#and TECHNICALLY this is also part of the backdrop for

[v-arbellanaris]

Do any of your Wardens share your love for Loghain? If so, does that mean Anora is going to get a step-parent?

kal! listen that worldstate is a mess. kal refuses to kill loghain. loghain does the dark ritual to save kal's life. so he has a kid with morrigan, who is in-denial/in-the-closet bisexual crush on kal. who was with alistair who is now married to anora. anora's ex was alistair's half brother. loghain is exes with rowan, who widows maric, who widows loghain. loghain and kal are together. kal and zevran are also in an open relationship - zevran who was literally an assassin that loghain personally sent to kill her. (and i considered doing zevistair for the assassin/king parallels and no one's talked me OUT of doing it). kal being anora's new step-mum and her current husband's ex is something that can be so personal MGKDGJJG

[weirdworldofwinnie]

Oasis in a Desperate Land of Dark Desire - Part One: Arrival

Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer x Female Wife Reader, NSFW 18+ only

Summary: You are married to the man in charge of the Manhattan Project himself, Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, and it's your first day (and night) at Los Alamos where tension and unspoken worry is getting high, but he finds time to show you how love can be an oasis in what seems like a rather barren land.

Word Count: ~7, 213

Warnings: Age gap (reader is mid-20s and he is almost 40, and they have been married for a couple years), period stereotypical gender roles (maybe sexism?), unprotected + oral sex, mention of miscarriage, and strong hints at infidelity

Disclaimer: Obviously NOT completely historically or scientifically accurate to real life and is inspired by the film with Cillian Murphy's portrayal of Oppenheimer. There are definitely mentions of Katherine and Jean Tatlock as lovers in this, but he does not have any children with Kitty and is not physically with either of them presently. I also want to clarify that this (while researched) is still just my interpretation with AU elements added in, and it isn't supposed to be in total support and reflection of the real man's life/personality. Scroll away and DNI if you are uncomfortable or take issue with this story; it is primarily for entertainment purposes only and it is just fantasy/fiction!

April 1943

The ride en route to the secluded destination christened as "Los Alamos" was long, hot, and bumpy through the New Mexico desert on a single primitive dirt road with the sun beating down on the windshield, glaring into your eyes and reflecting off the expensive dainty golden watch wrapped around your wrist that had been last year's anniversary present, and the jostling motion of the car made your breasts jiggle up and down slightly, reminding you that you'd been in such a hurry to leave with Robert this morning you'd regrettably forgone putting on a bra. He glanced over to you now, his porkpie hat shadowing the serious and contemplative expression that he had been wearing as a regular look for weeks now... Finally this plan was coming to fruition, but at what cost? It was the government's money and the scientists who were on the line. Robert let you know more details than most out of his non-physics inner circle because he trusted you to keep your lips sealed, but he never gave specifics about what exactly the coined Manhattan Project, or Project Y, was for in terms of a mission yet because it was national security level secret, however it didn't take a genius to figure out it was incredibly important and the development of something dangerous... Too dangerous to keep in a campus laboratory at Berkeley.

As the car approached the main gate and passed by the checkpoint, you realized just now fairly remote this barbed-wire location was and it made a small sinkhole crater in your stomach. But Robert knew this land from his youth and you partly did too, for he owned ranchland here and you both had spent many hours in the last couple years roaming on horseback and on foot into the twilight hours of the day, feeling the chill of the evening breeze and the rustle of shrubbery as the sun dipped down below the horizon and plum light bathed the landscape, bouncing off the backdrop of mountains and reaching deep into the canyons. You recalled fondly one time in particular during the early stages of being courted by him... It was technically only the second date and he had mistakenly trusted you with a horse, even though you were hardly an experienced rider, and of course it had gone ballistic and attempted to buck you off as you held on for dear life to the stiff dark brown leather saddle.

"Woah... Woah! Easy, easy," Robert had called out, grabbing a hold of the bridle and patting the stallion on the neck as you gasped and he kicked his hooves, thrashing the dirt and missing Robert's cowboy boots by inches.

"This one can be a bit rowdy, sometimes the wild never quite gets bred out, and he's not used to you," he explained simply over your panicked cries as he kept patting and verbally calming the animal down.

"But what did I do wrong? I swear, he dislikes me tremendously!" you exclaimed in shock and Robert only shook his head.

"Then he has very poor taste in women if he rejects you," he had joked and you went sliding off the horse's back to where Robert caught you, easing you to the ground gently.

"Are you alright?" he asked, eyes alight with a mischievous concern, but you merely brushed your pants off and smoothed your blouse, shaking the experience off.

"Of course I am. Now are we riding or not?"

He smiled at your confidence, but had hoisted you up onto his horse instead, straddling you from behind so you were facing front and clutching onto the reins. His arms loped around your waist and the horse began to trot, bouncing both you and him in a steady up and down motion, and you flicked the reins, causing the horse to take off into the expansive landscape and Robert let out a joyous whoop as the pace transitioned into a gregarious cantering gallop and the wind whipped your hair around like a battered Old Glory flag in a storm.

"This is too fast!" you had yelled out, but he only laughed, tightening his hold into a squeeze around you and spoke into your ear with a low murmur which instinctively made the goosebumps flare up on your neck.

"I wouldn't let you go even if that horse went mad and flew us off the ground over into a ravine to our deaths."

A little more than six months later after that frivolous adventure, he had dropped to his knee in that very desert and proposed to you, a diamond engagement ring encased in a black box in his palms and you were startled, taken aback at the promptness and faintly aware he was actively seeing at least one other woman at the time, but he had claimed he called it off with her a week ago.

You had cautiously accepted, knowing he was far from a wholesome man, but he was certainly one in a billion and you had unapologetically been with him ever since, even though some friends and extended relatives had openly judged, thinking you were only climbing up a social status ladder by doing so, and a couple of your more left-leaning girlfriends thought you were foolish to already settle for a man at your young age, but you truly loved him. Romance was rather odd; so rushed it could be and yet you felt comfortable around him as if you had known each other for life; soulmates, perhaps, if there ever was such a notion.

The wedding ceremony had been lavish enough to make you feel special, but it had been a more low-key event with only a small group of the closest friends and family in attendance, for he did not want much pomp and circumstance and you had spent the honeymoon at his secluded New Mexico ranch property, bizarrely a sort of prelude to where you both were ending up now. The phone hadn't stopped ringing for the past few weeks and since this work was taking up presidency, it was truth to be told that you hadn't really had time for each other and had been distant these past couple months as he diverted all his focus and intellect to the government and you hoped that after all this preparation, everything would settle somewhat now that he was at the ground level site. You felt trepidation but also excitement because this venture felt relevant and Robert was in his element with the company of like minded individuals all working towards a common goal. His vocation in teaching what he already knew of upper level physics had been boring him lately and he had told you multiple times he was haunted by the pressing need to be essential to the war effort outside of the confines of a classroom; he and his students had to make a real impact and change to the world, to this damned war. And if Robert wasn't the most ambitious, motivated, self-driven intelligent human being you'd ever met, then you'd be stumped to know who was right for the job; he could be dangerously dogged and was as loyal to this country as roots were to their corresponding corn stalks.

And now, starting today, he was the one man scientific director, a ruler really, of this militarized oasis in the middle of, well, nowhere.

Fractions of the place were still in progress, as evident by the trucks and the hammering with the occasional man lumbering past hauling construction boards on his shoulders. The Oppenheimers were still early in arrival, but everyone else on the project was supposed to be settled in by the end of the week. The house you and your husband were to live at was much better off than the cookie-cutter houses hastily put up suburban style along the man-made streets and it was tucked furthest away from the epicenter of town; a large spacious log and stone cabin (that had been formerly a boys' school) ranch style home surrounded by pine trees and shrubs along with a decent yard with that seemed ripe for cultivating a garden, and yet the home was modest and not overly luxurious; this was no vacation.

"The kitchen isn't finished?" you asked in surprise at once upon entry inside and Robert sighed, knowing you how much you had a penchant for cooking and he also knew that hosting gatherings here was going to be essential.

"I'll make sure they get it complete by the end of the week," he assured, resting a hand on the small of your back as you dropped down the luggage on the floor.

"Well, it is rather nice otherwise," you admitted, turning to him and smiling, but he couldn't quite return the gesture.

"Robert, what's the matter?" You reached to cup his cheek and he leaned into your touch before lifting up his own hand and placing it atop the one plastered to his face.

"I'm frankly worried how this is all going to work, how soon we can accomplish what we need to do. The death toll in Germany grows by the day, it may already be too late and..."

You placed a hand to his lips, shushing him with sadness.

"Please, shh, I'll have none of that talk when we just arrived in our new house. We are here now and that is the most important first step that matters towards any kind of accomplishment to your saving the world from this hellish war."

"I need to go do some oversight on the operations in town and at the laboratory," he announced abruptly, stepping back from your touch and picking up his briefcase as you nodded, moving with him to the front door.

"I'll see you tonight then. I think I'll make deviled chicken with a creamy coleslaw."

"I'm sure it will be delicious." He gave a tight smile and it was a somewhat ironic statement coming from the man who ate less than a thousand calories a day. That was one frustrating aspect about him that you had discovered when you had moved in with him back in California and realized he never had regular meals, and lately drinks and cigarettes were his main fuel. You hoped one of these days your passion for food would finally rub off on his aversion, but it probably wouldn't happen here with the increased supply rationing.

He disappeared out the door with his hat and you stood for awhile, taking in this new environment inside the main part of the house with its interesting architecture of high beamed ceilings and picture windows that allowed ample amounts of natural light at almost all hours. You spent most of the day unpacking and organizing, briefly going out to greet and visit with the other wives of top scientists, some you already knew, but others you had not met until today and you noticed that one of those you weren't familiar with was visibly pregnant... She was even younger than you and seeing her led you to wonder how quickly this little manufactured desert town was going to see a population boom in the next few years. Robert had brought up the concept of having children with you on more than one occasion, since you had already gone through one miscarriage (only in your first trimester and you never knew the sex of it, the doctor told you it could have been worse if you had carried to full term and lost the infant at birth, but it was still a gutting loss... Although you knew Robert was privately relieved, especially now since his work would likely leave no room in his heart to father an innocent, demanding child and all the burden would go to you alone) and there was the fact of possible infertility. The hardship of procreation probably ran in the family... Your mother had also miscarried, then had your premature brother who caught polio at two years old and perished weeks later, and then she herself had died during your own childbirth, leaving your father devastated and alone to care for you. You had a complicated, strained relationship early on with him and you wondered perhaps Freud was loosely right about the Oedipus complex since you always had such strong attractions to older men... but at least your father always tried to give you the best possible life he had with his wealth, which led you to moving out from your childhood home in New York across the country to pursue attending college in California in the field of psychology and medicine. You had been in the process of getting a degree in nursing, at least until Robert altered your life by his own ambitions and you had been forced to drop your studies temporarily to move out here with him, but you planned to be studying some by correspondence if the government allowed and also to be able to help out in the small hospital on site for an occupation.

