staging looks pretty good! I was fervently hoping for something more different than the NF staging or the music video, but it seems to work really well on the bigger screen + stage. It'll be fun to have a dancer there, and overall the whole show looks like it'll be good!

Cyprus - It's better than I expected! I'm not sure if this one needed the LED screens or if it would've been better as just lights, but I wasn't sure how they would stage it and they by far exceeded by expectations. The stage seems like it'll go through a journey following the song, his outfit looks great, and his vocals are Excellent. If this qualifies I don't think it'll do well in the final, but I'm hoping it will, because so far it looks fantastic!

[bluecoolr]

For Life Or Until Fault

Alt Timeline 2.0 Darrell Todd (Odile's Darrell) Introduction

@solmints-messyocdiary

Warnings: MINORS DNI! Main character/s are slasher ocs! Themes revolving around mental turmoil, religious trauma, paranoia, demonic possession.

The letter was typewritten on cheap lightweight paper, but it sat heavy on the desk blotter. Blowing a cloud of smoke, Sister Agatha stared at it from the window. It stared back with a presence as arresting as its sender. Her gaze traveled to the ancient typewriter sitting beside it. Putting out her cigarette, Sister Agatha sat down and began to write.

My Dear Sir,

I write this letter on behalf of Mr. Darrell Todd, who served Our Lady of the Abandoned Sanatorium as groundskeeper under my supervision.

He first came to us as a patient.

She decided against it and ripped the paper out of the carriage. She began again.

We came by his services in a fortuitous manner.

He had been hauled to the sanatorium’s doorstep by authorities, with no memory of how he came to Moldova or where he had been for the past five years. Haggard, starving, and understandably distressed, he was taken to the psychiatric wing - where he was put under her care. For the first few weeks he was inconsolable, and moved between periods of reflective silence and hysteria.

During his time with us, his Romanian was sparse but became sufficient with lessons. He has greatly improved as I see from our current correspondence. His English, as you may soon tell, is distinctly American.

He was a big man. Quite young. The hospital gown they gave him barely reached his knees. The nuns averted their eyes whenever they passed him, a desperate attempt to keep their vows . His patient tag bit into his wrist. He had remembered his name, at least.

Gradually, Sister Agatha was able to nurse him back to health. They struck up a friendship of sorts, with Darrell stubbornly keeping himself at a safe distance, protecting what little he knew about himself. With time, his stability returned and he began to volunteer around the hospital. “The Devil finds work for idle hands to do, Sister,” he reasoned.

He helped with the garden work, usually saving whole plots that others had given up on, and hunted pests that frequented the property. It had taken a great deal of convincing for her superiors to let a psychiatric patient have access to a hunting rifle. When he gunned down the fox that had routinely broken into their chicken coop, however, they stopped voicing their disdain.

Mr. Todd is intelligent and very eager to learn. He is the finest hunter that has ever graced our grounds, and possesses military accuracy. He is hardworking with a gentle, quiet nature and of strong Catholic faith.

Sister Agatha was at once bombarded by memories of Darrell in vomiting fits in the churchyard, trembling in every limb whenever he was told to come to mass. For all his stay at the sanatorium, he would never set foot in the church. He would pace outside, hum along to the hymns, and kick up soil once he had calmed down.

He would also avert his eyes from any image of Christ, going so far as to remove the crucifix that hung on his bedroom wall. Sister Agatha often found it stuffed under his bed and would return it to its place. Always, she would find it missing the next day, its outline glowing like a brand on the faded wallpaper.

“Sister, I beg you. Get me an exorcist.” The request had alarmed - if not terrified - her, but she had pulled strings to grant it.

“He needs a psychiatrist, Sister,” Father Grigore insisted, “not an exorcist. Has his amnesia improved at all?”

It had not.

“I don’t think it’s good, Sister. There’s guilt there. Subconscious. Why do you suppose he fears God so?”

And yet, the board deemed him rehabilitated enough to be released. He had benefited from their care for too long. And so, one day he was sent packing. He marched, forlorn but determined, down the deserted road, and that was the last she ever saw of him.

I wish for you a successful partnership. I could not recommend a more suitable man for the job.

Yours in God,

Sister Agatha

[ingrid-marie]

My Eurovision 2023 Ranking

🌟It's timeeee🌟

🤬BAD🤬

37. SAN MARINO: I’m sorry but “I can smell you like an animal”......WHAT. I literally have no other comment. Also the audience is completely dead and that’s pretty telling lol.

36. ICELAND: This is so boring to me, there is literally nothing special about it. The more I listen to it the more I dislike it (I’m so sorry for the tone Diljá I'm sure you're lovely!!!! I just don't like your song)

35. BELGIUM: I’m sorry but my dislike for this song is sooo strong lol. It reminds me of early 00’s but not in a fun, nostalgic way. There’s just not much for me in this song.

😐OK😐

34: SWITZERLAND: Switzerland just can’t stop sending boys singing ballads lol. Sometimes they hit (Gjon's tears my beloved) and sometimes they don’t, which is the case this year. Good vocals but such a boring song.

33: ALBANIA: This is not my thing, but I appreciate the ethnic elements.

32: MOLDOVA: Cool ethnic elements but this is not something I listen to, at all. I really wish I liked this more than I do.

31: POLAND: In a year filled with many girlbosses girlslaying, this girlboss is sadly girlslaying the least (well, maybe Iceland is worse). And the music video is somehow giving me 2014 American YouTuber (?) vibes to me, in a bad way lol. But it is catchy, so there's that.

30: IRELAND: This is sooooo safe and generic. I like the pre-chorus but other than that this feels so boring. Come on Ireland, send something interesting for once.

29: PORTUGAL: I love a good traditional song, but this just isn’t really my thing. But Portuguese is so beautiful.

28: ISRAEL: Im sorry but I CAN'T take a song with the lyric “I got the power of a unicorn” seriously. Also I feel like I’ve heard a song like this on the Eurovision stage many many times. Let’s just hope they won’t bring out the unicorn/centaur hybrid on stage…

27: AUSTRALIA: This is fun! Is it good? That can be discussed. And what’s with the lyrics? Are we playing never have I ever?

26: FRANCE: I saw a comment somewhere saying that France sends the same song every year, and you know what? They are right (except last year Alvan & Ahez ily). I skip this song pretty much every time it comes on my esc playlist. I just find it boooring. Good vocals though.

25: GEORGIA: The chorus is good, the verses are bad. Just doesn’t stand out to me. Good vocals though. I miss Circus Mircus so much💔

🙂GOOD🙂

24: ROMANIA: I hate to say it, but this song is catchy as hell. Some parts of the song are actually really good and some are terrible lol (like that high note I desperately wish he could hit).

23: UNITED KINGDOM: At first listen I really liked this but after a few listens I found it pretty boring, especially after the first chorus, I just want to skip to the next song. It’s a good song but doesn’t really excite me nor does it stand out.

22: SWEDEN: Not me putting Loreen so low🤭 But this is… underwhelming. I like the chorus and her vocals are amazing, but this song doesn’t do anything for me. It’s just boring. Will it win? Probably.

21: ARMENIA: This song makes me laugh because it literally reads like a tumblr post. Oh, you want to read books, make art and visit old bookstores? Ok girlblogger. The song is pretty weird, the (rap?) bridge comes out of nowhere and chorus is repetitive (ok I GET IT, you decide to be good, do good and look good). The last 30 seconds are great though, I wish she would sing the whole song in Armenian.

20: GERMANY: The German accent :’) I’m just happy Germany sent something original, and it’s catchy as hell! Not really my thing though, but I can really appreciate it.

19: SERBIA: The “hello?” reminds me of Shane Dawson for some reason and it’s pretty off putting LOL. Other than that this song is pretty cool! I love the instrumentals and visuals. My boyfriend says Luke Black looks like he plays League Of Legends so there's that.

😎GREAT😎

18: CYPRUS: This is good but doesn’t stand out. Some parts are really good (like the pre chorus and bridge) but some are forgettable.

17: GREECE: The way I would eat this up when I was 17… Sadly not quite as much at 24. But it’s still pretty good and I feel like it will be a grower on me.

16: MALTA: This feels different from what Malta usually sends and I like that! I love a funky saxophone so this is pretty good to me.

15: SPAIN: I have such mixed feelings about this song. I can listen to it and love it and the next time I’m not so sure. It’s interesting for sure! And her vocals are amazing.

14: CROATIA: TRACTOR! This is so funny and catchy, the most unique song of the year for sure.

13: DENMARK: This is soooo cringey but sadly a guilty pleasure of mine. The autotune really put me off at first but now I like it. I like the song okay? Put me behind bars.

12: ITALY: This has definitely been a grower for me, at first I thought it was meh and didn’t stick out to me at all. But after a few more listens it has really grown on me! The pre-chorus is so good, but it’s not one of the best Italian entries there is.

11: UKRAINE: Greaaaat song!! It feels different in a good way, definitely a breath of fresh air.

10: AZERBAIJAN: Maybe this years most unpopular opinion, but this is GOOD, ok?? This song reminds me of spring and it feels like it belongs to the soundtrack of a 00’s romcom.. And the rap parts are really good, I won’t accept any questions about this right now.

9: LITHUANIA: This is really good and I’ve listened to it a lot. Love the lithuanian chorus and I loooooove her orange outfit. And omg her VOCALS!! I’m scared it won’t make it far in Liverpool though :(

8: NETHERLANDS: This song took me a few listens but now I’m hooked. The power ballad duet we all needed. In an ocean of upbeat songs this song is a nice calm break.

7: NORWAY: VOCALS!! So good. So catchy. Great performance. Amazing outfit. Just really really good overall.

