#and i'm up to 85 now which is. a lot

[zincbot]

there's too many mountain goats songs

[icewindandboringhorror]

I occasionally wish to reach out to old friends/acquaintances I haven't spoken to since high school/some other even earlier time in my life, but I have SOOO little social energy even for required tasks (like making dr phone calls or etc), I never have any leftover for extra ones, and it would be very odd to message someone I haven't spoken to in like 5 years out of the blue but then take 4 entire months to respond back lol.. My natural curiosity with nostalgia/collecting details of the past/etc. (literally if I were born a little earlier I would definitely do scrapbooking or something lol) is very strong, but, alas, not strong enough to beat out the Social Issues Demons apparently

[artmsdoll]

off script, just for tonight ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

a euijoo fic (with a bit of smau) in which u two are mcs together and a trip to paris is the final straw to you two making a move on eachother

content : NSFW writing abt euijoo, (if that makes u uncomfortable pls dni) 15% smau 85% just writing (i got lazy sorry..) soft dom!juju x sub!fem reader (this doesn't rly affect the dynamic much, he's just on top lol), hickeys, unprotected sex (wrap b4 u tap!!!!), swearing

wc : 3100 (+200 in posts/texts)

a/n : i'm back😛 this is my first time putting a little smau in my writing so if its ass im sorry... also also i'll get to ppls recs now!! oh also also pls ignore how the flannels in the pictures don’t match #itried

you and euijoo had been mcs for music bank together for almost a year. you even got a contract renewal since fans loved you two so much. you were not complaining though, he was the best partner you could’ve asked for. however, as much as you wanted to stay professional and not let your relationship pass the very close coworkers stage, he made it a little hard…

first of all, you felt super comfortable with him. your chemistry was great, and you always felt like you two could joke around with each other. he was also just perfect, everything from his personality, to his height, to his annoyingly pretty face was to die for. you also couldn't help noticing how fondly he looked at you, his eyes always finding you in the mirror when you were getting your makeup done. but you couldn't blame him, cause you did the same. how he would gently rub your hands or your back when you were nervous backstage. or that time you were exhausted in between schedules and fell asleep on his shoulder, yet he didn't move a muscle until you woke up so you wouldn't be embarrassed. he did such a good job at not waking you up that you didn’t even know this happened until you saw the picture on the official music bank account.

you had to keep reminding yourself that he was just a genuinely kind person and he was probably just very well trained for fan service. besides, he was way too professional to try and pull a stunt like flirting with his mcing partner, especially when all the staff from both your companies were around.

you two recently got the news that you would be flying out to paris to mc music bank over there. as a little bonus, since both of your schedules had been so full for the last few months, your companies even agreed to let you travel a bit before the actual event so you two could enjoy some time off in the city. your company had been getting lots of backlash lately for overworking you, so this was the least they could do.

it was finally departure day and after some mandatory sasaeng airport photos, you two were off.

you passed out the second you got in your seat, you didn't even bother to grab your blanket or pillow. when you woke up from your nap, groggy and eyes getting adjusted to the dim cabin lights, you realized you were wrapped in a blanket, topped with euijoo’s flannel on your shoulders. you turned towards him only to see that he was the one that was fast asleep now, head tilted toward you, lips parted slightly, and breathing slowly.

the flannel still smelled faintly of cedar and bergamot and him. you couldn't stop yourself and your heart did a little something in your chest. he must’ve noticed your state and covered you up before passing out himself.

you couldn't help but take a 0.5 photo of him sleeping while you pointed at him and sent it to him.

you also took a pictureof yourself and posted it, forgetting that you had euijoo’s flannel wrapped around you… you went back to sleep, unaware of the chaos you just started online.

when you woke up and checked your phone, the realization hit. euijoo was also awake now and you turned to him, a little scared but also finding the situation kinda funny.

“thanks for your flannel… but i fear i may have fumbled a bit…” you mumbled.