To trim the excess fat off a long story short, it had been a bizarre fluke that you met and promptly fell in love with Robert... you were introduced on campus by friends who also knew Jean Tatlock, a budding psychiatrist and proudly Communist, and he had happened to take a bright shine to you. You considered him unattainable at first, a very well respected brilliant physics teacher with more life experience than you could have dreamed of... He was otherworldly at times, yet found grounding earth in your presence, but it would mystify you what exactly he found so desirable in you. You were as lovely as any other woman your age and smart, but you never thought of yourself as outstandingly intelligent when compared to the people he taught in academia, and not absolutely drop dead gorgeous in terms of prize worthy beauty. Perhaps the attraction, like Robert's scientific passion, was on a molecular scale and only bonded by invisible atoms making the illusion of being a solid relationship. Maybe it was as basic as the fact that you two were mutually compatible with each other and respectable of any differences, unlike his other fiery messy relationships with Jean and Katherine. Would you having a baby split that all apart? Personally, you weren't sure you were ready for any offspring yet and to be thrown into motherhood when you were still navigating having a successful marriage and you highly doubted "The Hill" (as the residents here were calling it) would be a healthy environment for children to thrive in, despite the efforts for a school and daycare, seeing that there were armed uniforms milling about all hours of the day and silent stress was already pervasive in every look, cough, and casual conversation you noticed through passing by. And it was only day one of, as Robert predicated, two to three years of hard work swathed in isolated secrecy.

As daylight began to fade fast and inevitably hand itself over to the darkness, you went back to the house to fry up the chicken. The stove was effective, although one burner seemed a little on the fritz, but half of the cabinetry was unfinished and the counter space was minimal.

Laying out the cream-colored napkins and the finest china you had brought packed securely in a box, you delicately set the table. Despite not having a birth mother to guide you through womanhood, you took to home keeping fairly well and religiously read the magazines, believing being married to an upper class man meant all these details and roles. But privately you also felt the crushing pressure and caught yourself wondering if you were immature to be in this mold. Robert never told you otherwise though and he would theoretically be the last man to stamp out a woman's sense of inner individuality, but you couldn't ignore the fact you, while willingly, still had to sideline your educational and career priorities to come support and live here with your husband. But it didn't matter too much, for you knew in your heart you could follow this man to the ends of the earth if you so desired.

For good ambient measure, you lit two pillar candles in the center of the tablecloth and just as you laid the food on a plate, you heard the front door crack open and the soft clomping of shoes.

Robert would never be the 'Honey, I'm home!' type of husband, yet he always managed to make an entrance regardless, especially now. His slender frame leaned into the doorway, hands crumpling his hat in front of his crotch and the candlelight flashed harrowing ghoulish shadows across his sharp cheekbones and dull pinkish lips.

"Well, what do you think?" you proposed, gesturing to the table spread when he didn't speak. He only gazed at your feminine features, his eyes full of desire that wasn't for the dinner you made, and when his mouth finally parted, he spoke in a husky voice, slowly coming closer and abandoning his hat to a chair, closing in on you.

"I'm sure it is very palatable, but I fear my hunger cannot be fulfilled by only earthly consumption," he confessed, ducking to kiss your cheek and moving his hands up to your neck, caressing your nape and moving his mouth to your lips, but you gently pushed him away, pressing into the fabric of his gray suit jacket.

"We should wait until after dinner," you told him earnestly, knowing what he wanted instead.

"Dessert, then?" he murmured, coming close again despite your light physical resistance and thumbing your bottom lip. You smiled and his arm snaked under your skirt and between your thighs, hand crawling upward to your panties and you breathed in, changing your mind.

"Maybe I can wait to eat after all."

His breath caught, a single finger inches from hitting your covered vaginal area, before he removed his teasing hand and pulled back, gripping your shoulders with conviction.

"Eat. You deserve it and you worked hard on preparing it, I can observe."

He bent down, gentlemanly drawing out a chair for you to sit down in, which you did, letting his hands linger at the neckline of your blouse before he walked around to the other side of the small round table and took a seat, rummaging out a cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket and striking it up with his lighter, the smoke wafting in wispy trails around his head. You took a careful first bite, relishing in the flavor and spices (paprika in particular) as he sat there across from you, relaxing back in his chair and taking a drag on the cigarette, puffing out a sigh. You smirked, swallowing a forkful as he kept his gaze steady on you.

"You're making me self conscious, just sitting there surveying my appetite," you told him and he grinned, fiddling with the cigarette.

"I enjoy watching you eat. You are the very essence of life I see lacking in so much of this world."

You blushed in the warm glow of the candlelight, remaining humble.

"That is quite a compliment I don't know if I'm quite worthy of."

"You are, no jury would contradict me." He nodded sincerely as he smoked and you ate in silence for a few minutes before he then finally gave his cigarette a rest and poked at his food, politely taking a few bites of hot chicken and chewing at a snail's pace.

"How did today go?" you tentatively asked, finishing off your own chicken and moving to the rich, crunchy coleslaw.

"We will be making progress. Although I will always say, that General Groves is the most obstinate man with the exact deposition one would expect from a bulldog," he answered with a touch of bitter amusement.

"Should you be saying that? They're... not listening, are they?" you asked in a hushed paranoid voice, glancing around the room and knowing that the phone lines were tapped for sure, but you weren't certain they would go as far to place bugging devices hidden in the house.

"Relax, I could say much worse," Robert admitted nonchalantly with a harmless shrug and you allowed yourself a chuckle, mentally picturing a bulldog in a General's uniform. You took a bite of cabbage, changing the conversation to your side of social contacts in this limited town.

"I met with our neighbors and the other ladies today. They seem cordial and we have already exchanged pleasantries and plans for a party next weekend. I also offered to babysit one mother's two rambunctious little boys and spoke to the doctor at the medical facility about assistance there."

Robert nodded, gesturing with his empty fork.

"Keeping busy I see, but I'll have to arrange to let you in the office sometime instead of spending your days cooped up here and at the neighbors. I missed you and your insight already today."

"But you know I am not privy to everything you and your scientists are doing here..." you started to protest before he cut you off.

"I'm well aware, but I doubt a visit to my own office will cause a security uproar. You are my wife, Y/N. The reason most of the scientists came to Los Alamos in the first place was not solely the work, but because they could bring their wives, their families. We do our best work with moral and... sexual support." He raised his eyebrows and you felt a tingle run through you, a yearning for exactly what he was suggesting, but you had to finish the meal first.

Once you cleared most of your plate, he surprised you by taking the dishes and quickly rinsing the plates in the sink before making and pouring out his signature martinis. You knew Robert must be silently stressed however, for he only took one sip of his drink before he moved outside under the roof awning with his tobacco pipe, settling down on a folding chair and gazing out at the landscape and listening to the low mumble of military personnel mingling about on patrol as though this were a prison (which it was).

You joined him with a cigarette a few minutes later (you had never smoked a single cigarette until you married Robert and unconsciously adopted the habit, but you weren't much of a smoker when it made you cough, yet you kind of enjoyed the nicotine having that convenient effect of temporarily soothing your nerves) and positioned yourself down next to him, letting the cigarette dangle from your lips while folding your hands neatly on your knees.

His eyelids were appearing heavy and his head drooped, chin tucking down. You gave him a bumping nudge and he looked over at you, teeth clamped down on his pipe.

"Tired?" you wondered and he gave a noncommittal grunt, fixing his eyes back straight ahead. You noticed how still he was - calm - and it was a welcome change from the past few weeks where he had been wound up, constantly on the phone at one point or another and gone for many hours in meetings. But now that nearly everyone was all here, it was almost too tranquil... giving the illusion of calm before potential chaos.

"Oppie!" a young man's voice suddenly called out and he came jogging into view on the rock slabbed pathway, halting slightly when he saw you.

"Oh, good evening Ma'am," he greeted courteously with a squinted smile. You smiled in turn, nodding, and he focused to Robert, who gave a tilt of his pipe in acknowledgement and stood up stiffly.

"Any news I should know about, Feynman?"

The man paused, glancing to you warily.

"Is it about the nature of our work?" Robert asked sharply and Feynman shook his head.

"No, sir, it is not pertaining to that."

"Well, whatever it is you can say in front of my wife and I then."

"It's just a communicative matter. There was a phone call from a young woman asking for you earlier that was flagged in the office for personal matters concerning security. Groves is in a fit and I was to inform you tomorrow, but I thought I'd give fair warning and-"

"Then I will address it tomorrow," Robert interrupted and without further word, took your arm and marched you back inside the house. You shook off his touch and shut the door hard, spinning to address him.

"What the hell was that about?"

He closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his forehead while exhaling.

"There are intimate ghosts that continue to haunt me," he answered cryptically, taking refuge in the lounge and sipping his martini, but you had a hunch however who was the "ghost" because you knew her and you pointed a finger sternly at him.

"This is about Jean, isn't it? How does she even know to contact this location? And I thought you were all done with her, as you are with that Katherine!"

"I am, I swear to it. But she is different than any other woman I have been with before you, though. She can be... unstable and she may need to hear from me."

"She just wants your sex, that's all!"

"It's more complicated than that."

"You had nights with her while you were having nights with me during courting, I heard about it from our friends. It was still the sex that was the driving factor that she desired from you."

He looked down, unable to deny that entirely and you backed away, shaking your head.

"I can't believe this, the first day here and you can't shake those Communist ties trailing us."

"May I remind you that you considered fully joining once upon a time in the not so distant past? We met at such a social function, remember?"

You bit your lip and refused to meet his wide eyes staring a hole into you, for this was very well true.

"I did, but I overcame it. It's ridiculous to devote one's energy to an ideology and not to concrete, practical solutions. I was never devoted and absolutely do not consider myself a member. I never was."

This made Robert scowl, setting his glass down with a clink.

"It is my opinion that you should be free to choose your dogmas, if you want any at all that is. Belief is voluntary, but it shouldn't be a crime; we all deserve our wiggle room."

"Is that what she told you too?"

He licked his lips, stepping close so you were involuntarily arrested by his blue eyes boring into yours and his hand slid up your arm, finding your shoulder and the bra strap peeking out from the neckline of the blouse.

"I see you put one on," he muttered and you blinked, almost forgetting about that little detail and refusing to be seduced by his perceptivity.

"Yes, I did. My breasts are still sore from that uncomfortable car ride."

"It's a shame they are so contained now," he whispered, beginning to undo the buttons on the blouse and push his fingers into the crevice between your breasts, but you weren't quite having it after the unresolved discussion and the way he had been moments before.

"We are going to do this now? After what I just accused? And besides, I thought you were too preoccupied and planning to sit out there half the night smoking away by your lonesome while I go to bed."