🥰THE BEST🥰

6: AUSTRIA: This so soooo fun and catchy and good. I LOVE IT!! There are a lot of upbeat pop songs this year but this is for sure one of the best ones. Excited to see what they will do on stage.

5. ESTONIA: LOVE this!! I’m hooked from the first bar. I feel like it should play in a scene in a movie where the main character is sitting at a cafe, looking out the rainy window, thinking about all the people who wronged them. It’s just a powerful song.

4. LATVIA: Love this so much. The chorus hits me every single time. PLEASE DONT WAKE UP WAKE UP!!

3: FINLAND: This song just has it all; rock, pop, lyrics everyone can sing along to, male titties. If you don’t go ape shit crazy while listening to this song then I don’t know what to tell you… SO! GOOD!

2: SLOVENIA: I’ve been hooked on this song since the first listen, I keep trying to sing along as if I knew slovene. This is just so good, the vibe, the instrumentals, I just want to DANCE!

1: CZECHIA: This songs chorus makes me absolutely sob, the SISTERHOOD of it all. The costumes, the four different languages, the meaning…This is my absolute favourite of the year, in a perfect world it would win it all. I just hope they nail the live performance because the national final was not very good… I hope they bring the elements (and budget lol) of the music video to stage, I'm obsessed with their costumes.

[gettinshiggywithit]

ALSO‼️My faves were definitely Czech republic (my sister's crown) and Armenia (future lover) CHA CHA CHA AND QUEEN OF THE KINGS WERE BANGERS TOO🗣️

OH MY GOD YESSS CZECH REPUBLIC WAS AMAZING i loved the message too its too Goddam PERFECTTT

Future lover was also great ngl i loved the chorus!!

And YESS CHA CHA CHA FOR LIFE!!! AS HE SAID, ITS CRAZY ITS PARTY!!!!

And QUEEN OF KINGS IS ACTUALLY HOW I FOUND OUT ABT EUROVISION!! I NEVER KNEW THIS WAS A THINGGG

WATCHED THE ENTIRE GRAND FINAL THE OTHER DAY AND I CANT BELIEVE IVE BEEN MISSING OUT ON THISSSS

alsoo I LOVED MOLDOVA AND AUSTRIAS ONE IS JUST PERFECT FOR POE EDITSSS

OH I LOVED SERBIA TOO (samo mi se spava) ITS SUCH A VIBEE

[torezzal]

Uhm hi... I didn't expect this to be my first 'viral' post, but since this dumb post is still getting a lot of attention I wanna clarify a few things:

I'm not anti-EU, I support European federalism. But I also believe the EU as it is now is not a fully functioning democracy (but which modern democracy is that truly?). I want my democracy to be Greek, not US-American.

While we're at the topic of the US of A: to the couple American people who reblogged this saying Eurovision votes are like electoral college: I'm sorry to call you out like this, but that's not really the case and also missing the point I was trying to make. This post is specifically not about the US. Sorry for the Eurocentrism but it's gonna be over soon when tumblr has calmed down about Käärijä, don't worry.

I also have a confession to make: I didn't vote during this ESC, in fact I never voted during any Eurovision and that's also a good metaphor for what's, in my humble opinion, wrong with the EU: to change policies and laws you have to vote, but to have the will to vote you have to feel like your vote has the power to change anything. If that's not a given you're not gonna vote. So please: no matter what you think is wrong with the EU, you have to vote to change it. I'm gonna vote in Eurovision next year and you're gonna vote in the 2024 EU elections, pinky promise?

And to everyone who can't vote in those, to everyone whose country is in Europe, but just a potential candidate for EU membership, I'm talking about Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, but also Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey: Your struggles for democracy, for less corruption, less Russian influence are seen by me and many others, but I'm not a politician so I can't tell you how to accelerate the association process, I'm just some person on tumblr with opinions.

The whole hall chanting KÄÄRIJÄ KÄÄRIJÄ KÄÄRIJÄ and screaming CHA CHA CHA in between the jury votes while the moderators try their best to ignore them and continue to announce Sweden's win is a beautiful representation of how democracy works in the EU

[bopinion]

2024 / 42

Aperçu of the week

“Never again Hiroshima, never again Nagasaki”

(Japanese peace activists from Nihon Hidankyo, who have just won the Nobel Peace Prize for their commitment)

Bad News of the Week

“The state where the fate of the world is decided” is the title of an article in the news magazine Der Spiegel about Pennsylvania. Or rather, about the election campaign there for the next US presidency. Because whoever wins in Pennsylvania is likely to move into the White House. And rarely has this been such a groundbreaking decision as the current one between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. A directional decision that will have an impact far beyond the country, that will actually have global consequences. After all, the USA has such a massive influence on the fate of humanity as a whole.

This destiny can be positive or negative. Either progressive, open, cooperative, humane and optimistic. Or reactionary, nationalistic, isolationist, hostile and pessimistic. I don't want to harp on about the fact that I simply can't understand how a notorious liar, cheat, sexist, racist and idiot can be electable for anyone who still has all their wits about them. And how these voters can be motivated with his dystopian visions of the end of the world and concrete announcements of abuse of power. No, this time I want to get upset about the system that makes it possible for anyone to win the most important election in the world in this way.

Let's look back to 2016, when Donald Trump won against Hillary Clinton. With 304 votes against 227. So seemingly clear. However, in US presidential elections, the votes in the Electoral College are counted. And not the actual votes, the so-called popular vote. Clinton was ahead by almost 2.9 million of those real votes from real voters. Europeans simply cannot understand this. Because it is - exactly! - undemocratic. And in the very country that likes to boast that it is the paradise of ultimate democracy. Excuse me?

It's not just the principle of “the winner takes it all” that is highly questionable. But also the unequal representation of the population. Each federal state sends two senators to Washington. Regardless of how many residents they represent. For example, Wyoming and California have the same number of seats, although the latter has almost 70 times the population. Speaking of electoral districts: have you ever heard of “gerrymandering”? This refers to the creative drawing of constituencies that allows the incumbent or the leading regional party to cement its power. Sample calculation: a party actually only has an approval rating of 45%. By allocating three constituencies accordingly, it can win two (by 20 to 15) by generously giving up the third (5 to 25).

Why no one is interested in changing these deeply undemocratic conditions is simply because both parties benefit from them. Because that is also a problem: the lack of diversity in the party landscape. Because there are simply only two parties worth mentioning, namely Democrats and Republicans. For decades. Which not only leads to a lack of choice and veritable regencies, but also reduces political competition to absurdity. Because it simply doesn't exist if you can't or don't have to win a majority for your political ideas and concepts. Because you simply have it. Or not.

Good News of the Week

When it comes to the enlargement of the European Union in recent times, there has usually been only talk of Ukraine and its membership prospects. And in its wake, Moldova and Georgia have been mentioned from time to time. Yet there are countries that have been knocking on Europe's door for some time. Six countries. Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania are the last countries from the Balkans still missing from the club. Looking at the two ex-Yugoslavian countries Croatia and Slovenia, which are already members, they recognize that membership is a worthwhile goal. And they are really serious about it - with possibly minor exceptions for the former Balkan superpower Serbia. Macedonia has even renamed itself North Macedonia, as Greece (where there is a province of the same name) might otherwise have blocked accession.

All of these countries were invited to talks, the official preparatory phase has long since begun and “rapprochement” has been taking place since 2014. As the candidates are not economic powerhouses - i.e. certainly not future “net contributors” - the focus must be on something else. The European Council speaks of a “geostrategic investment” and of “closing gray areas”. It is therefore no wonder that the candidates are expected to take measures for the rule of law and against corruption. After all, the EU is no longer just an economic single market, but above all a project for openness, understanding and peace.

Last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz invited the heads of state and government of the six countries and various representatives of the EU bodies to the summit. The “Berlin Process” was launched by Germany ten years ago to support the Western Balkan states on their path to the European Union. And there are successes to report. For example, a long-standing blockade of the CEFTA free trade agreement between the six states was resolved. An action plan for a common regional market and a new mobility agreement on access to higher education were also signed at the meeting. And Scholz's warm closing words were “I hope that it will not take another ten years for all six states to finally become EU members.”

The momentum that could, if not must, accompany this would be just as good as the actual accessions. Because even more members would make the existing need for reform even more obvious and urgent. Experts are not the only ones who find it inconceivable that the EU could grow to 33 members without changing its structures. This refers not only to individual budget items such as agricultural subsidies, but also to the fundamental organization of the organization. From the size of the EU Parliament and the EU Commission to the principle of unanimity. In your face, Viktor Orbán!

Personal happy moment of the week

My daughter has started the new university semester. And has also taken care of the starters with her student council. My son, on the other hand, is doing what all 16-year-olds should be doing (and what his father missed out on at the time): a dance course. And a cooking course. Humm....

I couldn't care less...

...that Italy is trying to outsource the accommodation of asylum seekers to Albania during the examination phase. We remember what happened to the British government's plans with Rwanda in this regard. And surprise surprise: the first court decision to bring back those deported there has already been made.

It's fine with me...

...that the EU was able to agree on the definition of clear goals that they want to represent at COP29. In mid-November, around 200 countries will come together in Baku, Azerbaijan, to try to actively tackle man-made climate change or prevent at least its worst potentials at the World Climate Conference. Once again, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Appropriate agreements by major decision-makers in the run-up to the conference are crucial to ensuring that decisive progress can actually be made.

As I write this...