“what did you do? as long as you didn’t drool all over it or stain it, it can’t be that bad.” he answered, teasing you.

you sheepishly showed him your phone with the post on it.

“oh that's no problem, you know how my company is with damage control. we’ll be fine,” he reassured you. “and so what if people think we're together, that just means we’ll get more business trip offers!”

not long after, you landed in paris with a beautiful view of the sunset. however, with a popular duo also comes fans waiting for you as soon as you passed customs. as the security guards struggled to surround you two from the mob, you felt a firm hand on your back guiding you gently through the crowd and a whisper in your ear: “you good?” you sneakily nodded yes.

you two finally made it out to your ride to your hotel. unfortunately, since the company sent you two out early, they also sent you with all of the big bags containing makeup, outfits, and props to make sure they were in paris on time for the event. this left you two crammed in the back of the car with bags to your side and no room to move. your thighs and shoulders were pushed next to each other, which wasn't technically weird or anything, but you felt your cheeks flushing a bit. the silence filled with something unspoken that you refused to acknowledge, as you’d be sure to be fired or at least scolded if these feelings kept going where you feared they might.

when you made it to the hotel, you both made your way to your rooms, with euijoo making sure you got inside your room safely and wishing you a good night before going to his.

it was the next morning. you felt like you just had the best sleep of your life. you and euijoo agreed to meet up at 10am the night prior, so you got all dolled up as soon as you were up. you planned to wear this cute dress since the weather was amazing, but there was one problem that you forgot about, it was lowkey impossible to do up on your own and there were no staff here yet to help. you were left with no other choice.

seconds later, you heard footsteps rushing to your door and multiple frantic knocks. you struggled to open the door and hold the back of your dress to avoid flashing the whole hallway.

“you okay?? what happened?” he asked, breathless.

“i just… can't tie this up on my own,” you said, a little embarrassed at the scene you caused.

“oh?” he giggled a bit. “you scared me!”

he stepped closer to you, very close, with one hand settling on your waist and the other zipping it up. his fingers brushed up your spine, and while this was again, something pretty normal, you felt your heart beating faster.

“all done.. are we good to go?” but you still felt him behind you.

you both just kinda stood there, that unspoken tension still there. you managed to let out a “yeah, thanks so much!”

you two spent the day exploring some cafes, the eiffel tower, and every tourist attraction that was on your path, vlogging and taking the iconic “boyfriend/girlfriend” photos everywhere. after what felt like endless kilometers of walking, you made it back to the hotel and you both decided to wind down at the pool. it was just the two of you, and he in just his swim trunks with his perfect toned body and v line on full display #needthat made you kinda lose it internally. you couldn't help but notice his equally wandering eyes.

“you’re staring,” you said, half joking, half trying to get a reaction out of him.

“you started it.” his voice was lower. “should’ve warned me you’d look like that.”

you splashed water at him, trying to play off the situation you created.

trying to quickly change the subject you said, “wait can you take some pictures before my hair gets wet! and we can’t forget the vlog they wanted us to make!”

“awe.. right, i was looking forward to being the only one to see you like this,” he answered, putting on a fake pout.

this threw you for a loop cause now you couldn't tell what he was playing at anymore. he took some pictures of you not to mention, he made you look the best you’ve ever looked. and you uploaded them right away. maybe this could work as some damage control for yesterday's mishap...

you two ended the day or so you thought eating at the hotel's rooftop restaurant. your companies had reserved the whole balcony for you two so you could enjoy dinner in peace. the view both the skyline and euijoo was something straight out of a movie. the candlelight made his big eyes sparkle, and the overall ambiance made you feel some kind of way... while enjoying your meals, the waiter came over with a knowing look and said, “for the lovely couple,” while pouring you two your third… or fourth glass of wine. you both giggled, but neither of you cared to correct him.