"You make nights worth bearing awake, especially tonight." He shifted, groping at your breasts and you stumbled back into the wall, breathing in shallow gasps. He put a finger to his lips conspiratorially and hugged your body with his own, speaking discreetly.

"We should be quiet to not disturb any nearby neighbors."

"They can't hear us and besides, I'm sick of piping down," you whined, remembering the date nights out in the desert where he'd lay out a picnic blanket and fuck you right then and there with the horses grazing several feet away and the canopy of stars winking overhead. You'd make as much noise as merited, probably confusing the yipping coyotes far off in the distance.

"I think we can try to control our auditory impulses for one night," Robert whispered, hands going to your waist and tugging at your skirt.

"The bedroom," you gasped, rushing away from him and down the narrow hallway, twisting around as he chased you with a huff.

"Where is it?" you asked anxiously, opening a couple doors and unfamiliar to this section of the house in the minimal lighting, when he suddenly pushed you from behind into an empty room with a single large king bed.

"Only the best for us," he told you and you fell forwards onto it, kicking your heels off and quickly flipping around to your back as he loosened his tie, casting it off to the floor and unbuttoning his white shirt as you sat up, reaching needily for his belt buckle and he leaned over onto you now shirtless and when he met your lips in a frantic kiss, you then noticed the prudent stench of sweat on his skin that was disrupting his usual familiar smoky flavor mixed with cologne and aftershave.

"Wait," you ordered, pressing a hand up on his collarbone.

"What is it?" he implored worriedly, searching your expression for the solution.

"Bath, you should bathe. It's been a few days and this heat isn't helping. Hasn't anyone told you that you reek like a dog?"

He groaned mournfully, leaning back and unfastening the belt, tossing it to the floor with a clunk of metal.

"You won't let me have you until I do?" he asked sadly, but you had an idea.

"What if I join you?"

His eyes sparked at this notion and you moved off the bed, finding the bathroom across the hall. This house was one of only a few equipped with tubs instead of showers; they didn't call this street "Bathtub Row" for nothing.

Robert finished undressing in front of you, tugging down his trousers and boxers, springing forth an already ready penis.

"You're going to make me work for it tonight, aren't you?" he asked as he stepped into the large basin, turning on the faucet and letting out a gasp when a strong stream of water blasted onto his bare feet.

"J-Jesus Christ, it's freezing!" he exclaimed loudly with a sputter and frantically slamming a hand on the knob as you laughed from your spot by the sink, taking out your earrings and slipping off your small wristwatch.

"Get in, I was warned about the water supply around here possibly being fickle, even for us," he commanded as you finagled your skirt and blouse off with your bra and panties discarded to the bathroom floor before taking a leg over the tub and stepping in to sit down across from him, letting the tub fill up one third of the way as a sitz bath before awkwardly reaching around him to grab the bar of ivory soap from the dish and began to rub into his back with it.

"I should've put in a request for an even larger bath," he complained as you scrunched up your legs against his and scrubbed dutifully into the folds of his skin.

"It'll do fine, darling."

He took the soap and you both took turns lathering each other up, making frothy circles with the creamy soap and rinsing, the water streaming down into the tub again, flooding both yours and his soapy complexion, washing it all off down the drain before having it fill up again, this time three quarters of the way. The water now pleasantly lukewarm, Robert contorted his body to submerge his head under the waterline and he came up with a loud splash, his wiry dark hair flattening to a wet mess on his forehead as your own dampened and you watched the droplets of water collect on his somewhat pallid skin. He scooted closer, entangling legs, and couldn't resist a quick dart of a finger down to your vagina and you whimpered as he touched your clitoris, inserting into you and making you arch your back and buck your hips when he inserted another finger, exploring around your wet velvety walls.

"God, Robert..." you moaned, digging your nails into the grooves of his skin and up to his head, feeling the cropped soaked scalp and neck. He suddenly lightly shoved you against the side of the tub, pressing his mouth to yours and naturally winding his tongue in, kissing you passionately until the water temperature grew too cold and you shivered, glued to his body and burying your face into his wet shoulder.

"That was merely the first act, sweetheart," he whispered and you smiled, leaning back a few inches so he could get up and step out onto the bath mat, taking your hand as he did so to pull you up and guide you out. Robert grabbed a large towel from the rack and wound it around the both of you, letting his genitals press up against yours and you both stood there for a while, listening to the steady drip-drop-drip-drop-drip-drop of falling water to the flooring.

"I'm surprised you've held off this long," you murmured, feeling his rising erection in between your thighs.

"I truly can't wait any longer," he admitted urgently and the towel dropped with a flump to the floor, and with bodies still slick with water, you and him exited the bathroom to fumble to the bedroom and the blue light from the window illuminated the sheets, the ideal love making spot. He let you collapse on your back and easily came down on top, gripping the back of your neck and already plunging in to align, but you squirmed in dissatisfaction.

"So soon?" you whined, wanting to play with and taste him first, but he was antsy to get to the pinnacle.

"Your virtuous patience should be framed and put on the walls of this house, along with your divine beauty," he whispered, head moving down to your breasts and you dug your fingers into his bare back, running along the bones of his more pronounced spine.

"C'mon, Oppie, let's do this the fun way... Give it to me," you begged and he cringed slightly, but rolled over onto his side and you immediately found his stiff penis with your hands, clenching around it firmly and stroking. He moaned softly and it flexed in your grasp... He could be a decent size when engaged, which was impressive for his underweight body.

"But don't you dare let me go without seeding you inside," he warned as though you had all the control.

"That's the plan."

Wordlessly, you positioned yourself down to the head of his cock and licked off his pre-cum, the recognizable taste milky on your tongue and you sucked, bringing it halfway in and fondling his balls lovingly in the meantime. He was breathing heavily and you didn't linger long at his member however because you could tell he was getting very close and neither you nor him wanted him to release anywhere other than the intended internal target. Pulling out and licking your lips, you repositioned your body on top of his and sank down flat to his chest, and he thrusted his hips up to meet you, heaving in with a grunt. You winced at the initial entry; you were always so sensitive down there (especially since the miscarriage), and he steadily kept at it, probing in further without being too rough.

"Fuck..." you breathed with a cry and he came forward to smooch your cheek as you mounted your hands on his shoulders and he pumped in and out, shaking the entire bed.

"That's exactly what I'm doing, my love," he breathed, keeping an intense gaze trained on you.

"Robert..." you groaned, letting him push as far as he could go until the pleasure was overloading and you felt his hot wet spurt of cum hit, eliciting a long moan from him, his slender frame shuddering beneath you. He closed his eyes and you kept a firm clench around his shaft, not ready to have him pull out yet. Gasping, you began rocking back and forth with ecstasy, your insides stretched to their limit and he seemed to know you were struggling to hold him.

"I'm coming out," he muttered and gently pulled back wetly so he wasn't balls deep in you anymore and then you repositioned to lightly ride him, which was your favorite position, and you bounced up and down on his upright full cock, orgasming a few more times as he watched your euphoria in rapture, so proud he alone could make you like this over and over until you were out of air and exhausted, collapsing to the side of the bed and feeling the sheets very damp with bodily juices.

Robert spooned you from behind, arms draped over to dangle his fingers on your swollen nipples and you matched his breathing in rhythm. Every time was somehow better than the last... Sex with him was as natural as breathing and you appreciated the consistent chemistry that you worried would have faded after a couple years of marriage due to what you'd heard about stress and boredom destroying a couple's sex drive, but Robert was not a boring person in the least sense of the term.

"We should do this every night," you offered hopefully and he chuckled.

"And make me the most lucky, tired man in this whole community? I'd be up for that, although it'll be a wonder if I get any work done at all when I've got this memory lingering with me tomorrow," he replied and you heard the smile in his tone, but with it came the bitter resurgence of the likely phone call from another woman that was bile in the back of your throat and even though he supposedly broke it off with her before you got married, you knew he had stayed in contact and you couldn't help but wonder how he fucked her and if it was comparable to what you and him had with each other, since she seemed to want him so badly. That wasn't to mention "Kitty" who he had insisted on still being "friends" with. A bit depressed and irritated, you pushed away his hands off your breasts and turned back over to face him in the dimness that made even those prominent blue colored eyes of his too muddled to see into.

"How did you become the most desired physicist to women in the whole country?" you asked softly.

"Good genes?" he guessed in amusement and you shook your head, not requiring a punchline.

"You're known to be a womanizer, neurotic, eccentric, a tad arrogant, and yet everybody seems to want you, including me as your own wife. Tell me, why did the universe give you such magnetized gifts?"

He gave a subtle lift of his shoulders with a small lazy smile as you laid your head on the pillow, fending off fatigue.

"Why was Aphrodite the one chosen to be blessed with such beauty and fertility? Why are we the way that we are? There are some matters of the human being to be unfounded in the definitive and everything is relative." He sat up with his back against the headboard and proceeded to light another cigarette and you sleepily watched the hazy smoke drift off above the bed towards the ceiling. He sighed, setting it to rest in the ashtray on the nightstand and wrap his lean arm around your body, drawing you close into his side.

"You are my goddess, Y/N. You are the only woman I want to return home too, always. Don't you know that?" he murmured into your hair and you vaguely nodded.

"I do, but I also know you're not always the most faithful man."

He lifted his hand and touched his ring finger to yours, matching the simple gold bands you both shared as two united.

"I married you out of good faith and the vows we pledged might have well been written in stone in the language of the gods along on the pulmonary arteries flowing as though a river into my heart," he told you with no trace of doubt, but you knew the whole story that didn't need flourishing.

"Only because the two other women fell through on commitment - although tonight I suspect they both presumably still want you - and one was already hitched, so she was having an affair by being with you and wouldn't divorce unless you happened to get her pregnant. I just happened to be the most available, the convenient bride with no attached strings, even though everyone said it was abnormally soon and I am too young," you recounted bitterly and he frowned, tilting your chin upward.

"Is that how you see it? I have never fallen for someone as fast and as hard as I did for you. I still feel the way I did when I laid a glimpse on you at Mary Ellen Washburn's party."

You smiled despite yourself and he bent to kiss the top of your head as you snuggled into his chest, absentmindedly fondling his moist cock with your fingers.

"I do love you beyond comprehension, Y/N," he whispered and you glanced up, meeting his look.

"I do too and I want to believe I always will, until the end of our existence. I am not those other women and I do not want to become so."

A solemn seriousness grew over him and he closed his eyes as you felt tears suddenly spike and an unexplainable terrible sense of dread came over you.

"Promise me one thing, Robert." You paused, taking a deep breath.

"Promise me that whatever happens to us in this world, in this setting, that you will always find a way home and whatever we face, we face together."

He gave a single nod, but you sensed reluctance in the way a muscle in his jaw made a minor spasm.

"I will always do my best."