...Elon Musk continues to make himself a propagandist for Donald Trump. First the instrumentalization of Twitter, then the bizarre campaign guest appearance at the revival fair in Butler, then the awards for voter registrations and now the million-dollar checks for the mutilated constitutional confession of battleground state voters. If I were a shareholder in one of his companies, I'd demand that the boss at least do his actual job once in a while instead of developing messianic traits. That doesn't make the decision for our next electric car any easier.

Post Scriptum

Ukraine's president was once again on a diplomatic, financial and military mission. This time, Volodymyr Zelensky is promoting his “victory plan”. Which, in view of the setbacks his army is currently suffering against the Russian invaders, looks a bit like an act of desperation. In addition to the usual “Give us more weapons” and “Punish Russia more harshly”, the plan appears to contain two core demands. Firstly, the delivery of long-range weapons with permission to use them on Russian territory. The second is an immediate invitation to join NATO. Neither of these will happen. At least not in a time corridor that would benefit Ukraine.

As far as long-range weapons are concerned, the majority of Germans, for example, are against this, as they fear becoming a party to the war or being seen as such. The entire mood has changed: for a few weeks now, more than 50% of the German population has been fundamentally opposed to the supply of further weapons. The same applies to joining NATO or even the start of official talks in this regard. According to the statute alone, a country that is currently a party to the war cannot be admitted. There is also a need for unanimity, which was already difficult to organize for Sweden and is impossible for Ukraine.

It will therefore remain a war of attrition for the foreseeable future, with Russia slowly gaining the upper hand. The West's support for Ukraine is crumbling, Russia has not been decisively weakened by sanctions, Vladimir Putin is still firmly in the saddle and his resources seem inexhaustible. It is hard to imagine the impact a Trump victory would have on the whole of Eastern Europe.

[amazing-lucky-life-of-bushra]

Persia

Persia is elegant and stylish.

She was a little lady. Always elegant. The way she held herself. The way she sat. The way she posed in photos when she wasn't making fun. Persia was way more elegant than me.

Battersea - Persia got upset and complained the Battersea flat which was immaculate most of the time was not tidy enough. So the current Brighton set up couldn't be further from the TRUTH.

Battersea note -

One evening a team member came over. Livia. A very beautiful kind hard working soul. Extremely smart lady from Moldova. To be honest I knew nothing about Moldova so even on that basis it was interesting to hear what she had to say.

We would meet at the conduit and work from there. Frankly it was nice to have the company and to discuss the ideas and viability of how to move forward with the company with her. And we did work very well together completing a few projects.

I tried to keep our friendship and working relationship separate, to keep a professional distance though I thought she was a lovely person. And we had a lot in common - enjoying the arts and eating out. Also at 50, it felt kind of weird having a friend in their 20s. Though she never made me feel weird. Particularly at that point I wasn't seeing enough of my long term friends - note to self to do more of that. Still we always enjoyed each others company.

So back to ... the evening.

I had told Persia I was having a friend/ colleague over. Livia came over with a nice bottle of wine from Moldova. It was a speciality.

I can't remember what I cooked - probably spicy pizza ? Thai curry ? I was probably very self conscious about the fact about my cooking skills. Definitely something spicy - which I was quite surprised by.

We spoke about Moldova and also work. I remember her saying to me that people are all going to ask me questions. I had a situation where Lloyds bank / business were questioning how long I had had my business but I felt it was yet another setup. I wrote about it previously. I felt she was trying to mediate. But I think aka The Rock - I just have strong views on how things should be run.

Anyway it didn't get in the way of having a lovely time.

Persia was back from school and hanging around her bedroom. But she popped out to have a nosey. She made some - I am too cool for school entrance into the room. I know that look she does. Pretends like she is doing something else but coming in totally to have a nosey at the situation and who is in the room. Quite strategic. I don't know who she gets that from.

Persia's face did light up when she saw Livia. I could see she Persia had that - oh my mum knows a cool girl look on her face, highly impressed by Livia's red/pink curly hair I could see. Persia immediately went into into wanting to impress her.

And said I think that her and her friends were making up a dance from tiktok but they made fun of Persia or something. For a couple of years Persia had been learning Tik Tok dances. She proceeded to show Livia. I could see Livia was quietly enamoured by Persia's showing off to the 'older sister' in the room. Then Persia hung around talking about space and shroedingers cat with Livia. Very sophisticated conversations .. trying to show what a little lady Persia was to Livia.

In fact Persia would regularly challenge Ryan on what he knew about space. She is so Smart, funny, nosey, not afraid, strangely sophisticated in articulating herself. Confrontational but shy. Fearless. Funny. Unpredictable in her thinking and articulation of how she sees the world.

That's why I love Persia because she has this original way of thinking amongst just being a gorgeous girl. I can't wait to talk to her.

After Livia left. Persia pointedly asked me = how did I know Livia, like how would her uncool mum know someone like Livia ! Which made me chuckle. Livia definitely made an impression on Persia.

To be continued ... as I write more.

PERSIA

I very much miss Persia.

She had all these little lady quirks.

She would turn it on and off - ideas, her quirks a lot like her mummy. It was very sparky. And very sparkly.

And I don't understand - where is she ?

Why would you substitute her.

It is so strange.

Persia at Bedtime loved her feet massaged, her arms and hands massaged and her back, her hair and her forehead massaged. Even my mum did that to me when I was feeling sad or was fluey etc as an adult. When I went to Bangladesh with her when I was 30 and we had to share bed, I had really had pmt and my mum stroked my hair to sleep. Sorry white people if you have never experienced this - bad f-in g luck.

Persia is kind.

Persia loves her mummy.

Persia is no longer angry about the divorce.

i noticed at the palm in dubai, when there was fakery in the shop where i bought my costume she started to get upset & started biting me - not because of me but because of the situation. She was real in dubai.

Persia has these really interesting eyes - sort of like Chinese sometimes just on her high cheekbones.

In Brighton we would hang out - like when we walked along the seafront and went to shops trying on things and I bought her some bits she liked and we went to eat at that chicken place and the guy made her wings without spices. We did that just a few weeks ago. It was really nice.

So we do things like that together anywhere in the world in any dimension !

Ryan was a bot in clapham & I believe he is ok so Persia must be too.

[minty-playhouse]

A post about Eurovision from someone that never followed it closely!

This post in the style of a live-reaction so follow the read more!

So missed the first performance but the Malta song is so good and fun, I'm digging it A LOT. Love their beddazzled EVERYTHING.

Serbia serving some vibes I see 👀 Giving me big Cesar flashbacks. The Malta song is still more my style though, so they are still winning. But I love the androgyny on display ❤️

Latvia is giving me early 2000's indie energy and I'm here for this so much what the hell!! Specially the presentation. But the Malta song...

Portugal just singing in Portuguese is really throwing me the hell off because Brazil lol But the song is pretty cool. But Malta still number one let's go, I want to be conflicted!

OK the way the Ireland guys were dressed I was expecting a totally different song lol And I'm sorry, that's the weakest song of the bunch so far. Forgive me Irish folk...

The looks alone from Croatia is sending me! Although I'm not sure what I'm seeing now... Seeing and hearing.

WHAT IS HAPPENING WHAT IS CROATIA DOING?

I... I dunno how to feel about Croatia.

So Switzerland was weak but Israel bringing a BANGER toll the table, very good, very good! Very close to the Malta guys, I'll say. The singer's voice is very powerful!

MOLDOVA LET'S GO!!!

Moldova always delivers, don't they??? The presentation is lit and the song is a banger! I hope they make it to the finals damn! The flute drop is everything to me!

HOLY SHIT IS LOREEN!!!

She still girlboss, yaaas queen!!! Her voice is still stunning damn.

Also: retro twins, bro.

The Czech gals are really good too, also hoping they make it to the finals! Absolutely floored by their ridiculously long hair!

HELLO FINLAND BEING FIRE????? I'M 100% HERE FOR THIS NO WAY!!! MY FAVORITE, MALTA WHO???

That was fun, can't wait to watch the second part of the semis! Some very strong candidates in this round damn!

[alexbkrieger13]

No they don’t want to play in gamla Ullevi.

https://www.svt.se/sport/fotboll/asllani-borjar-bli-for-stora-for-den-har-arenan

This thing that the women’s team ”belongs there” is just a bull shit storyline (excuse me) to resemble equality.

You have the national arena in Stockholm, the capital, that takes 50,000 people. That’s the official national arena for all major games and events. That’s the men’s team’s home base. They play every game there. Including an upcoming friendly against Moldova, which is the 23rd vs the 164th ranked team in the world.

Then you have Gamla Ullevi which is in Gothenburg, which is a connecting flight or a long bus ride away for most people flying from abroad if they don’t have a chartered flight. There is only one fairly big city in Sweden by international standards and that is Stockholm. They have made Gamla Ullevi the ”national arena” for the women’s team so that they will have ”their own”. And it has been a good option, since they still don’t fill up a 40-50k capacity stadium for most of their games.

But when they play Spain, and directly after the world cup with a lot of extra attention on women’s football, they could. Why should the women never get to play in Stockholm? It’s the capital. It’s where the most people live. People might want to watch them there too.

If you believe in equality, you can’t see Gamla Ullevi as the final destination, but as a good middle step. If there is a demand for 40,000 tickets, you can’t keep restricting them to selling no more than 18,000. Then you are holding the women back. Preventing them from generating income to the federation while people in general keep complaining that ”no one cares” or ”women’s football doesn’t make a profit”. It’s unfair. And Sweden fall behind. England, Spain and others have already realised that the biggest women’s games can be held at larger stadiums. SvFF are missing the biggest chance ever to have a record attendance if they don’t move the game. They can still move it to Nya Ullevi which takes 40,000.