your dinner slowly wrapped up. by now, you could definitely feel the wine kicking in, you felt much more giggly than usual. while it did seem to be affecting euijoo a bit, as he seemed a little looser, you knew how drastic the difference was between your drinking tolerances, with his being much higher than yours…

he noticed you getting a little sleepy and suggested you go to bed, as you two were here for work after all, and the show was the following night. afraid you might trip over yourself, he held your hand from the time you got up from the table to when you entered the elevator. once the doors shut, you heard him say softly, while rubbing your hand with his thumb, “you know, if i weren’t so scared of making things complicated and potentially being seen, i would’ve kissed you already.”

that alone knocked the breath out of your lungs. you just stood there, processing what he had just said. you didn’t respond, you couldn't. you felt your cheeks flush and your heart beat faster by the second.

the walk to your room was silent, but his large hand was still wrapped around yours, and you liked that. when you got to your room, you opened the door without letting go of his hand and muttered a, “do you—”

“need help?” he cut you off, stepping in with you.

you nodded.

the room was dim, kinda chilly, and very, very quiet. neither of you said anything else. not yet. you turned your back to him, and he slowly unzipped your dress. the contact gave you shivers all over. you knew damn well it wasn’t just the wine or what he had said earlier that had you feeling like this. you also knew that you didn't want the night to end there, and you could tell he was thinking the same thing. you pulled your dress all the way down, still facing away from him, and broke the silence with, “if i say yes, will you kiss me now?” your voice barely made it past your lips.

without missing a beat, his hands spun you around and he pulled you in. your hands slid up his face and into his hair while his settled on your almost bare hips. he groaned into your mouth like he’d been holding it in for hours. he slowly backed you into the bed, never breaking the kiss. your knees hit the soft edge and you sunk into the mattress, pulling him onto you. your hands slid under his shirt and he took that as his sign to take it off finally. he ripped it off in one swift motion, revealing his sharp collarbones and toned chest that made you lose it just as much as the first time. you felt heat pooling in your lower stomach.

"we can't put this in the vlog" you giggled.

he kissed more intensely now, his lips tracing down your jaw to the sensitive skin on your neck. his teeth grazed lightly as he started to suck, his lips lingering there for a moment. you let out a moan, which snapped him back into reality.

“shit, your makeup artist’s gonna kill me.”

“juju—” you whined.

“i won’t leave a mark,” he whispered against your skin, “unless you want me to.”

you pulled him in closer as your answer, fingers digging into his back as he pressed kisses across your chest, your shoulder, every inch he could reach.

“they can’t do anything about it if they can’t see it!” you giggled.

“god, y/n, you’re unreal. you don’t even know how long i’ve been waiting for this.”

if someone told you a year ago you’d end up in this situation with your co-host, you would’ve laughed in their face, considering the not-so-strict dating ban. but now, you were happy this was the turnout.

“we’re so screwed,” you said, out of breath.

“probably,” he answered, lifting his lips off your chest for a moment. “but… worth it.” and in that moment, it absolutely was.

your fingers clutched deeper into his shoulders, your whole body arching into him, silently begging him to go lower.

he looked up at you, lips swollen. “still okay?” he asked, voice low and raspy, but somehow still soft fingers gently trailing down your sides.

“mhm,” you hummed.

his hands slid down your waist, slowly, as if he was trying to tease you, thumbs dragging along the curve of your hips. he kissed down your stomach, biting softly at the sensitive skin just above the waistband of your panties that were already soaked making you jolt slightly beneath him. then he hooked his fingers under the fabric, pausing for just a second to glance at your face. you gave the tiniest nod, and he slipped them down your legs, kissing your inner thigh.

by the time he moved back up to settle between your thighs, the heat between you was unbearable.