"Alright," you resigned and he sighed, relaxing back and settling down into the sheets, further roping his arms around you and you burrowed your face into his chest, feeling his light hair follicles tickle your forehead. Tomorrow - and the future for that matter - was uncertain, but at least tonight was building up to a promise of solid sureness, a safeness, bonding those atoms of love again.

Love, or the feeling of it, was a lot like quantum mechanics; essentially invisible to the naked eye and complicated, but the one difference was that it was unmeasurable. No amount of numbers or equations could add up the real affection you felt for your husband, even when the waters became too choppy to be comfortable and it was far from perfect. You just had to cement the fact that you were Mrs. Oppenheimer and that wasn't going to change anytime soon, any disruptive external factors be absolutely damned to hell.

Thanks for reading, expect a little drama for chapter 2... And I do not have a full outline to every part of this fic, so please be patient as I find spare time to work on it and upload. I always appreciate any likes, reblogs, and feedback ❤️

*If anyone would be interested in being tagged, drop a comment and I'll make a tag list for the next part!*

[ouidamforeman]

R.e. discussions abt the new Good Omens season being polarizing on whether it’s good or bad writing, I think just saying it’s bad writing is weird and dismissive of what actual problems someone would have with it, and is just dismissing what it’s trying to do because it wasn’t to your taste. I think it more or less succeeded in doing what it wanted to do, which is an entirely different metric of judgment than whether or not you LIKED the effect of what it was doing. Regardless of what issues I personally have with it, I still think overall it effectively did what it set out to.

The thing is, it reads less like a traditional season of television and more like half of a novel. It’s weird. It’s directionless and meandering not because it’s poor storytelling but because I genuinely think it’s doing those things on purpose for other reasons. This is a single chunk of a larger story and I believe the overall purpose of season 2 isn’t to like, actually have a big plot or complete character arcs? If I look at it solely from where it is and what it’s presenting to me and let go of my preconceptions and expectations it appears that this season is just trying to put a few plot set pieces in place for the continuing story, and to nestle those plot pieces in a nonlinear narrative solely focused not on character Development but on character exploration and revelation. I feel like that’s why the actual moving plot this season was a very basic mystery, because it isn’t really the point? The actual story events are just backdrop for revelatory character vignettes, and I think that if this piece of storytelling was part of a novel that included whatever season 3/the actual story conclusion is going to be then people wouldn’t have nearly as many criticisms about the writing as they do when it’s presented as a season of tv. That’s also why it reads so fanfiction-y imo. My honest opinion is that s2’s biggest flaw that isn’t something incredibly subjective is that it’s let down by the fact that it got trapped in needing to present itself as a television season with all the baggage that medium has and not something more unconventional that would be kinder to its weird beginning-of-a-novel-ish meandering. Is this something a season of tv SHOULD do? I don’t know. Is this a fucking weird piece of television story wise? Yeah. Is it now officially a different story from the original novel? Absolutely. Does it have flaws, maybe even flaws that amplify the issues already present in season 1? Yeah. Does it accomplish what it sets out to do though? More or less yeah, I genuinely think so. Now if any of that translates into “badness” for you that’s fine. I think it was an immense risk to do this kind of thing for a tv season and it’s not going to click for everyone. But that’s fine. This is a bizarre and novel-y piece of tv media that’s just sort of doing its own thing, and whether you think that’s bad or not is secondary to how interesting that is I think. I just wish the criticism was more engaging with it instead of judging it, because I think what’s happening here is both much more simple and much more complex than most people are implying with their critiques. It’s much more interesting to meet it where it is imho, even though I do strongly wish it didn’t have to be released in this technically incomplete form.

TLDR I think ppl pointing at this season and calling it bad writing are partially not actually engaging with it on its level and partly confusing objective badness with personal taste. Regardless of whether you LIKED what it tried to do or not it was at least trying to do something, something that it mostly succeeded at, and that’s all i can really comfortably judge a piece of art on

[entropyvoid]

Honestly with all the overlap between sci-fi and fantasy fans, I’m really surprised that “high fantasy in space” isn’t more of a thing.

There are some things generally assumed by most to be sci-fi that I’d personally label space fantasy, like Star Wars, where the high tech is just there as a backdrop to a classic heroic story of good guys vs. bad guys, who are definitely doing magic (by using the force). The point of Star Wars isn’t the tech or anything, it just happens to be a tale told in space. It contrasts pretty starkly with something like Star Trek, where the vast majority of episodes revolve around exploring whatever scientific or philosophical concept the writers thought would be kinda neat that week, using established characters as a vehicle for said exploration.

I think one of my favorite things about Honkai Star Rail is that it freely and unabashedly mixes sci-fi and fantasy. It just goes “You are a walking neutron bomb. Also turns out your bestie is from a self-reincarnating race of dragon people with powerful water and illusion magic. They live on this big, planet-sized ship that’s dedicated to hunting down this one cosmic horror that cursed all the ship’s inhabitants with immortality, under the banner of this other cosmic horror that exists solely to kill the first cosmic horror. Let’s go on vacation to the theme park planet, the actual resort is technically an Alice-in-Wonderland style dream triggered by the same kinda cosmic-horror-gifted bomb as you. Your new friend is a meme. By the way, did we tell you about the one time this super-genius harnessed the power of *imagination* to build a death ray that instantly obliterated a bunch of planets? That was kinda fucked up, huh.” Sometimes Star Rail tries to give explanations for its tech in a way that seems believably sciencey. Sometimes shit’s just straight up called magic or it’s from some deity or another and none of the characters present have a good understanding of why, so you all just go about your bullshit. It makes it work within the context of its established universe.

Cosmic horror in general is often (but not always) found in sci-fi, but where the point of sci-fi is to expand on and detail a concept in a believably scientific way or explore the impacts of a scientific thing, the point of cosmic horror is that there is a Thing that is beyond human understanding or comprehension. Sci-fi is a fun thing to insert it into, because the more scientifically sensible and well-understood elements of the world you have, the more jarring that becomes.

Then you’ve got things like Dungeon Meshi, which exists in an inverse of something like Star Rail: it takes a very Tolkien-inspired Dungeons and Dragons-esque setting, and then details it in a very scientifically sensible way. There is magic, and there are these fantastical monsters, yes, but the monsters are parts of their own delicate and intricate ecosystems, they are edible, and they have very particular nutritional values and ways you can cook them! The protag’s biggest strength lies in him being a nerd about monster biology. Magic, too, by the end of it, ends up with a plausible enough explanation as well. And the explanation is a cosmic horror! In this way, Dungeon Meshi, despite being built entirely off of very easily recognizable and classic fantasy tropes, is probably more accurately classed as sci-fi.

I just love all of it. Can I get like 50 more of these fucked up lil mixtures of science and magic please?

[whatifyoulivelikethat]

pictures of you, m | myg

pairing(s): yoongi x reader; mentions of jungkook x reader

summary: You like taking photos of your boyfriend, Min Yoongi. Just for you. Although you've tried, and will continue to try, to convince Yoongi to to make porn. Why? Because he's sexy, that's why.

warnings: rated M (18+) for language; established relationship (yg/you); mentions of sex work - yes, technically Yoongi has been in the photos with his face hidden but we'd like to see more; light smut (fem reader, intense making out, fingering, heavy petting, slight D/s themes); fluff tbh; non-idol!AU - (secret) sex worker!reader x music producer!Yoongi, mentions of video editor / photographer!Jungkook

part of _thehornedsin au, but can be read alone

-

“What are you doing?”

“I just want to take pictures of you.”

“Usually, people don’t wear Louis Vuittons and a gown to take photos of other people.”

You carefully placed one of said black heels on his chest and brought the camera to your eye, feeling and seeing a pair of hands reach up to encircle your ankle. Deft fingers fanning out to crown your step with his touch. Through the lens, you could see the open black dress shirt. Prominent collarbones, silver necklace tangled around that slim neck. Gleaming porcelain skin and parted lips. Hazy, half-lidded, dark brown eyes under smoked liner.

Min Yoongi’s long hair was messy, black, and sprawled out over the white backdrop.

You took a photo.

The side of his pink lips quirked upwards.

You make the move to remove your foot but Yoongi spread his hands over the patent leather, gripping tightly. You had only put a little pressure on the ball of your foot, but most of your weight was on your other leg standing beside his body.

You cocked an eyebrow at him, lowering the camera.

He matched your nonchalant, almost-bored expression with his own eyebrow tick.

Neither of you said anything.

You pressed the sharp heel into his skin just a little. Giving him the hint. The half-smile grew wider. A sensual sigh leaving those sinful lips. You felt him shift, his back arching a little, and the tip of the stiletto dug in deeper, indenting inward right below his ribs.

You raised the camera again and took another photo.

Looked down at it, admiring your boyfriend in the preview screen. One of his hands was further up your calf, the other along your heel, as if he was making the photographer step on him. Black satin from the sides of your gown draped along the edges of the shot, casting shadows along the bottom half. The silk dress shirt had fallen more open, pooling by his sides. Black strands draped over his forehead, highlighting his closed eyes and the masochistic gratification gently spread over his features.

You felt your inhale still in your throat.

“Yoongi, I think you should make porn.”

He smirked below you.

“No.”

You sighed in faux disappointment. After all, you got to keep the photos.

“Let me take a photo of you.”

You chuckled, removing your leg from his grasp. With force. “I haven’t put on any makeup.”

“You never need it.”

“You do with these lights. They wash you out.”

“Get down here.”

It was not that easy of a feat. Vuitton didn’t make shoes meant for immediate on-the-knees activities. The corseted, black satin gown was also a slight pain-in-the-ass, not to mention the heavy camera in your hands that wasn’t yours. Now that he was your photographer, Jeon Jungkook left a set of his work things in your home studio. Made life easier for him.

Sometimes, you borrowed it to photograph your boyfriend, Min Yoongi.

“This is better.”

Thanks to the high silt in the gown, Yoongi’s hands were on your ass and squeezing hard, long fingers digging into the softness as he bunched fabric up to your waist. Your knees on the ground. For someone who wished that he was horizontal for more than half of his life, Min Yoongi sure knew how to sit up quickly. He was pulling you to him and you were resisting, tilting the lens of the camera so the plastic hit his bare chest, keeping a measured distance between yourself and those playful dark eyes.

“At least let me put this down.”

His finger was toying with the side of your panties, slipping under and following the curve. He ticked his head. “Put it down then,” he echoed. Drew out the syllables in his deep, raspy voice.

You put down the camera beside you and him.

Careful with it.

It was a precious treasure, even more so considering the contents.

Yoongi shoved a finger into your pussy and placed his palm behind your head, pulling you into a kiss.

You wondered why he always said no. Other than being a famous music producer and all. Well, you knew that was the major reason that Yoongi would never join you in your erotic photography, but there was a difference between a I-would-but-I-can’t no and the no he gave you. The refusal Yoongi gave you was an anxious one and you wondered why that was because he was so, so sexual. On every level. From the way his long hair brushed against your cheeks, to the way he held your head, crowning his fingers around the base of your skull, to the slow slide of his finger in and out of you despite the layers of clothes, none of these obstacles bothering him, none of them obscuring the lust in every kiss, lips to lips, and you wondered why Yoongi thought he shouldn’t make porn.