Sweden want to host the Euros in 2025. Their proposal is to play only the final in Friends Arena, and the rest of the games in 18,000-ish stadiums. They are living in the stone age in this regard. When we play Spain, there will be a huge international audience because it’s Spain. So it is also an opportunity to promote Sweden as a host of women’s football. And then you ship the world champions off away from the capital and the only real and official national arena, to a stadium that’s not even half as big as the biggest we have to offer. It’s embarrasing. I’d even call it scandalous. And it’s not gonna impress international viewers or Uefa.

Talk about not seizing the moment. They could have predicted even before Spain won the world cup that this game had potential to draw a large crowd. Because it’s right after the world cup, Spain is a top team, there’s an Olympic spot at stake and they sold out Gamla Ullevi in a friendly game against France.

yea it's one of those where I'm like if they can make the switch I think they should because the demand is definitely there

[queensoybean0724]

Succession Chapter 1 (Karl Heisenberg/female reader) Resident Evil Village fic

Here is chapter one of my new fanfic!

Title: Succession

Characters: Karl Heisenberg, female reader, OCs

Rating: PG-13 for language and intense scenes (for now, this is a slow burn, but it will get very hot and spicy in later chapters)

Summary: You discover a long lost relative from Moldova that you didn’t know existed has died and you are his sole beneficiary.  You are on board a plane to collect your inheritance when your plane crashes in a village in Romania.

Author’s Notes: I do not own the characters from Resident Evil Village.  This is a work of fiction.  Anything remotely similar to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.

Chapter 1

The music blasted from the car speakers as you drove down the main road towards the highway.  You had your phone plugged into your car stereo, your favorite Spotify playlist on shuffle.  Despite the A/C being on full blast, beads of sweat formed at your brow and rolled down your temple.  You adjusted the vents on either side of you, making sure the cold air directly hit your body.  The song that was playing had you tapping your fingers on the steering wheel, your head bopping to the beat.

The fridge at home was close to empty and it was beyond time for you to go grocery shopping.  The grocery list was secure in your purse and you were determined to stick to the items on the list and not make any frivolous purchases.  Money was tight and you only had so much money left before payday next week.

The song shut off suddenly followed by your ringtone.  Looking at the screen of your phone, UNKNOWN stared back at you. Probably a spam call, you thought to yourself, reaching to press the red Ignore button.  Unfortunately, your finger slid at the last minute and mistakenly tapped the Accept button. You watched as the call came through and the seconds ticked off.  FUCK!

“Hello?” you greeted with a hint of exasperation in your voice.

“Hello, am I speaking with Miss Y/N?” a heavily accented male voice responded.

“Yeah, this is she,” you muttered, rolling your eyes.  You tried your best to avoid these calls, ignoring them and letting them go straight to voicemail.  Very rarely was it followed with an actual message, which was more than fine with you.

“Miss Y/N, my name is Ron M. Dathermi.  I am a lawyer residing in Chisinau, Moldova in Eastern Europe…”

You raised your eyebrows at that.  Moldova?  Who the hell was calling you from Moldova?  Chalking it up to a scam, you were about to interrupt the man when he continued.

“...I wish I was calling under better circumstances, but I’m afraid I have some bad news.  Your great uncle, Serghei Popa, has passed away from a short illness and has named you his sole beneficiary…”

You couldn’t help the amused huff that came out of your mouth.  This must be some very elaborate scam.

“Umm...sorry, but I think you have the wrong person.  I don’t have family from Moldova and I have never heard of this man in my whole life.” You were about to hit the End button when Mr. Dathermi continued.

“Am I speaking with Y/N, born on (your birthday) to (your father and mother’s full names) and the granddaughter of (your grandfather and grandmother on both sides of your family)?”

Your eyes widened at that.  “Yeah, that’s me…” you answered.

“I know this may sound unusual, but Mr. Popa was the brother of your grandmother on your mother’s side.  He was given up for adoption at birth and taken in by a Moldovan family.  He did not have a spouse and had no children, and according to the genealogy report I have before me, your grandmother and your mother are both deceased.  Your mother was an only child, yes?  It appears to me that you are the last of his living relatives.”

You pulled off the road and into an empty parking lot.  The information you were being given was a lot to handle.  You didn’t have that large of a family.  You were an only child and raised by your parents and both sets of grandparents.  Both of your grandfathers had died before you turned 10.  Both grandmothers died within 5 years of each other and your father and mother died of illnesses, cancer and pneumonia respectively, in the last year.  Grief was a feeling that you knew better than anyone.  You kept to yourself mostly and you didn’t have any close friends or a significant other.

“Listen,” you began, “you are correct about all of your information, but how do I know this is not some kind of scam?”

The man on the other end of the phone cleared his throat and the sound of shuffling papers met your ears.  “I can imagine that this information is sudden and unusual.  What I will do is send a copy of his will and a copy of the genealogy papers to your address.  I encourage you to take this to your lawyer and have them look over the information.  The reason I am calling is because I need you to fly to Moldova, sign these papers, and accept the monetary inheritance that he has left you.”

Your jaw dropped as you looked down at your phone.  Fly to Moldova?  Is this true?  The only thing you knew about the country was that a foreign exchange student from high school was born and raised in Moldova.  That about sums up your knowledge of the country. This seemed incredibly asinine and ridiculous.  But the word that settled in your train of thought was “inheritance.” What inheritance?

“Mr...what was your name again?” you asked.

“Mr. Dathermi, but you can call me Ron,” the lawyer responded.

“Ron...umm, how much monetary inheritance are we talking about?”

More shuffling of papers was on the other side of the phone, Ron clicking his tongue as he looked through the information.  “He has left you 53,806,746 Moldovan Leu...which translates to $3,000,000 in American currency.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?!?!” you exclaimed before clamping your lips shut.  You heard Ron chuckle.  “I’m sorry, pardon my language. It’s just...wow...this sounds insane…”

“I can imagine it does,” Ron replied, “which is why I want to mail this information to you and have your attorney take a look at it so you know this is a legitimate will and testament.  If you would like, I can mail the information straight to your attorney if you are still leery.”

“No, no, that’s okay,” you said, shaking your head.  Your mind was whirling.  None of this sounded remotely true.  You felt as if you were dreaming.  This felt like something that only happened in books and fairy tales...a girl who had nothing and nobody suddenly inheriting millions of dollars from an unknown distant relative.  What are the odds of something like this happening in real life?  You gave Ron Dathermi your home address.

“Thank you very much, Miss Y/N.  I will send this as soon as possible.  I’ll also include my business card so your attorney can contact me and we can iron out the details.  Thank you very much, Y/N...I’ll be in touch.”

You thanked him as well and ended the call.  All alone in your car in the empty parking lot, you let out an excited squeal and started hopping up and down.

*

You adjusted the messenger bag that was slung across your shoulder as you heard the overhead speaker call for the boarding of your flight.  Taking a deep breath, you got in line, extended your ticket to the airport employee, and walked down the tarmac and into the plane.

Butterflies were fluttering in your stomach.  Your hands gripped your bag tightly as the flight attendant looked at your boarding pass and pointed down the aisle to where you were to be seated.  You had never flown before and your nerves were on alert.  Scenes from Final Destination flashed in your head as you walked down the aisle towards your seat.  Taking a deep breath and willing your body to relax, you located your seat next to the window and sat down, plopping your bag onto your lap.  

The small window was close to the wing of the plane and looking beyond that was a long expanse of grass that met a vast forest.  You were thankful that you had the window seat and your headphones so you could tune everything out and relax in your own little world.

Once the papers from Mr. Dathermi arrived a week prior, you immediately called the attorney that helped you with the probate and will from your parents’ deaths several months back.  He was more than happy to help, knowing that you were all alone in the world after your parents had passed.  Two days later, he called to inform you that all of the paperwork was, in fact, legitimate and that Mr. Serghei Popa was the brother of your grandmother.  He showed you the adoption papers, confirming that your great uncle had been put up for adoption and the family that took him in had relocated to Moldova when he was two years old.  He had remained in the country until his death.  Your attorney contacted Mr. Dathermi, who in turn secured a round trip plane ticket in order for you to come to Moldova to finalize the paperwork and collect the inheritance.

At the thought of the money you were about to acquire, another surge of excitement flowed through you.  Your parents hadn’t left you much after their death and you worked at a dead-end job that had no room for advancement and no possibility for raises.  All of these recent events sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

“This is your captain speaking,” the voice sounded from the speaker above your head, “we will be departing in the next ten minutes.  Please make sure your seatbelts are secured, your tray tables are up, and all electronics are off until we are at the appropriate cruising altitude.  I will inform everyone as soon as the coast is clear.  Thank you for flying with us and enjoy the ride.”

You fastened your seatbelt and laid your head back, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath.

“Don’t be nervous…” a voice sounded next to you.  You opened your eyes and looked over to see an older gentleman with wide rimmed glasses and a nice smile.

“Is it that obvious?” you asked, returning his smile.

“It’s pretty obvious,” he chuckled, “my name is Bruce Williams.  I’m the air marshal on board this flight.” You told him your name and shook his hand. “Just relax,” he assured, “we’ll be flying for the next 10 hours.  There are lots of movies and tv shows to watch on the screen in front of you, or you can listen to your music and read a book if you brought one.”

You patted your messenger bag.  “Yeah, I have a few books to choose from.  Thanks,” you smiled.

Within minutes, the plane had backed away from the tarmac, turned towards the long expanse of runway, and increased speed before leaving the ground and soaring up into the clouds.