“juju— i need you,” you whined.

his hand slid up your thigh, fingers curling around the back of your knee, lifting it just enough to let him press closer. the thin layer of his boxers was the only thing separating you now. his hips ground into yours, slow and deliberate, and the friction had you gasping.

his fingers passed over your cunt. “fuck, you’re already soaked.”

you could only look at him, eyes wide open, chest rising and falling as you nodded, barely able to breathe. you didn’t have to say a word. his lips crashed into yours again. he didn’t tease this time, pulling his boxers down, lining himself up, his tip sliding through your slick heat.

with a soft groan, he thrusted into you. your breath hitched as you stretched around him. you whimpered his name, wrapping your legs around his waist as he started to move. every thrust was deep and so perfect. your moans filled the room within seconds, the sheets rustling beneath you both. you could feel how close he was already, his breaths turning rough and uneven against your neck.

you clenched around him, urging him on, and the both of you snapped. he buried himself in you with one last thrust, groaning your name as he spilled into you, warmth spreading deep as he held you tight against him. for a long moment, neither of you spoke. you just held each other, your fingers gently combing through his hair as his breathing evened out.

you two didn’t end the night there. you lost count of how many times he made you come again. how many positions he had you in. how often he kissed your shoulder or your thigh or your cheek with so much love. and by the time you both finally collapsed into the sheets, with sore bodies and slick skin, it was well past 3 a.m. you didn’t remember falling asleep, just the weight of his arm around your waist, his chest against your back, and a feeling of fulfillment.

you woke up with the sun shining in your face and your whole body taken over by an ache, a good one though. euijoo’s arm still wrapped around you, his breath hitting the back of your neck, and your legs intertwined in the sheets. you felt exhausted, but it was so worth it. the sweet moment was short-lived as seconds later your phone rang. without even checking who was calling, you picked up, and to your horror, you heard your manager on the other end, who you forgot was flying in that early morning.

“hey, i've been knocking on your door for a bit and i heard nothing back so i’m just checking in…”

“oh— uh— my bad, i was just showering, but i’m all good! shouldn't you be getting rest right now?”

“well now that i know you’re okay i can relax a bit haha. just don’t forget to head to the venue early for your fittings, make sure euijoo knows too!”

“i’ll let him know…” you hung up in a panic and heard euijoo’s sleepy voice asking, “what happened…”

trying to keep your cool, you said, “my manager called 'cause she couldn't find me, so i lied and said i was showering… if they find out i spent the night here we’re so getting scolded…”

“shit,” he said, his voice still a little raspy.

you quickly grabbed your things, gave euijoo a kiss, and made your way to the door. “oh, and don’t forget about the fitting!”

this whole thing felt like a one-night stand, and you hated that. you wanted nothing more than to just stay in his arms forever, but that's what you got for breaking your contract.

the evening of the show finally came. you finally got to see euijoo again after what, like 2 hours lmao, who snuck you to a corner and greeted you with a quick, but heartfelt kiss before he heard his manager calling him. your makeup artist was, in fact, not too pleased with the small but noticeable mark on your neck. you just lied and said it must've been your curling iron, even though you were sure she was onto you.

the fans absolutely loved you two again, and #y/njooinparis trended so fast. fans couldn’t help but notice how you looked a little less energetic than usual, and the mark on your neck, but inevitably blamed it all on your company thank god. saying things like

“they had some days of rest my ass”

“this fuckass company can’t even get a hair stylist and sent y/n on stage with a burn on her neck☹️”

backstage, euijoo found you again, this time with no one around to interrupt. his hand found yours, fingers lacing together with ease. you exchanged a quiet smile and showed him your phone with all the fan theories.

“apparently, they had us rehearsing all night,” you said sarcastically. you two couldn’t help but laugh.

he gave your hand a squeeze. “last night’s gonna be hard to top.” but you weren’t 😛

“yeah,” you said, leaning your head lightly against his shoulder. “but we still have tonight.”

[ms-demeanor]

So I have vision insurance again which means I was able to go to the optometrist and get glasses through insurance for the first time in 11 years (instead of paying out of pocket and getting glasses from zenni) and here are my notes:

It's *NOT GREAT* that Luxotica is mentioned by name on the insurance card printout

I know everything got more expensive in the last ten years, but frames also got a lot more expensive and for some reason there was a huge gap in prices - my insurance covered $130 for frames and the office had a bunch of frames for $70 and a bunch of frames for $150 but basically no frames between those two price points.