Warm and wet dripping down.

He sighed into your mouth and slid in another finger, moaning into your throat.

Your fingers followed his cheekbone, his jaw, his soft skin under the pads of your touch, and you kissed him again, again, remembering that he didn’t like kissing when you first met him. He liked to fuck, of course, but he didn’t seek to kiss. Not because he didn’t want to kiss you, you learned, but because he did, and that was frightening to him, being addicted to a kiss.

All because it was from you.

“There is no one more beautiful,” Yoongi whispered, rough and breathless.

You ran your fingers through his soft locks with a contented sigh.

“I’m looking at him,” you murmured back.

His eyes darted away. A soft smile found its way to your lips. He was fully ruining your panties by shoving them to the side and firmly stuffing his fingers in all the way to his knuckles, repeatedly, sucking in a breath as he felt your pussy squeeze them, pulsing. You were more in his lap now, his erection against your thigh fighting for dear life in those loose black pants, but it was clear that he wanted this instead, your arms on his shoulders and his face in your hands, cradling the sides of his head with your fingers fanned out.

Like a blooming lotus flower.

Yoongi looked up at you again, pink lips parted.

You closed the distance, your hair falling over your shoulder, rolling your hips into his hand as you kissed him again.

I’m better with you.

I make porn. I’m not a good person by society’s standards.

Doesn’t matter, because I know that I am better with you.

Yoongi often told you his music was better now that you were his. It was experience too, but you understood what he meant, because your erotica was better ever since he became yours too. He wasn’t in the photos, but he was. In the way you posed, knowing all the angles he liked. In your selection of lingerie, keeping in mind the parts of your body he enjoyed most – all, duh – and in every photographed expression, sensual, seductive, unafraid. It didn’t matter if you were always blindfolded.

Your lips could tell a story.

He hit that depth and speed you liked.

You smiled against his lips, tangling your fingers in his hair.

Dark brown orbs watching you under lashes and you could feel the fierce love in them, unrelenting and unwavering, almost childish in stubbornness, and so what was there to fear when you had something so raw and so powerful standing beside you?

He made you even more confident in your sexual nature.

You licked his lower lip playfully.

Yoongi caught your tongue with his teeth and sucked on it, devious glint in the narrowing of his eyes.

Shallow breath, rising heat, push and pull, riding his hand as he fingered you, closer, closer, almost there and he shoved another finger in, making you gasp and cutting off the rise, the slight despair adding to the pleasure. The sound. Wet and lewd and hunger. Hard and fast and deep, so deliberate it was maddening. Shared gaze so intense it made your core clench and your pussy shiver. Soaked inner thighs, sweet heady scent of sex, so strong you could taste it even as Yoongi sucked on your tongue, still holding your head to him, your entire body shuddering.

He let go.

A hot exhale escaping from your lips, washing over his open mouth.

Stinging bliss, all over and pooling at the base of your hips, spilling, spilling in vicious throbs within your inner walls, clamping down on his long fingers buried deep inside, and your head tipped back, palms molded to his head, your taut fingers laced with black strands spread out, mirroring the shadow of a blooming lotus flower.

Yoongi smiled as he watched the lustful pleasure ripple over your face.

“I look ten times more stupid orgasming than you do,” he hummed.

You laughed, shaking your head, slowly rocking your hips to extend the feeling. “You do tend to bark out ‘fuck’ a lot more. It’s charming.”

“Mmm.” He slid his fingers out of you and raised his hand. Separated them, admiring the way your viscous juices clung and collected around his knuckles. “I think Jungkook could do porn.”

You calmly smiled as Yoongi licked his hand clean right in front of your face. “I doubt it. He’s impatient and needy.”

He cocked a shoulder. “He needs training.” Pink tongue curling around his knuckles.

“And the tattoos?”

Yoongi shrugged again. “Put a sleeve on that arm, tie him up, blindfold. No one’s gonna know.”

“He likes saying my name during sex a little too much,” you pointed out as Yoongi lowered his hand, then paused, seeing your fingertips resting on his bare chest. He reached over and wrapped his wet fingers around your hand, bringing it lower.

“Like I said, he needs training.”

“Your friend is naughty and unruly.”

Yoongi molded your palm to his covered, twitching erection, locking eyes with you. You were about to look down but his other hand came up and his knuckles rested on your chin, keeping you facing him as he rubbed your hand over his hard cock through his pants.

“I know, but he’s cute when he begs.”

You tightened your grip, pressing your entire hand against his length. His cock jerked in his pants, begging for more. His hand was still damp, but there was dampness under his pants too. Pre-cum soaking his boxer briefs. Yoongi was using that raspy Daegu satoori with you now. Hm. Sly. Knew exactly what he was doing. He was still massaging himself with your hand, undeterred by your interference.

Maybe even welcomed it.

“And you?” you breathed out in a smoky, dangerous whisper.

The side of his lips curved upwards.

The most devious smirk.

“Fuck me,” Yoongi whispered.

Soft and slow. Hot exhale, savoring the words, drawing it out. Dark eyes barely visible under lowered lashes and with a tone an octave away from desperate. Gripping your hand around his length, letting your feel the hardness and the pulsating twitch of dirty desire. And then he did the unthinkable.

He bit the right side of his lower lip and said it better.

“Fuck me, please.”

-

in case you want the visual

(this photo poster was sent in emails for winners of the Seoul tix raffle and, yes, I saw it and my imagination went places, what, he didn't do bite his lip to be innocent)

--

masterpost

[danandphilplay]

im sure there are more people involved. i also dont know any of the technical terms for a lot of this esp sound and lighting so if u do pls share ur knowledge im genuinely interested. i suppose there may be more people involved musically if dnp are having a singing musical bit. tour photography?? idk if u have smth that isn’t an option pls share what it is im so interested. hell if u wanna be in charge of the tour finances say it

before i went to uni i had originally wanted to go to art school however that did not happen and something ive always thought was interesting was theatre set design in terms of like. props and backdrop. i do not know the technical words lol. maybe in another life

[mspaesthetic]

speaking of flagrant disregard of stock image licenses, how close does homestuck skirt the boundaries of copyright law? was hussie really allowed to just go to google images, take some random image, and control C control V it into a panel?

I'm no counsel, so anything I say should not be taken as factual or legal advice, but from what I understand about U.S. copyright law, determining what constitutes as fair use is done on a case-by-case basis using four major factors:

1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; 2) the nature of the copyrighted work; 3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and 4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Ultimately, it's up to the court to interpret and weigh these factors in their analysis of the new work, so while one case may be declared as fair use, a similar case could be found as infringement. To break down what each of these mean exactly, let's apply them to an example from the comic.

In the hypothetical case of Ornate Victorian Decorative Floral Pattern Artist v. Hussie, 612 U.S. 413 (2011), the plaintiff claimed the defendant infringed upon their work's copyright when the defendant incorporated an unpermitted use of said work into the defendant's own work, Homestuck, an on-line web comic.

The purpose and character was transformative, using the pattern as part of a backdrop in the story, and the more transformational the use is, the less importance is stressed on the other three factors. However, while the comic is made freely available to read on the Internet, Hussie profits off of the comic's ad revenue and sales of related merchandise, such as physical printed books of the comic, making it a technically commercial nature. This doesn't necessarily rule out the use as fair, but it weighs against it somewhat.

The nature of the copyrighted work, the original decorative pattern, has to be determined whether it actually falls under copyright or not. At present, it's impossible to ascertain if the pattern duly belongs to the author, or if it's merely a reproduction of a preexisting Victorian decoration. The concept of an ornamental Victorian era floral style isn't protected by copyright, but a particular rendition of one could be unless it has fallen under the public domain.

The third factor would seem to be counterproductive in defending against the claim, as Hussie markedly used the entire image to produce the repeating pattern, which is where it derives its entire value, at several points throughout the story, but this fact does not bar it to be found as fair use. It just makes it less likely. If the court found it to be sufficiently transformative enough, then this factor would not even weigh in as much.

Hussie's appropriation of the image definitely resulted in the loss of a license sale for the plaintiff (which could have prevented this mutually costly legal battle for both parties in the first place, but that's irrelevant), but the manner of how he used it definitely doesn't act as a substitute for the stock image. Any reasonable person looking to use a stock image of a pattern would likely prefer a higher quality, unmodified, and unwatermarked copy of the original, opting to purchase a license for it that guarantees some clearly defined legal rights. Regardless, the fact that it's licensed could weigh against Hussie's use.

If I was a powdered wig-wearing judge presiding at the trial, I would throw the book at Hussie and his lily white ass in the slammer. Whether this is how it would actually go down in court, I do not know. I'm also not sure of the more dubious inclusions of other copyrighted materials, like the countless movie posters plastering the walls of the characters, or straight up Iron Man and Johnny 5.

I guess the latter's case could fall under parody, since Hussie is at least stating that Johnny 5's sentience is fucking stupid. I still think he doesn't have much solid ground to stand on for everything else, though.

Then there's also the sticky issue of using celebrities' likenesses, as well as the photographer's copyright to those images.

Then you've got using trademarked brands.

In summary, Homestuck in particular is one big potentially misappropriated licensing powder keg waiting to explode (not really).

Oh, before I close out of this topic, there's actually one little curiosity I'd like to cover. On the MS Paint Adventures Wiki, two panels were uploaded on the very same day they were posted in an update that was soon after revised significantly:

It's clear that the changed panels are highly more transformative, the paintings having been flipped horizontally and drawn over. It strikes me as odd that out of all the times Hussie could have been cautious of copyright, the harlequin paintings was where he drew the line. It might not even have been a concern over copyright but a personal matter of aesthetics. If that was the case, it'd be weird to go to such extreme measures for an inconsequential thing. Unless someone can grab a hold of the big man himself and ask, I guess we'll never know the real reason why.

EDIT: I asked an old friend of mine, phantos, who's a veteran member of the MSPA Forums and former acquaintance of Hussie's if they knew anything about this, and they vaguely recall something about an artist not wanting their work to be used in this instance. They also went on to mention that after the incident "it wasn't until he stole the furry porn for Equius' room that [Hussie] even bothered to look for art for 'whimsical room decorations'", which I don't think is quite true since I can think of at least one instance where he did (the witch furry poster in Jade's bedroom), but I felt it was worth noting down.

[epitomereally]

Renegade Binderary 2 of 3: Kept in Cages by @sweet-s0rr0w and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm

Deep in the heart of the Ministry lies the Beast Division: a hidden room where ancient beasts roam, and winged creatures soar, and grumpy giant ferrets eat all your biscuits unless you keep them well hidden. Draco Malfoy would know – he’s been working there for five years now, after all.