*

The steady hum of the plane’s engines provided a relaxed soundtrack as you slept.  It was close to early morning, according to the clock on the tv screen, but your watch was still on your regular time zone.  It read early afternoon and that threw you through a loop.  You had heard that jet lag could be a bitch and you wondered how bad yours would be once you landed.  Bruce had passed you a pillow and blanket once you were ready to sleep and he assured you that your bag and belongings would be safe while you slept.

You were so thankful to be seated next to him.  Not only was he the air marshal, but he was a really cool person as well.  You two talked about movies and actually watched a couple of them on the tv screen in front of you.  Bruce was kind and nice to talk to.  The crinkle of crow’s feet around his eyes, his laugh, and his hair color mixed with hints of gray reminded you of your father...maybe that’s why you liked him so much.

You shifted in your seat and let out a soft yawn.  Stretching your arms above your head and arching your back, you wondered how much longer it would be until you touched down in Moldova.

“You weren’t asleep that long,” Bruce murmured.  You looked over to see a book in his hand and his glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom and then go back to sleep,” you replied, standing from your seat.  Bruce stood up and allowed you out into the aisle.  You made your way to the bathroom towards the back of the plane.  The cabin was dark with little lights dotting either side of the aisle on the floor. Soft lights were shining here and there from people reading, watching the tv screen, or messing with their phones while most of the passengers were asleep.

Once in the bathroom, you did your business, flushed the toilet, and began washing your hands.  The mirror in front of you showed a tired and weary version of yourself.  Some of your eye makeup was smudged.  You told yourself once  you returned back to your seat, you’d retrieve the makeup remover wipes in your bag and do away with the dirt and oil.

Just then the plane hit an air pocket and dropped several feet, throwing  you forward towards the sink and mirror.  You let out a shriek as the plane quieted and went still.  “God dammit,” you muttered, putting your hand over your heart, “that scared the shit out of me!”

Once out of the bathroom, you slammed the door shut and walked back to your seat.  You tapped Bruce on the shoulder and he moved aside.

You lifted the window shade and looked outside.  Natural light from the start of the day began to show.  The plane was amongst the clouds so it was fairly cloudy and hard to see.

“How much farther do we have?” you asked Bruce.  He shifted the book to his left hand and looked down at his wristwatch.  “We should be there in three hours.  I think we are flying over Romania right now…”

You nodded your head and thanked him, turning back to the window.  The clouds gave way momentarily and provided the opportunity to see the ground below.  Tall, snowy mountains came into view.  You smiled and marveled at their beauty, wondering what mountain range this was.  You cursed yourself for forgetting the basics from your World Geography class in high school.  Hell, all you knew about Romania was that it was the setting for Dracula and the real life territory that was once owned by Elizabeth Bathory, who allegedly killed upwards of 650 maidens and bathed in their blood.  You shook your head and smiled to yourself.  You really did enjoy some morbid and fucked up stories.

Your train of thought stopped short when a large and spacious castle came into view.  Your eyes widened and your jaw dropped.  It looked like something out of a Disney movie or from ancient castles that still sat throughout Europe.  The place looked like it stood on several acres of land and who knows how many square feet.  What a gorgeous and breathtaking place it was.  You wondered just what was inside a monstrosity like that and who was lucky enough to inhabit such a place.  Maybe there were castles in Moldova that you could explore and visit while you’re conducting your business.

The castle fell out of view and not far from it stood what looked like a village.  You were too high up to see any people or any traces of lights or torches.  You took everything in with total awe and appreciation.  It looked like a small and sleepy storybook town.

A sudden movement close to the village caught your attention.  You squinted your eyes and tried to look closer, pressing your forehead to the window.  What the fuck is that, you wondered.  It looked like a black tree, naked of leaves or any type of growth...and it was moving.  It looked to be swaying in the breeze, but the size of it looked way too sturdy for any kind of gust to move it with such fluidity.  As you focused on the tree, it appeared to be growing...getting closer to the plane.  Was the plane descending?  Were you getting closer to Moldova?

One of the branches of the tree slowly drifted to the ground before extending long and rigid, slinging itself up into the air like a bullwhip, hitting the wing of the plane.  The plane suddenly tilted as the slithering limb wrapped around the wing and broke it off.  You let out a loud scream as the plane turned on its side, Bruce falling against you, squishing you to the wall.  “WHAT THE FUCK??” Bruce screamed as yelps, shrieks, and screams echoed in the cabin of the plane.  Dozens of people were knocked from their seats, flight attendants falling into the aisle and rolling towards the cockpit.  The plane shook and quaked as it dropped several feet in a matter of seconds.

“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!” you screamed, grabbing hold of Bruce’s arm.  The air masks dropped from overhead and Bruce grabbed yours, making quick work of putting it over your face.  “HOLD ON TO IT! HOLD IT OVER YOUR MOUTH, Y/N!!” he commanded, reaching for his own mask.

“THE WING OF THE PLANE HAS BEEN DAMAGED!” the pilot yelled from over the speakers, “WE ARE LOSING ALTITUDE! BRACE FOR IMPACT!”  People screamed and panicked, holding on to whatever it was they could.  Panic surged through your body as your fingers dug into Bruce’s arm.  The plane shook as it fell.  Your stomach dropped and it felt as if you were seconds from impact.  You looked out the window one last time before the ground came into view and everything went black.

*

He leaned over the body on the metal table in the lab of his factory.  He fastened the bolts with a wrench and tested the strength of the metal against the rotting flesh.  A soft horn sounded in the distance along with the various turns of chains and clangs of steel against steel.  He wiped the sweat off his brow and walked to his desk, looking over the blueprints and sketches he had devised the previous day.

Despite the different array of sounds, nothing could mask the loud crash that sounded off in the distance.  He lifted his head, silently trying to figure out what the fuck made that noise.  Leaving the body laying on the table, he exited his lab and made his way down the stairs and to the factory doors.  

With a grunt, he slid the doors aside and looked off into the distance.  Black smoke billowed from an area that looked to be close to the village.  Other than the crows squawking and flapping their wings in retreat, everything was dead quiet.  He looked off to the right just in time to see the long, spindly limbs of mold retreating back towards the earth.  Karl Heisenberg’s face tightened in a disgusted grimace.

“Mother Miranda...what have you done?”

[balkanballad]

Eurovision 2022 ranking

another year, another ranking. as I did with the previous years, I, again, ranked all the songs with numbers but I also put them into categories (from 💐 to 🥀) and added a short comment. let’s go:

💐:

1. Cyprus: I had a shitty day when I first listened to it but I instantly loved it and that is the best feeling with esc songs for me. I love it. I love the Greek parts so much, I think it's catchy, it has an old-school esc feeling to it (I mean like 00s and earlier 10s) that I miss so much sometimes. It feels good to hear them sound more like them again. I missed this vibe so much, I love this vibe so much and will always love it. Thank you, Cyprus. I was so done with the random Spanish words songs, I listened to those too, but this is what I wanted. I'm tearing up again lmao but sometimes I miss when things felt easier and there's a certain nostalgia here for me. It also reminds me of the beach and having a good time. I miss everything again. anyway, yay!!

2. Estonia: I’ve been rooting for Stefan for a while now and I am so happy that he’s finally going to eurovision!! I really like him and I love the song. I like the message and how catchy it is. however, I hope (lol) that they change the staging. it does not need that weird duel between the random cowboys.

3. Portugal: another favourite of mine that won the national final! I love the lyrics, love that they hit a spot in my heart, and the whole atmosphere of this song is soo lovely. I think it fits very well into the category of soft songs that I instantly love. 

4. Romania: yes! I don’t only love ballads, I also can very much appreciate a good dance song and for me this is definitely one of those. it’s catchy, it makes me want to get up and dance and it stays in my head for a while in the best way.

5. Spain: this song grew so much on me, but only the studio version. I think she will perform really well, I just don’t love the live vocals that much. the song is not that deep, maybe even a bit silly like a lot of these faster dance songs have been before, e.g. Cyprus the previous years, but I listen to it a lot and I like the mood it puts me in which is similar to Romania. 

6. Moldova: wedding vibes!! iykyk. good for them and for us. I can’t wait to see how this will look on the big stage because I think it will be fun and it will be a big party.

7. Macedonia: a good song! I don’t listen to it that much simply because it’s not on spotify and that’s where I mainly listen to the songs. I can’t tell rn whether that’s helping with the ranking or not, but I can tell you that I like the lyrics, her voice and the tempo a lot. I think it’s powerful and I really hope that the staging will be cool (and simple). I would also love to hear a Macedonian version of this because I bet that it also would sound good.

8. Belgium: a beautiful song. the lyrics are great, his voice is so good. It has a slight James Bond-ish type film vibe to it, but I don’t mind that. I say this once again, even though I have never watched a single Bond film, but the sound still reminds me of it somehow.

🌺:

9. Australia: I like this! I am now realizing that my number 7, 8 and 9 probably all fall into a similar category, but I like them all. this took a few listens for me. The lyrics with this song also hit in a way that sometimes they do when you look into your reflection on the dirty train’s window after a long shift on a Saturday night and around you there are drunk people and you wonder what your life has become. I like the nearly musical number feeling it has. the only thing that I am not so sure about is the glittery mask thing.

10. Armenia: a bit like Croatia, but I think this one is more interesting and makes, at least to me, more sense. or maybe I simply relate to it more. one tiny thing is that something about the way she pronounces some words is a bit, just tiny bit, annoying to me. I still listen to and enjoy it a lot.

11. Austria: is Austria allowed to use words for song titles that are not heaven/bible themed? anyway, the places that this song moved in my own ranking!! I had it at 30. first but then I got into it while speed walking to work and now I like it! I am even tempted to move it up higher because atm this is exactly what I like listening to. it reminds me of Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama and that kind of pop category. I am worried how this will sound live though.

12. Croatia: this also really grew on me and this still isn’t the last time you are going to read this in my ranking. I like it now. is it a bit forgettable and are the lyrics confusing to me? yeah, but I like listening to it.

13. Czechia: first, I was rather bored by this song it but I like it now.

14. Greece: phew, this one took me some time to process and get used to. my first reaction was that I hate the title and the whole theme of this song. it just didn’t find me at the right time to make me think about these things, so it was the opposite of what Cyprus did to me. I was also hoping for something more like Cyprus, but now I’m happy that they are not sending similar songs. I’m still not sure how I feel about the lyrics, but I can listen to it now, sing along and just let it be a song. I like the melody in the middle part a lot, the other parts also needed some getting used to it. why is it still ranked so high? I think there is definitely something appealing about the whole song, plus her voice is lovely unique!

15. Azerbaijan: a little bit slow and I think it gets interesting a too late into the song, but I like it. I simply like ballads. thematicalyl it is a bit like Greece, but here, thankfully, the lyrics don’t haunt me. on the other hand, everything else is less interesting than the Greek entry.

16. UK: I think the UK has sent in the past few years some very okay songs and I think this is another really okay song! the lyrics are interesting and also could be used for a good staging, because there are a few opportunities to make this look cool. It also might even be catchy enough this time, because I think that it is that as well, but we will see what will happen.

🌻:

17. Ireland: apparently the theme for me this year is ‘this grew on me’ but it did. now I listen to it. or maybe I just accepted it after listening to it a lot. I think the lyrics are silly, but with this type of song it’s okay. it also reminds me of a song they would use for a tv ad, but a catchy one. as so often with faster songs, I am not sure how good the live vocals will be, but, also as so often with faster songs, will that matter that much in the end? Will Ireland make it to the final? we will see.

18. The Netherlands: okay! I don’t think much about it and only listen to it when it comes on randomly, but when I listen to it, I like it. I also like that it’s in Dutch.

19. Iceland: I’m not crazy about it, but it’s cute. maybe a tiny bit boring. I wouldn’t mind seeing them sing something with Stefan if they should meet somewhere.

20. Malta: this one is a shame because I liked the first choice a lot more and had it in my top 10 and now this is rather basic. it’s not a bad song, but it again goes into that direction that they have been pushing for a while now. I also wasn’t surprised to read who is behind this song, but I like her voice and I think she will give a good performance.

21. Sweden: it’s alright and it will place high because it’s Sweden, of course. the lyrics should really be my thing, but somehow, I don’t love the song. maybe this will need a bit more of me listening to it. right now, I just think it’s okay, nothing special. I also don’t love watching the performance, idk. it’s not that I dislike it, but I simply don’t love it.

22. Israel: fast, catchy, okay. however, it’s also a bit annoying in a way that it is just over the top and not as empowering as I think they wanted it to come across.

23. Switzerland: I put this in the same category as Greece in terms of what are the lyrics behind these? I am just confused by some of the parts. the song is fine other than that and it is indeed okay for boys to cry! it is okay for anyone to cry. I like his voice and the melody is cute. it’s maybe a bit boring after the first confusion, so I don’t find myself listening to it often, but I can listen to it as long as I don’t focus too much on it.

🌼:

24. Poland: I don’t love his voice. the song is okay, but I don’t like the opera-ish parts. I actually get a bit annoyed by those parts even, so I sometimes only listen to the first part of this song and then skip it.

25. France: alright. inspired by Ukraine ‘21? it’s okay, I think a lot of us were inspired by it and I like that! the live performance was a bit too messy for me though and I was confused by all of the things happening at once and everywhere. I also don’t love the edm or you know whatever those bass dance music parts are called. I sound like I am 60 years old... but yeah.

26. Ukraine: I listen to it, but I don’t love all parts of it - the folk influence is nice, however, I am not a rap/fast speaking fan. not many more thoughts. Ukraine is good at the whole esc game and I am pretty sure that they will make it to the final this year as well. good for them.

27. Slovenia: something different from Slovenia this year. I think it’s nice that it’s in Slovenian and I think that they might profit from this being the only song that is like this. there is no other song in the semi, in both semis actually, like this one. again, I don’t listen to it that much because it’s not on spotify (yet?). it’s also not really my preferred genre, but I don’t hate it and can appreciate it being there.

28. Lithuania: it’s okay. I somehow don’t vibe with the performance from the nf. I also don’t love the song or her voice, but it’s okay. I can listen to it when it comes on, but I often skip it too.

29. Montenegro: a deep message behind it and really personal, but the song itself is a bit boring to me and sometimes also too much when I think about it too long and then I have to skip it or not watch the video.

30. Albania: oh, Albania.. the English revamp was not necessary. I think it made it worse. the song itself before was already too much for me. there are too many things, sounds, now also languages, swaps, genres etc. trying to fit in a 3 min. song. some parts I like, but then it switches and I don’t like it. to keep my train associations: this reminds me of getting onto a train and getting overwhelmed by everything - the mask on my face, too many people talking, at least I can find a seat and sit down, but then some random person decides to sit way too close to me and my heart beats too fast.

31. Bulgaria: I think this song has an old-school feeling to it, which I like (I promise that I am not 60 years old), but what is this song about? the genre also makes it a bit hard for me to rank it higher because it is not really my genre.

🥀:

32. Denmark: Italy and France from last year in one entry, but make it English and family friendly. maybe it needs a few more times of me listening to this to appreciate it more, but so far, I didn’t feel like doing that.

33. Finland: okay? feels also old-ish and goes in the same direction as Bulgaria for me (again: what are these lyrics? what is this song about?), so, not my genre really and I don’t feel like I can say too much about it, but even though it’s all that, I can still listen to it.

34. Italy: not for me. it’s slow and I am bored by it. I also don’t think that their voices go together, but I am generally not a Mahmood fan. Soldi was at least catchy, but this one is simply not my cup of tea.

35. Germany: look at this, Germany is not in my bottom 3. that is already a lot coming from me. I really don't like the talking-ish parts but I never really like those in any song. I hardly ever feel like listening to this song.

36. Serbia: too artsy trying for me and I just don’t find myself wanting to listen to it. tbh I don’t like anything really about it, but hey, it is in Serbian at least.

37. Georgia: a bit too repetitive. I bet the staging will be big or a message or something but I don’t really listen to this song ever.

38. San Marino: messy? also, inspired by Italy last year I am guessing, which already was not for me either.

39. Norway: nop. I am not big for ‘meme’ or ‘joke’ entries. I don’t like the masks, the title or the song.

40. Latvia: same as with Norway, but at least they are not wearing masks? or maybe I would be more comfortable if they were. the first sentence is already so off putting to me and makes me feel uncomfortable. the whole thing does actually. I don’t have a train association for this one, but for me being on tinder feels like this song. so, yeah. worst vibes for me and my last place.

[residentraccoon]

Azerbaijan and Armenia idc if u release your songs after 1000 years, I'll still post my prediction for the semifinals and finals, thank you 💗

Semifinal 1 predictions

ALBANIA - Banger, definitely will get huge televote support. I can see Ronela delivering the hell out of this song. A clear Q

LATVIA - Oh Latvia how I wish you would finally qualify after 6 years. These guys really have the charisma and all to get some televotes. I feel the juries might kill this, though, because of its silly joke-y mood. Let's hope not. This is fun, but currently putting this at "Maybe"

SWITZERLAND - This is a sweet song that I can see the juries falling for it, but will probably crash with the televotes. I'd say Borderline for the moment but will have to wait for the staging cuz you never know.

SLOVENIA - Myeah...I don't feel them qualifying at all, I'm so sorry. It is pretty charming and jazzy but literally has no chance. NQ

BULGARIA - Same story as Slovenia, but replace the charm jazz part with boring dad rock done wrong. NQ

MOLDOVA - GUYS PLEASE MAKE A BATSHIT CRAZY SHOW FOR THIS I BELIEVE IN Z&Z SUPREMACY AND THAT THEY WILL QUALIFY. Currently "Maybe" since I don't see it doing so well in the tops so far.

UKRAINE - 1. Ukraine always qualifies. 2. They will also most likely recieve pity votes, 3. Their song is a fuckin mazing and I love it and it also seems to get great feedback...so Q

LITHUANIA - I can see the juries liking this (also I wish this doesn't get the fate of Crazy and Funny Girl in 2018 for also being jazzy simple songs but remaining in semi). Borderline maybe? I wouldn't call it a lock Q just yet.

NETHERLANDS - This is really well recieved and reminds me a lot of City Lights. I can see this safely Q

NORWAY - I see a KEiiNO scenario with these wolf boyos. Televote crazy with it, juries not. At all. Wouldn't be surprised to see them missing out in the jury vote as well (and what the fuck how did the juries not place KEiiNO in top 10 smh) but for the moment another safe Q I'd say, the televote will place this really high

PORTUGAL - This is another sweet simple song, but I have no idea how well this will do. Probably Borderline currently?

DENMARK - A pretty neat rock song. Could probably do ok-ish with the juries but I'm not too sure. NQ? Maybe?

ARMENIA - They didn't yet release the song but I heard somewhere that they found a leak and it's a generic pop song? Okay, I don't think they might get past the semi with that...but it's still nothing 100% confirmed. Won't label Armenia at the moment.

AUSTRIA - The live vocals will decide the fate of this. If she will sing well they're 100% in, if she won't uuuhhh...I still think they'll be in but I won't see them doing so well in the final. Q?

CROATIA - Same as Denmark, juries might like this, but not the televote. But I think this will do slightly worse than Denmark. NQ?