Meanwhile, on Level One, ex-Golden Boy Harry Potter is stuck in another interminable policy meeting, completely unaware of the mysterious comings and goings just three floors below. But when a giant snake emergency requires the assistance of a Parselmouth, Harry finds himself thrust, unprepared, into Draco’s weird and wonderful world – and naturally, he can’t keep away…

In this fic, Sweet and Joy wove an incredibly hopeful and gracious journey of healing for both Harry and Draco against a lush backdrop of magical creatures & friends. I am so happy to have bound this fic for Sweet and me. I bound this as a part of Renegade’s Binderary 2023 (where we challenge ourselves to make as many books as we can). I specifically focused on some of my favorite fics published in 2022 that I hadn’t already bound :)

I was quite burnt out of writing & reading fic at the end of H/D Wireless 2022 and so I slept on this fic for months and SHAME ON ME! It took me until December to read it and I was just blown away by the world that Joy and Sweet built together. I had this two-toned blue/green bookcloth, knew I wanted to have a cut-out, found this gorgeous William Morris tapestry, and boom, the design was born. I also want to say that Joy’s gorgeous illustrations & Sweet’s beautiful words were so evocative that designing & typesetting this was a breeze; if you have any doubt, see how @a-gay-old-time (who did such an amazing bind of this here) and I came to very similar design choices independently :)

I also used text from @sitp-recs' rec here and @getawayfox's rec here at the front of the book, which I would love to start doing for all of my binds.

I learned a ton of stuff that is totally boring to a non-fanbinder, but was huge for me: footnotes, full page illustrations, double French-core endbands (still need some refinement, but I am so happy to be able to use more than two colors!), cut-outs!! Some technical challenges of this bind: getting the cut-out exactly in the right spot, using a guillotine for the first time & having some pretty tight margins as a result, painting on Duo bookcloth (the texture makes it really tough!), but I'm still so happy with this bind. I also have to acknowledge @pleasantboatpress who inspired both the headbands and the cut-out with their absolutely gorgeous binds.

Materials:

Title font: Argaka

Body font: Alegraya

Endpapers: Birds by William Morris (public domain)

Bookcloth: Duo Laguna (sadly no longer being manufactured :()

[amywritesthings]

SILVER UNDERGROUND / deleted scene 05.

gifts are gifts. :: a deleted scene that was originally meant to take place during flashback: seven. james and levi spar and have a verbal argument after reuniting.

this one is such a doozy. i had this one sitting on a page in draft prison because this was my initial plan of their 'reunion'. yes, spoiler alert, the ignoring was going to last three whole chapters. this is so far removed from the deep bond james/levi shared, and much more in the vein of the first 10 chapters. this is also before i decided erwin's recruitment offer extended to james. i read this back and i'm like oh my god?! you can really tell i wrote the story completely out of order with this excerpt! this is unedited. 970 words / explicit language, fighting. :: please remember: this is additional deleted content, not tied to the current canon of the story.

“You need to get rid of that.”

Your head feels fuzzy from the impact of solid ground beneath it. “What?”

Levi grits his teeth, emphasizing every word. “Get. Rid. Of it.”

He reaches for the necklace. You react just in time to forcefully smack his hand away and push up, up until your palm connects with his throat.

“Gifts are gifts, asshole,” you grunt, squeezing his neck.

Levi doesn’t react to the abrupt violence. If anything, he leans into the assault.

“You don’t get to suddenly disappear on me and then make demands.”

“Technically — all that superiors do — is make commands,” he chokes out, finally flinching when you squeeze harder.

“Smith made me a Lieutenant.”

“That doesn’t mean shit in the Scouts,” he spits. “And technically still — under me.”

In more ways than one.

You growl, pushing at his neck one more time before letting go. Levi bows his head, giving you both a moment to catch your breath in the aftermath of the spar. His matted hair hangs over his forehead, hiding his eyes where you lay.

He doesn’t opt to move away. You’re trapped under him.

Then he speaks without an edge.

“Join the MPs.”

You stare up, frowning. “I can’t. You know that.”

“There’s still time to convince Erwin you’re innocent.”

He must sense the shift of the fight, because he lifts his chin just enough to regard you from under his eyelids. Your lips part with an unknown question.

“I didn’t tell them about you. It must have been Isabel.”

Her name hangs like lead off of his tongue.

You pause, nostrils flaring with contempt. “How do you know it wasn’t Furlan?”

“Because Isabel didn’t know how to keep her mouth shut,” he replies. If you’re not careful, then you may project a rueful hint to his tone. “Furlan never left my side.”

(Loyal to the end, and for what?)

“What are you saying, Ackerman?”

“You’ve always wanted to see the surface, right?” You don’t nod, but he continues as if you’ve acknowledged him beyond furrowed brows. “I argue that you only worked for us once because of some naive obsession with the surface. Isabel likely felt the need to drag you under the bus thinking it would buy her some unfounded favor from Erwin. He could believe that.”

Your stomach clenches at the implication of his lie.

“You would do that to her name?”

“She’s dead, James.” Callous, without doubt; Levi shifts his hold on your wrists to your forearms. “You’re not.”

You sink into the ground, deflating against his hold. “So I’d get transferred by the good graces of Commander Erwin and, what? Leave you here?”

Something flashes in his eyes, but he decides this time not to answer on impulse. Here in this proximity, you can hear him taking calculated breaths through his nose — inhale, exhale, controlled and slow.

“It’s your best option to surv—”

“No.”

The soft and certain answer cuts through his next argument. Levi freezes like you’ve confessed to being part-titan this whole time — his short-circuiting bewilderment is loud and screaming in your face when he refuses to speak candidly. 

He looks like a teenager again, the starry night sky your makeshift backdrop of an Underground you both deserted.

His eyes narrow. “No?”

Your growing smile surges that terrible temper back on the sparring grounds. He lets go of your arms — a fatal mistake — to gather the strap of your chest harness into a closed fist. When he drags you up to meet him, you easily follow.

“Furlan is gone. Isabel is gone. What don’t you fucking get about that, you shithead?” he speaks through clenched teeth, fist trembling. “You lived and you’re pissing that away.”

Just when he thinks he has the upper hand, yours shoots out — quickly you grab his own chest harness, bringing him directly down to you.

Nose to nose.

The proximity catches your long-lost friend off guard.

(Levi Ackerman is good at many things. Being comfortable with someone in his face in a non-violent setting was never one of them.)

“Do you think,” you begin in a murmur, “that I really give a shit about living a life on the surface if that means you’re not a part of it?”

His gray pupils grow black.

“I’ve lost you twice now—”

“James.”

“—let me finish, you… arrogant little shit,” you breathe, and for once in Levi Ackerman’s life, he listens. Intently, it seems, because he won’t stop staring at your face. “I’m — we are out of the Underground. Captains, Lieutenants — maybe they’re both arbitrary titles and fucking ridiculous, but they can mean something. I now have a chance to do something.”

“You have a chance to get yourself killed,” he mumbles. “This isn’t the time to become a fucking idealist. This is war.”

“And this is my choice.” Warmth spreads through your system at the tickle of his breath on your face. “Maybe I didn’t choose the Scouts, but I did choose—”

You.

You’ve been brave up until this point, but now you can’t say it. Not when Levi’s still so close. His nose accidentally brushes yours, and he shoves you — hard — back into the ground to break your grip on his harness.

Like a frightened animal, he quickly sits back on his calves to steer clear of your reach. By the time you can see straight, he’s already standing tall.

“Do whatever the fuck you want,” he spits with venom, “but you’re making a mistake for a person that doesn’t exist.” Levi collects himself, straightening his chest harness straps. “Whatever you think you remember — that isn’t me. Not anymore.”

You roll to lean on a bent elbow, propping you against the ground, but it’s too late.

Levi walks away and doesn’t look back.

[alpaca-clouds]

Solarpunk Fiction and Conflict Pt. 2

Let's continue to talk about conflict in Solarpunk fiction and stories we could easily tell there. You can find part 1 here.

The second category of conflict in Solarpunk fiction I see, is conflict with the environment. Something that can happen in a very literal way or the more... traditional way.

Let's talk about the traditional ways: Environmental Catastrophies and Survival Stories.

Human vs environment has always been a staple conflict in fiction and even though the Solarpunk movement is an environmental movement... Well, us being on the side of the environment does not mean that the environment is gonna be on our side, if you get my drift.

For one you can all Roland Emerich and tell a story of an Environmental Catastrophy. You can very well have a Solarpunk world, in which the current issues from climate change have not been fixed. So either you could have scientist just deal with trying to fix those issues... or you can tell stories about the climate catastrophies going on and about the people who try to survive it - or those trying to save the survivors. Again: You can go all Roland Emerich, but just have it in front of the backdrop of a Solarpunk world.

The other classic one can be a classical Survival Story. Look, even within a Solarpunk world people might get stuck in situations, where they gotta survive. Maybe they went out there into nature on their own volition because they are scientists and get lost. Maybe they live out there and a storm cuts them off. Or maybe it is a classical case of a ship or plane wrecking out in the wild. In fact, this could be a super interesting story to be told within a Solarpunk setting, given that a person, who grew up on Solarpunk values, might have different view points - and also different technological skills. (Also, look, SciFi survival stories are fun af!)

One less traditional kind of story to be told in a Solarpunk setting and that I would love to see, is what I am going to name Species Survivalism.

Let me let out my inner geek. Because maybe this is too science for even most Science Fiction nerds. But currently there are scientists all over the world battling to keep certain species important for the environment alive - or in fact reestablish a population. And while this would be really a geeky kind of story... It definitely could make for an interesting story. Trying to fix the world in a small way, after a Solarpunk Utopia has been established.

And then there is the last way. The Studio Ghibli way, if you want to.

See, often times Solarpunk is thought only as a SciFi genre, but technically speaking there is no law saying it cannot have fantasy elements. Especially given that one of the largest influence on the genre have been Studio Ghibli movies like Laputa and Princess Mononoke.

So lastly, for this type of conflict, I present you: Nature's Willing Revenge: Yes, sure, we have established a Solarpunk society, but we kinda messed up nature before we got there. Now the nature spirits/gods have reawakened and they are pissed. Will the protagonist have to fight them or try to establish some sort of peace with them?

[bwaldorf]

ramasha do you have any bollywood movie recs?? 🎤

omgggg em im so honored you thought of me!! 🫶🏼🩷

tbh i've sorta been on a journey of watching more bollywood (and south asian cinema in general), since there was a huge chunk of my life where i just never really kept up with releases and was sorta discouraged from watching it so my taste isn't the Most diverse (in terms of genres and years) but i'm working on it 😭 that said, here's my attempt at giving you a lot of different options, so hopefully there's something here that strikes your fancy hehe :3

lots will be under the cut bc im a huge YAPPER.... sorry. also, some of these haven't really aged that well and are sometimes more of just a nostalgic fav and/or ones i think are iconic so... take some of these recs with a grain of salt

some of my bigger personal faves:

om shanti om (2007) — it may hit more if you have a bit more exposure to bollywood cinema and its industry bc it references it a lot, but i still think it's an enjoyable movie regardless! (yes i am biased bc this is one of my fav bollywood movies ever + a huge nostalgic fav. plus SRK and deepika padukone.. can't go wrong there!)

haider (2014) — this movie is SOOOO good! i highly rec it 💞 it's an adaptation of hamlet, set within the backdrop of the 1995 kashmir conflicts. this is actually a part of trilogy of shakespeare adaptations by the director: the other two are maqbool (2003) which is macbeth and omkara (2006) which is othello

main hoon na (2004) — another SRK nostalgic fav

ghajini (2008) — it rips off christopher nolan's memento but i think it adds a lot of its own stuff too and i have a soft spot for it 😭

andhadhun (2018)

kahaani (2012)

tumbbad (2018)

amar singh chamkila (2024)

3 idiots (2009) — the most likely one that non regular bollywood watchers will know and deservedly so imo

gully boy (2019)

hum saath saath hain (1999) — okay not objectively the best movie.. but its a hugely nostalgic and comfort movie for me and i think its great if you wanna watch something that's heartfelt and doesn't have a ton of high stakes conflict

maine pyar kiya (1989) — same as above ☝🏼 i watched this one a lot as a kid

jab we met (2007)

devdas (2002) — worth it for at least the beautiful cinematography, costumes, and gorgeous talented cast

fanaa (2006) — plot is kinda messy at times but it was a real angst machine for me as a kid 😭

photograph (2019)

sir (2018)

bulbbul (2020) — tw for a rape scene though. sorry for the spoiler but it was genuinely really harrowing for me to watch so i think its important to mention

misc other movies i've seen:

qala (2022)

dil bole hadippa! (2009) — admittedly, i haven't rewatched this one in a long time so i can't totally say it holds up. it's a rip-off of she's the man, but … better….. TO ME. yes im speaking from nostalgia bc this is the one i saw first

badhaai do (2022) — this is technically a 'sequel' to the similarly titled movie badhaai ho (2018) but they're actually total standalones

gangubai kathiawadi (2022) — i have such mixed feelings about this one but it's a movie that really stuck with me ever since i watched it soooo yeah

raees (2017) — SRK looks unbelievably fine in that movie. need i say more?

koi mil gaya (2003) — it's a mix of both ET and close encounters of the third kind... but in my very biased, nostalgic opinion: better 🫣 there's also a few sequels, but i only really remember seeing krrish (2006)

josh (2000) — another entry to the SRK looks super gorgeous in this movie 😭 this is basically a desi west side story

go goa gone (2013) — not the best to me, but its a bollywood zombie movie! which was a very new concept to me in that industry so ofc i had to throw it in there

chennai express (2013)

mohabbatein (2000)

dilwale dulhania le jayenge (1995) — had to include this for SRK reasons and also bc it's a massively impactful movie in the industry so i'd be remiss not to

andaz apna apna (1994)

ek ladki ko dekha toh aisa laga (2019)

jaane tu.. ya jaane na (2008)

aaja nachle (2007)

munna bhai mbbs (2003)

gangs of wasseypur - part 1 (2012) — i've only seen the first one in this series but if you want a somewhat slower, meditative, gangster movie this one def fits the bill

what's your raashee? (2009) — can't remember how well this ages (i think it was pretty mid?) but the concept is fun! priyanka chopra plays 12 girls: each personifying a different zodiac sign as the main guy tries to find his soulmate 😭

taare zameen par (2007) — you'll also see this listed as 'like stars on earth' sometimes

amar akbar anthony (1977)

don (2006) — villainous SRK? sign me up! he actually has multiple movies where he's this sorta antihero/"antivillain" type character. and even a few where he's a straight-up villain. i've been trying to get through all of those bc i just love his range

anjaam (1993) — an example of the aforementioned thing ☝🏼 SRK plays a genuinely terrible guy here, and i love how it actually challenges a lot of the tropes that bollywood tends to use in its romances and shows how creepy and stalkerish they actually are (despite it being typically framed in the narrative otherwise)

partner (2007) — i recently found out it was basically ripping will smith's hitch 😭 i haven't seen that one so i can't say which is better, but if you enjoyed that one, you'll probably be into this one too. it's very unserious and not the Best. but i watched it a lot as a kid

aaja nachle (2007)

roadside romeo (2008) — okay this is a very unserious, low budget animated movie rec. it's soooo so silly and dumb but if you're in the market for smth like that, this is an amusing one for that

welcome (2007) — i gotta rewatch this one bc i don't remember a lot but it seems like a lot of tomfoolery and shenanigans

my name is khan (2010) — another one i gotta rewatch for its politics but i figured i'd throw it in regardless

black (2005)

kal ho naa ho (2003)

kuch kuch hota hai (1998)

sholay (1975)

hungama (2003)

some from my watchlist that i haven't seen yet:

(as if this list needed to be any longer.... but anyways! including these bc i think they seem promising/interesting and i think they introduce More variety of genres/time periods than the ones before)

ijaazat (1987)

thappad (2020)

udaan (2010)

merry christmas (2024)

chhoti si baat (1976)

hindi medium (2017)

the lunchbox (2013) — heard LOTS of good things about this one!

lipstick under my burkha (2017)

neerja (2016)

queen (2014)

rajnigandha (1974)

kaagaz ke phool (1959)

anand (1971)

paheli (2005) — it's a mainstream bollywood remake of duvidha (1973)

baadshah (1999)

monica, o my darling (2022)

madhumati (1958)

raaz (2002)

satya (1998)

highway (2014)

oh darling! yeh hai india! (1995)

pyaasa (1957)

sardar udham (2021)

awaara (1951)

shree 420 (1957)

kaminey (2009)

mahal (1949)

chandigarh kare aashiqui (2021)

bunty aur babli (2005)

talvar (2015)

duplicate (1998)

lootera (2013)

mughal-e-azam (1960)

baazigar (1993)

trapped (2017)

fire (1996) — a hugely significant movie in explicitly showing a wlw relationship in bollywood. i believe it was the first in that regard?

stree (2018)

piku (2015)

english vinglish (2012)

umrao jaan (2006) — there's also an earlier version of this movie with the same title that came out in 1981! i haven't seen either yet so i can't say which is better

jodhaa akbar (2008)

darr (1993) — big movie for villain SRK enthusiasts if that interests you too like it does me 🤭

zindagi na milegi dobara (2011)

dil dhadakne do (2015)

dear zindagi (2016)

special 26 (2013)

badla (2019)

mardaani (2014)

raman raghav 2.0 (2016)

peepli live (2010)

drishyam (2015)

[everythingwillsurelybealright]

OOPS don't mind me, it's a frantically written unhinged Black Butler theory post

IMAGINE.

IT'S THE PRESENT DAY.

BLACK BUTLER SEASON 4 IS PARTWAY THROUGH AIRING.

I know nothing about what happens in the manga but THESE THOUGHTS WILL NOT LEAVE ME ALONE.

AND SO: A POST

I present to you; WHAT'S GOING ON AT WESTON COLLEGE, as pieced together entirely by the parts of the Intro that haven't shown up in the show yet.

LET'S SEE WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE

(1) The lake, and something blood-like coming out of it

(2) A tree growing out of the courtyard, and something rising up out of the ground

(3) The Undertaker's medallions show up several times

(4) Imagery of recreating bodies

(5) The Zombies at the end

SO WHAT COULD THIS MEAN? LET'S TAKE A WILD STAB IN THE DARK.

Put these together and I would guess that the Undertaker is 100% involved in the mystery behind the missing students, but also that it's a direct continuation of what he was trying to do on the Worst Boat Trip of All Time. Ie, he's trying to perfect his process of bringing people back from the dead - not just as zombies like last time but as actual functioning people.

Let's add more screenshots to the recipe!

(6) The four elements of Alchemy show up in the intro - Earth, Air, Fire and Water

(7) The four house colours merge together to make a shining new fire - like they did for the cricket competition cup

(8) The shot of a body turning to ash and a shining soul hovering above the remains

So add these to the mix and I'd guess that the new theory of resurrection is based on where the failure in the old one was. Previously, just altering someone's Cinematic Record wasn't enough to really keep them alive after death, as their body kept moving but the soul was gone.

This time it looks like the process might revolve around destroying the old body altogether (ie, turning it to ash), capturing the soul, and building an entirely new body to house it.

ALSO throw into the mix that the four house colours combine into FIRE, since in Alchemy the soul is associated with the idea of Combustibility

Extra symbols for this could be:

(9) The Whole Diamond in the intro which is then split four ways -

leaving a separate smaller diamond to the side (which would be the soul, captured and kept separate from the four elements that make up the rest of the body)

(10) The diamond is present again when the tree is growing in the courtyard, where the implied undead bursts out of the ground

(11) The newly recreated body looking like it's breathing fire, notably against the same backdrop of the school that was present when the diamonds split apart in the first place

Anyway! This new body should in theory be free of the limits of the Cinematic Record (since the old body is already gone), and because the soul is still intact it could freely return to the new body and function normal.

I suspect the Alchemy theme might also be the conceptual connection behind the old body burning (leaving behind the pile of ash) and the new body (or maybe just the soul itself?) being made of fire, like this:

(12)

So that's what I think happened to the students! They were tests to see if the process worked, hidden by the prefects - who may or may not have even known what the process was for or even if it worked.

Either way, with the reappearance of Derrick at the end of Episode 8 I would say that it does indeed work.

But! Also! The mystery of the headmaster.

He's clearly not really there, or not really alive. This could be for a number of reasons but for now I'd guess that (a) he's partway through the process, so his soul is technically around but his new body isn't finished yet, which is why he never speaks and vanished completely when Sebastian tried to grab him, or (b) the process failed on him, but they're keeping him around as a convenient figure head while the prefects run the school instead.

AND ONE MORE THING?

There's always a hovering question mark over what exactly happened to Ciel in his big dark secret backstory that I assume we learn later, but this OP in particular is giving me a few ideas that are probably hugely wrong BUT CONSIDER

(13) In the courtyard the undead rising up out of the ground is in the middle of the frame, and the VERY next shot is of Ciel in the same place

COINCIDENCE? Yes probably! But also:

(14) The shot of Sebastian holding his cloak protectively over Ciel, who flashes briefly as a skeleton

WHICH IS INTERESTING? Ciel is often depicted as dead or dying, I would assume in reference to Sebastian taking his soul in the future. BUT WHAT IF?

It makes me guess that PERHAPS perfect resurrection has already been performed and potentially it was used on Ciel.

Which would also match the brief sequence when the body burns to ash and leaves behind a ghost, the fire seems to come FROM Ciel

(15)

Which is wild and I don't understand whatsoever. Was Ciel resurrected? Was his soul kept and put inside a new body (and maybe that's why he's so short? He's not growing?) Or did Ciel raise someone else from the dead? Or is there some other mystery behind Ciel's identity that just hasn't been hinted at yet?