ICELAND - If this beautiful chill song in icelandic isn't qualifying I'm fuckin- I mean this pretty much stands out tbh and I feel it might either pull a Netherlands 2014 and do very good or Latvia 2019 and stay in semi...Borderline I guess?

GREECE - Yeah, this is in, I see this doing well with both televote and juries. Q

OVERALL

1st-3rd: Ukraine, Netherlands, Greece

4th-7th: Albania, Lithuania, Norway, Austria

8th-12th: Latvia, Switzerland, Moldova, Iceland, Portugal

13th-17th: Slovenia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Croatia

[solmints-messyocdiary]

Blue, I just want to thank you again for creating this series. I never expected this, and it has been wonderful reading it and talking with you about it. 💗

Now... let me lose my mind below.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him walk back inside. Putting her fingers in her mouth, she bit down slightly to try and fight the tears.

My baby girl, you can really feel how much Belle's disappearance has affected her. :(

-

From around a doorway, bright olive eyes watched him dress, gather his things, and leave.

Pftt... a lil' creep.

-

He didn't flinch. He never did. Death didn't bother him, and that troubled him.

"Why are you taking pictures?" A boy - about 8 or 10 years old - was standing over him. He was clutching a handful of wilting flowers. A little mourner, come to dutifully lay flowers on a loved one's resting place.

Why was he taking pictures?

He didn't know either. It just felt natural. Like muscle memory.

BLUE, THE FORESHADOWING. THE EERIENESS. Yeah, Darrell, why aren't you feeling queasy, huh? Why doesn't death bother you? 👀

Also, I was about to copy past the entire conversation with the boy but I refrained so I'll try to explain how much how love that setting.

It was AMAZING. The way Darrell was joking around and entertaining the kid, thinking it all was a silly story. A make-believe done by a young and scared boy. The entire "an evil Bulgarian fairy in Moldova?" delivery, AND THE SPITEFUL COMMENT OF THE BOY TELLING HIM THAT ALL THE FORMER GRAVEDIGGERS HAVE BEEN KILLED BY HER, only for Darrell to immediately stop smiling??? You gave me a little sneak preview of the outcome, but I wasn't prepared for it. To tell you, I grinned at how well the scene was set, the playfulness, turned tale, turned horror, to realization? Chef's kiss.

-

I just want to say that I adore how Odile has been trying to convince herself that the reason she is risking her safety is for Belle alone. Makes sense, Belle is the only company she had for god knows how long, but she could have waited for Darrell to leave her unattended, and it would still have had the same outcome. Now we know where her intentions lie. She has the vibes of an unreliable narrator, which I adore.

She'd been lying when she said she wanted to see Belle. Inching closer, her eyes hesitantly darted from one feature to another. From his hands - large and sinewy - to his collarbone, his throat, and his face - framed by raven locks that spilled over the cushions. He looked like an ink drawing pried from the pages of a story book. Eros reclining. Endymion the Shepherd.

Oh gosh... Odile as a Psyche or Selene gazing down at the sleeping man below her. I can't. You hit me right where it stings good for me, longing, jealousy, and Greek myth. 😭

Odile cast a jealous look at the moon, daring her to step down and intervene.

Odile is being a little hypocritical as if she herself isn't staring at the man without his knowledge. Despite being religious, she is ready to catch hands with a goddess if she has to.

-

She ran her fingertips up and down his side, wanting to count his ribs - see if he was missing any. Did not God pluck Eve from Adam's side and fashioned her to be his wife?

Don't mind me... I AM SOBBING HERE IN MY CORNER. Beautiful line. Just... beautiful.

Also... Darrell just touching and embracing her??? That's probably the first time she has been held like a lover...

-

The next morning, Darrell found a single golden strand of hair on his blanket - which had again left its spot at the foot of the bed. The picture the boy had taken of him had vanished from his desk.

Oh? 👀

For those who do not know, a Samodiva would sometimes give a small portion of her hair to her lover to strengthen her control over him via its magical effects. 

For Life Or Until Fault

Alt Timeline 2.0 - Darrell x Odile Part 2

Warnings: MINORS DNI! Main characters are slasher ocs! stalking(?), descriptions of dead bodies, implied cannibalism, implied murder

Darrell is my oc

Odile belongs to @solmints-messyocdiary

Odile cowered behind the trunk of an ash tree, hoping the man wouldn't see her. Heart hammering, knees trembling, she looked to see if he had followed her.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him walk back inside. Putting her fingers in her mouth, she bit down slightly to try and fight the tears.

She'd been looking all day for Belle - the only company she had in that desolate place. She was so worried, afraid the poor dog had been hurt or taken to the pound.

She was fine, thank goodness, but she was wearing a collar. Her fur was washed. She had been fed.

Was that bad?

Surely, Odile should be happy that her friend found a new home. Besides, she always knew that Belle would abandon her, too. What had she to offer anyway?

Her heart stung as she finally broke, tears pouring down her cheeks.

She was already missing her, her puppy dog kisses and her warmth. She just wished she could have said goodbye.

Maybe she could try?

Odile dried her face with the skirt of her dress.

Yes. She could sneak into the old manor house once the strange man had fallen asleep.

Darrell woke up with a start. He'd seen the willowy fingers slip on the pane in his dream.

Only this time, he felt the weight of them on his chest.

He sat up, his back stiff from the chaise. He peeled back the blanket that had been pulled up to his chest. Funny. He didn't remember using it the night before. He was sure it had been folded into a neat rectangle at his feet.

Bark!

Isabelle trotted into the parlor. The way her tail wagged made Darrell feel like she was urging him out of bed. "Rough night," Darrell said. "Hungry?"

With the blanket wrapped around him like a shawl, Darrell crouched by the hearth and set his coffee pot over the coals. He busied himself with cooking sausages.

"Stop looking at things that aren't there." He patted Isabelle's croup. She was staring intently down the dark hallway that led deeper into the house. Darrell got down on one knee beside her and squinted. Nothing.

"You're scaring me," he told her as he ruffled the fur of her neck. "Alright, come on. Time to go to work."

From around a doorway, bright olive eyes watched him dress, gather his things, and leave.

They started on their patrol, using the map as a guide. Darrell wanted to inspect the graves, try to find a pattern to the vandalism, see if he could tell where the culprit was coming from.

Darrell made his solemn way through the memorials of the departed. The days were prematurely cold, and he was thankful for the mug of steaming coffee he had brought. It was prime hunting season, if you asked him. The ground was frozen, food was scarce, so the animals ventured out of the woods of their own accord.

He made quick work of the marked sites, snapping pictures of the graves with a funny little instant film camera he impulsively bought in town. He compared dates of death and extent of damage, stuffing the little paper snapshots in his jacket pocket. They jutted out wildly like carnival tickets.

The last grave was cordoned off by braided rope. The cloying scent of turned earth and rot greeted him as he drew nearer. Some of the bodies had been carted off. To be cremated, no doubt. A few, like this one, had been left by investigators. He could make out the shape of the coffin under the nylon tarp. However, other indentations hinted the lid had been removed.

Darrell rested his gun against a granite headstone and stepped off the edge, dropping six feet straight down. He landed with a muffled crunch. Isabelle watched from ear level as he removed the tarp with a snap.

The corpse in the coffin was pale with a putrid tinge of purple and green. Its eyes were rolled back into its skull. Its fingers, once peacefully folded on its stomach, were stiff and gnarled.

He didn't flinch. He never did. Death didn't bother him, and that troubled him.

"Why are you taking pictures?" A boy - about 8 or 10 years old - was standing over him. He was clutching a handful of wilting flowers. A little mourner, come to dutifully lay flowers on a loved one's resting place.

Why was he taking pictures?

He didn't know either. It just felt natural. Like muscle memory.

Darrell tore the film from the camera and inspected the snapshot. "I'm the new graveyard keeper. They're paying me to find who's doing this," he explained. "I'm looking for clues."

The boy crouched beside the hole and picked up the camera. He aimed it at Darrell and took a candid snap. "I know who did it."

Darrell humored him. "Do you?"

The boy carefully removed the film and showed it to Darrell. "A samodiva," he said. "The cops don't believe us. They think it's just a story told to scare kids."

So did Darrell.

"What do they know?" muttered the boy reproachfully.

"So, you think a fairy did this?"

The boy stiffened in indignation. "It's not just me! Grownups talk about her, too! A woman dressed in white, tall and blonde, with fiery eyes. She steals the dead away and… and eats them."

"An evil Bulgarian fairy in Moldova?" Darrell was smiling wryly.

"She killed the other graveyard keepers," the boy told Darrell spitefully. "Why'd you think the job was open?"

That knocked Darrell's grin clean off. A chill went down his spine. At a loss for words, he grabbed the corpse by the wrist. The arm popped right off. The boy immediately got on his feet with a soft gasp.

Darrell turned the arm over, inspecting the purple flesh. Whole chunks were missing. Frowning, he pried Isabelle's jaw open with a finger, trying to see if the bite marks fit a canid teeth pattern.

They didn't.

Besides, he knew they were human the second he saw them.

"Do you believe me now?" demanded the boy.

The pictures burned in his pocket. The dates in his mind like glowing cattle prods. Every corpse had been recently interred.

Fresh, more or less.

Darrell tossed the arm back into the coffin and replaced the tarp. The boy kindly helped him out of the grave. They stood together for a moment, sporting identical shades of pallor. "What's wrong?" the boy asked.

Darrell licked his lips. "I think I saw her," he told the boy, whose eyes grew wide with terror. "Your wicked fairy."

There was a hole in the back of the house. Close to the ground. A chink in its brick armor. Odile found it the first night she snuck in.