EITHER WAY THERE WE ARE. BRAIN WORMS: EXPELLED. ENJOY.

[aemiron-main]

The Hawkins High Backdrop in TFS: Why Is Almost Every Place Hawkins High?

So, something SUPER weird I noticed when watching TFS is that Hawkins Highschool is almost ALWAYS the backdrop except for some scenes, and it’s the backdrop during scenes that are 1000000% not at the school (such as police station scenes, lab scenes, etc)

And there’s also another stage with a closed curtain that’s part of the Hawkins High backdrop.

And that one tiled lab set piece is in a smaller box is always in front of the stage that’s built into the Hawkins High wall- even though the curtain on the stage technically doesnt open, the way that the lab set piece emerges from the same part of the stage very much gives the vibe of “looking behind the curtain,” when we’re seeing those lab box scenes- which has me staring at NINA & a “silly, terrible play,” vs “looking behind the curtain,” and has me lowkey wondering if A.) TFS is at least partially a simulation but more specifically B.) if the scenes in the lab box are outside of the simulation/like Brenner pulling Henry out of a NINA tank and putting him back in it. Im not solid on that at all though rn.

And Henry is constantly standing over top of the “exit” sign in Hawkins High, and also under the scoreboard. He often walks outside of that lab box area to instead stand under the Hawkins High scoreboard, which also makes him stand right in front of the exit door in Hawkins High.

And the church also has the Hawkins High backdrop which is extra interesting considering that Walter says that Mr Newby’s been “running the school like a goddam monastery,” ever since Mr. Newby’s wife left him for Ted’s dad.

Anyway. It’s weird as hell.

[duncebento]

you have such wonderful taste in so many things and i'm so appreciative that you cultivate this space and share it ❤️ could you please recommend another lovely piece of orchestral music?

oh LOL i'm glad you liked it, thank you!!! i was just giving it as an example of a piece that's a bit more technically advanced.

orchestral hmm? well the piece i recommended before was a concerto, which is a solo-ish piece with accompaniment written in-- in that case, a violin concerto accompanied by an orchestra. i find that most of my favored orchestral pieces are concertos rather than pieces written just for orchestras, perhaps because you get the best of both worlds?

first i'll recommend this DOUBLE concerto by brahms; we're in vienna in 1887. i had actually only heard the third and final movement of this piece but the recording is of all three movements and it's fucking incredible. quite long, of course, since most concerto mvmts are between 7-15 minutes i'd say, but so very worth it.

like, just listen to the very first solo, when the cello takes the stage-- how much character development there is in the first minute. this cellist (who is "acting" in the same way that actors are given a written script but decide what to DO with it) makes it easy to imagine a whole narrative-- vengeful, sexy, the cheeky switch to pizzicato (plucking as opposed to bowing.) crazed.

next is a piece from cinderella. it should begin at 37:55. now we're more modern, the bolshoi theatre in 1945, and this orchestra would not be on the stage but in a pit at the foot of the stage, providing a backdrop for cinderella to waltz with the prince before running away. i adore the (very russian) character of this piece because prokofiev paints a whimsical, scary ball rather than choosing to focus on the sweeter romantic aspects of cinderella's meeting with the prince. (and i do think she would've been scared and completely out of her element!) the piece gets more and more frantic until the movement right afterwards, "midnight," where the waltz ends and all we hear is the doom of the foreboding clock.....

now back in time again to 1905! ravel, another impressionist, lived in paris but many of his pieces have obvious spanish influence. he wrote this as part of a 5-movement piece with each movement dedicated to a different member of his artist's collective, which i think is really cute. you can definitely hear that this is a more modern orchestral piece due to its rulebreaking-- this era definitely influenced the compositions for BOTW if you happen to be a fan of that soundtrack as many are.

i'm also gonna link the spotify playlist where i compile the vaguely classical pieces i like-- sorry; it's not curated in any sense, i just add them as i like them. i'd say they're mostly in minor keys because i'm edgy and like musical angst (even the major key ones i like often manage to be angsty...) furthermore there's a focus on cello because i'm a cellist, so pieces that i've played or would like to play (in my dreams...) make their way in often. maybe same with ballet cos i spent a decade and a half in a ballet troupe. otherwise i'd say it's well-rounded enough!

here u go!! and like with any music, if you find something you like, the easiest way to get more of it it by looking at the other movements of the piece/other works by that composer or their contemporaries.

[mollywog]

i have regency!lark questions!

how is the writing process different from other fics (for example, canon-compliant or in-Panem AUs)? how much research goes into it?

do you feel immersed in the world that their mannerisms, speech patterns, etc come easily to you? or does it take conscious effort to regency-fy these things? (as a non-native English speaker, this is the thing i am always curious about when reading historical AUs!)

what are your non-fan media recs for someone who knows next to nothing about regency era? (sorry if you shared something like this and i missed it!)

thank you!

Hey!!!

Thank you for the ask @thesunpersists!!

Oof! My husband jokes that the only history I know, I learned from American Girl Doll books, which is some what accurate: I absorb history best when it’s the backdrop of fiction (especially a romance)

A few years back I went on a ‘classic’ author binge. I would read/listen to a book and follow along with the shmoop/cliff notes/spark notes, then finish off by watching any screen adaptations I could find. (I wish I had known about tumblr then *stares wistfully off into the distance*)

With that in mind, I’m not sure I have a full grasp of what each time period is… Regency is more a vibe than a historically accurate set of dates in my mind; An amalgamation of the things I read and watched and very light research… Idk I don’t want to take the fun out of storytelling by getting too caught up in that stuff, which I understand may not be for everyone.

Anyways…

I’ve enjoyed a lot of adaptations of old books. If we’re talking specifically Regency - in addition to the novels, Pride and Prejudice 95, Emma 09, Persuasion 95 are my favorites! I also love Lily James and Matt Smith so Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was fun!

I know you said non fandom but I’m going to mention cwmilton because I adore their Emma FanFiction so so much!

I think War and Peace is technically Regency Era though not set in England. I slogged through the novel and there were parts I enjoyed, but not enough to do it again. Again my love for Lily James and James Norton had me watching the 16 BBC adaptation and enjoyed it for them and the costumes.

I’d like to check out and Tom Jones is on my list thanks to @wildwren and Mr. Malcom’s List is another I hope to read/watch!

I went through Dickens, Brontë, Hardy, Gaskell so if anyone wants to talk adaptations!

Okay. So I’m not sure I’ve answered your questions 😳… so I would say: usually my desire to write a historical AU comes from recently consuming a peice of media from that period - So I’ve already got the vibe fresh in my mind. But also yes - I do think it’s difficult to write and stay in that time periods speaking pattern and vocabulary.

Anyways, feel free to send an ask or DM if you want to talk fics or historical fiction, or adaptations or whatever!!!

[hiejindraws]

Key differences between Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu!! and Gekidan Haikyuu!! (+ Review)

Btw don’t ask me for scans of the pamphlet or bromides bc I didn’t buy them. The only merch I bought was a t-shirt and a towel ok BABY’S ON A BUDGET.

• No “hyper projection” and no rotating stage

• Less emphasis on music and dancing, more on acting

• The stage is level and not on an incline. This means the volleyball net could be on wheels and be rolled around on the stage (in fact, most of the set pieces were on wheels)

• No epic opening or closing sequences

• Very few (if any, I don’t remember) musical interludes—really, there was music only during the volleyball matches

• No Seijoh/Oikawa theme music 🥲 or Nekoma theme (for when they’re briefly mentioned in the announcement of the GW training camp)

• More characters! Seijoh actors doubled as Yukigaoka players/all FOUR members of the Karasuno Neighborhood Association, not just Shimada and Takinoue!

• They really fleshed out the Yukigaoka vs. Kitaichi game! Like, Hinata had actual teammates, it wasn’t just him and Kagz 1 v 1 on the court like it was in the first Haisute (although, I guess it wasn’t technically 1 v 1 then either bc Kindaichi and Kunimi were also there)

• They included even more scenes from the series and stayed even truer to the source material. I think leaving out the music and intense dance breaks opened up a lot of room for this

Some callbacks to Engeki:

• Hinata hums the tune to a musical motif from Engeki but I cannot for the life of me remember which one it was even though I JUST saw it today. If I had to guess (bc the scene involved Hinata imitating Kagz), it was Kageyama’s theme from the first Haisute when he whips off his cape and crown.

• Ennoshita (AND Kinoshita AND NARITA!!) do the “SE〜NO” synchronized clap with the audience (and it made me so so SOOOO happy!!)

Review:

Overall, this production seemed less “dramatic” in the sense that the entire performance (the acting, music, and choreo/blocking) felt very subdued compared to its predecessor. There was certainly a different energy in the theater this time around. My blood didn’t get pumping the same way it did when I saw Start of the Giant and The Tokyo Battle in-person. I believe this artistic direction was intentional. I’m just not sure it’s sustainable.

What I always appreciated the most about Engeki was that the stage performances perfectly matched the high levels of energy the anime possessed. In fact, I would argue it brought even MORE energy than the anime did or ever could in large part due to Wada Shunsuke’s memorable musical compositions and HIDALI’s ingenious choreo.

Music and dance have always been core elements of the OG Haisute to the point that each show had it’s own unique opening/closing sequence, each team had it’s own musical and dance motif, and certain reoccurring events had their own identifiable themes (e.g. the starting lineup before any given match). The true magic of Engeki lied in the music and dancing. Obviously, the cast brought their own magic by always giving 150% to their performances, but they were also matching the energy the music brought THROUGH their dancing/acrobatics. It’s all intricately woven together.

OH, not to mention the original production’s partial namesake: the projections! There was always a level of suspended reality when watching Engeki because the light projections literally helped to merge the manga with the stage. They transformed the stage and backdrop into anything and everything the story needed—manga panels, speech bubbles, a sunset, a volleyball net. They also synced with, you guessed it, the MUSIC to give an absolutely outstanding audio-visual experience.

It really hit me hard when I entered the theater to see that it really was… just a regular stage.

That’s why I question if this production (and any future ones they may have planned) is sustainable. Not in the financial sense… but just in the way of retaining interest. It didn’t get me hooked the same way Engeki did, so I don’t think I’m able to give it the same level of enthusiasm. I’m hard-pressed to believe others feel the same way. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoyed it. It wasn’t bad. It didn’t take anything away from the series… I’m just not sure it added anything to it, either. Sure, there was music and dancing, but it just paled in comparison to what we were gifted by Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu. Makes me wonder why they would take so many steps back with this production.

All that being said… I’m glad I went. I truly did enjoy myself and the cast put their all into these characters. And if nothing else, I’m glad to have gone in support of Suga Kenta (OG Hinata) in his Haisute directorial debut.