It was blocked off by a rough rectangle of bricks, held together still by the same mortar that had crumbled and rotted around it. She wormed her willowy fingers through the cracks, carefully pulled the bricks loose, and squeezed through.

She wormed into the laundry room, which was chock full of ancient washing machinery and other junk. Quiet as a mouse, she wove her way around the clutter, bunching her skirt around her hips so it would snag on any protruding bars or edges.

She hadn't meant to come back. She promised herself that she'd stay away from the stranger. For her own safety, really. Just until the townsfolk's anger subsided. She'd survived several witch hunts before. She could surely hideaway for another one.

Yet, here she was again. Needy girl, she reproached herself. Stupid, silly girl! Why are you here?

She wanted to see Belle.

Up close. Not from a distance, like she had all day.

She crept down the dark hall, past the kitchen with the blackened cooking ranges and cracked tile. Minding her footing on the floor boards, she crossed into the parlor.

Her eyes immediately went to where the graveyard keeper was sleeping, laid out stiffly on a chaise lounge. His nightshirt had hiked up slightly from tossing and turning, and Odile could see his cream-colored thigh in the light of the moon.

She'd been lying when she said she wanted to see Belle. Inching closer, her eyes hesitantly darted from one feature to another. From his hands - large and sinewy - to his collarbone, his throat, and his face - framed by raven locks that spilled over the cushions. He looked like an ink drawing pried from the pages of a story book. Eros reclining. Endymion the Shepherd.

Odile cast a jealous look at the moon, daring her to step down and intervene.

Undaunted, Odile knelt beside the chaise. Scarred hands set primly on the edge, staring up at the sleeping stranger. She'd spent countless hours thinking of him.

How gentle he was. How sweetly he crooned at Belle as he tried his best to dance with her, music pouring into his ears. How intriguing that a man so strong could be so soft at the same time.

Odile lay her head on his belly, strawberry blonde hair tumbling down his sides like a waterfall. She let her head rise and fall with his every breath.

She ran her fingertips up and down his side, wanting to count his ribs - see if he was missing any. Did not God pluck Eve from Adam's side and fashioned her to be his wife?

He stirred and her heart clenched. Frozen with fear, she watched his lashes flutter as his eyes opened just a crack and stared blearily at her. He made no move to go, showed no hint of surprise or terror or disgust. Instead, she felt his hands shift from under her wild hair. He placed one on her head, the other on her cheek. He stroked her hair, ran his thumb back and forth over her flushed cheek.

He closed his eyes with a soft sigh and returned to his dreams.

Smiling, Odile did the same and followed him.

The next morning, Darrell found a single golden strand of hair on his blanket - which had again left its spot at the foot of the bed. The picture the boy had taken of him had vanished from his desk.

[anakinthetrashking]

the batkids as things I did in school

Dick:

take dance class and be friends with everyone even though there was some weird infighting going on between everyone. forget to do the assignment to make up a dance ourselves, just improv'd it and got a good grade, somehow. had the most fun slipping down the hallways in socks.

halfway through the year asked to have a free period instead of ASL 3, bc the teacher wasn't teaching us anything or even keeping it interesting so I spent the whole afternoon in Physics class instead.

went all out for 80s day during Spirit Week but turns out no one else did. got a lot of weird looks and concerned questions that day. one kid said I looked like a jumpscare. thanks dude.

missed more than half of my statistics classes but was still getting a better grade than the seniors I sat near. 😭

Barbara:

got really angry when the Pre-AP Bio teacher disnt know whether Carbon was 6 or 8 on the Periodic Table. 14yr old me thought that it was extremely important to know as a science teacher. failed the first 6wks, got moved to a regular bio class, was late everyday but the teacher still loved me. found and identified a tumor in the stomach of the pig we dissected in class. Can still sing the entire DNA song(to the tune of I Want it That Way) word for word over 10yrs later. Still gets stuck in my head sometimes.

kept getting told off in sewing class bc we weren't supposed to hold the pins in our mouth while sewing bc it's dangerous if we accidentally swallow them but that's what I was used to doing at home.

Jason:

stunned the much older kids in my class playing Hangman by looking up and immediately guessing "Labyrinth" from the few letters that everyone else had guessed (one of them looked up what the hardest word was for the game and that was it. it would have been if I wasn't so obsessed with Phantom of the Opera and the David Bowie Labyrinth movie at that point in time)

read all of the short stories in that years English textbook within the first month of school every year

Cass:

smile at people (esp teachers) so wide that id have to close my eyes, and then immediately dropping the smile. (it gave me a break from eye contact and trying to figure out what expression I "should" have in that moment)

Everytime I joyfully played in the rain during lunch and then froze my butt off during afternoon classes in the AC.

also the times I was late for afternoon class bc I was overjoyed at seeing snow.

Tim:

was too overwhelmed to actually do the required amount of weekly reading so I just picked classic books I had already read and picked a random place to put the bookmark and easily answered the teachers questions on what I was "reading"

be a "gifted" student so I was put in the fast track math class but was too anxious to deal with that teacher's incessant yelling at the students so I begged them to put me in a different class. they put me in a regular paced class and told me to just go ahead and do the fast track by myself at my own pace. got distracted and never did the work. switched schools the next year and got put in the next math up and totally regretted it but was in too deep to back out.

dropped out of public school in 11th grade to have a mental breakdown ✌️ eventually finished HS later through online classes and stuff.

Steph:

get hooked on Kpop bc the one friend I had made moved away and now I was stuck with her friends at lunch without much of anything in common so we had to make something.

fell asleep in class bc I was awake all night watching kdramas.

had to do a report on a European country and then got overly attached to the country of Moldova...

Duke:

only got detention twice in all of the years of school. once for being late all the time and once for not turning in my homework on time(the teach didn't want to give me detention but she threatened everyone with it and it was only fair)

Always skipped Pep Rallys and hung out in the Orchestra room instead. also ate lunch in one of the empty practice rooms behind the band hall with friends bc we could :)

got overly excited about black hole radiation and decided to ask my then science teacher about it and was SUPER disappointed when she didn't know anything about it (despite it being a fairly new concept at the time and she only taught middle school non-specific science)

Damian:

got put in theatre class to fill an empty spot on my schedule, enjoyed it IMMENSELY, got assigned "weirdo kid" role by the teacher for the end of year play. really went all out to play up the weirdo role. probably could have just been myself and it would've been enough.

managed to get into a Ceramics class without taking an applicable basic art credit first. the teacher thought it was weird but she didn't kick me out!

all three times I was asked out I turned them down brutally because I didn't really understand social convention. whoops. sorry dudes.

accidentally offended someone when I said that Art 1 was easy :/ (I think they thought I was saying art in general was easy, which. no. I was taking Art 1 as an online class and it was all the basic stuff about art I had learned from my older sis over the years)

[escmemesandstuff]

Eurovision 2022: pre-contest polls vs. actual results

After over... what, two weeks? I finally got to make the post I promised. So for those who aren’t yet tired with analysis and over-explanations of the results, here’s my continuation of the comparison post between three pre-polls, this time with the actual final results.

Before we get to the table itself, a couple of things:

- In the comparison post, I forgot that this year’s final only had 25 countries. Thus I’ve left out the last row.

- The colours mean the following:

Green: placing in poll the same as in the final

Blue: placing in poll 1-3 places higher or lower than in the final

Red: country didn’t get to the final.

So, what can we see?

When it comes to the “green” placings (the poll result being the same as the real one), OGAE got the most of them; not that any poll “guessed” correctly many exact results. Two polls had Estonia in 13rd place and Germany 25th aka last. Not the first time that the latter country suffers from a poor result in both polls and the real contest...

However, keeping in mind that only the jury vote was counted in Eurojury, they got close to the actual jury vote. Both had UK as their winner, Ukraine as the fourth place, Germany last, and Australia, Belgium, and Switzerland significantly higher than in the audience score. Remember what I said about juries loving male ballads?

All three polls had countries that ended up not qualifying as their “finalists”. The biggest flopper was definitely Albania who didn’t make it despite a top ten placing in two polls. Seeing that Albania was a qualifier for the televote but not the jury, it makes sense that its Eurojury score was lower. However, the curse of flopping pop girlies doesn’t end there; Cyprus and Austria also fared worse than expected.

While not outright flops, the results of Italy and Netherlands might have been disappointing to those who got into the hype based on poll results. Interestingly enough Eurojury got the most accurate result for Netherlands, despite the song faring better in the actual jury than in the televote! (As for Italy, they seem to be constantly overrated beforehand... except for the year when they actually won.)

Enough about flops - what about the dark horses of the year? None of the three polls could have expected the televote success of Serbia and Moldova, that got both countries in the top ten. Shows that many times these kinds of quirky and humorous entries are paid dust by both the general fandom and the juries (and that’s one reason why I wouldn’t want the eurofandom to decide the results/participants... we love to complain about ballads, but imagine a contest full of mainstream pop and girlie bangers).

Iceland was also a dark horse to a lesser extent. Sure they didn’t get a great placing, but for a song that wasn’t expected to qualify in any of the polls, getting into the final was a succeed in itself. As someone who loved Systur from the start, this makes me happy!

Last but not least, could Ukraine’s massive televote win be predicted by the polls alone? Definitely not, however the victory was far from surprising. This year was expectational in how clearly the results reflected current world events; with 28 countries giving their 12 televote points to Ukraine, no one could have missed this sing of solidarity. That being said, Stefania was a good song and would definitely have gotten a top ten result no matter the situation. Whether or not it would have won the whole thing in a “normal” year, that’s a question we’ll never know the answer to, and ultimately doesn’t matter in the larger scale.