When you say "I can't afford to go over the allowance" on XYZ thing they are not even *considering* the cost of progressive bifocals. So I was like "no coating, cheap frames, no extras" and then they were like "okay so the progressive bifocal is going to be over a hundred dollars more" and I was like "how much is the bifocal with a line" and they were like "oh that's only $15 but we don't consider that appropriate for your age, we recommend this other kind of lens" and it doesn't matter what you consider age appropriate for me, I can't afford that so we're not doing that.

The seventy dollar frames are all kind of trash. Super thin, super bendy, and not in a good "flexible fit" way but more in a "if you fall asleep in these you will wake up with broken glasses" way.

They wrote down my reading prescription wrong? For the last ten years I've been slowly creeping up from +.25 to my current +2.50; they told me it had increased but the printout said +.75 so either my prescription has been wrong for a while or they missed the 2 at the front of that number and my glasses are going to show up with a low magnification. (I noticed after I'd left the office but before the glasses arrived).

Given all of that, with insurance: $25 for a pair of glasses, which included the office copay.

So then of course I went to zenni and ordered glasses anyway because I've been wearing the same frame design for seven years and want another pair that look exactly like that.

Progressive bifocals WERE the most expensive part of the order, and because my prescription is stronger they are getting progressively more expensive - initially the upgrade to bifocal cost something like $30 for a lower magnification, now they're $85 for the stronger prescription.

And that's it, that's the expensive part. Fifteen dollar frames, five dollar anti-reflective coating, total for bifocals was around a hundred dollars; I got a pair of single-vision sunglasses for under $20.

Part of the reason I decided to spend more at zenni than at my optometrist's office was because I was able to get good, sturdy frames that I know fit my face and will survive mosh pits and me falling asleep on them without cracking. In order to get the same thing at the optometrist's office I would have had to pay thirty dollars more for lenses as well as forty more for frames so I would have walked out of there paying more for a pair of glasses with frames that I wasn't super excited about (there was a pair that was *okay* but not great that were similar in construction to my current frames but more bulky and square) than I did for glasses that I know I like and a pair of sunglasses.

I did end up paying less out of pocket for the visit than I would have without the insurance, and $15 for a pair of back-up glasses isn't bad. But it was all-in-all a frustrating experience.

However: I've been wearing the same pair of glasses for three years and the anti-reflective coating is worn away in some places and they're so scratched that they're impossible to actually clean in some places and large bastard looked through them last week and was like "OH! No wonder you can't tell when you need to clean your windshield! You don't get to drive at night until those are replaced" so no matter what glasses I'm wearing next week they're going to be an improvement.

[liedownquisition]

Hi, Hello, and welcome to:

Snowbirds Don't Fly is Kind of Good, Actually, and You Should Read it and Rethink Your Biases About The Story It's Telling You

By yours truly.

OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER: now like a lot of people who read older comics, I do have my beefs with dear ol' Denny, but there are a handful of things that your criticism starts to teeter into more than a little bit of a red flag. I'm going to discuss why that is, alongside why I think more people need to learn the core message of this arc.

I HIGHLY encourage people to read Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85-86, which depending on where you read might just be listed as part of the Green Lantern (1960) series because it is in fact technically part of that.

And when you do so I want you to actually read what's being said in the comic, in particular I want you to read Roy's lines. Because it is so, so important to acknowledge that, as a whole, this particular arc SIDES WITH HIM. Which is, honestly incredible.

Like, guys, I'm not going to say you're wrong when you say this is an anti-drugs PSA. I'm saying that if you read this comic and saw it only as an avenue for the "War on Drugs" then I'm not sure you really processed some of the messages in this comic. Because most War on Drugs propaganda is NOT interested in empathizing with the addicts in question, and encourages isolating them ("Just say no, and stop hanging out with people like that" being a familiar refrain from school assemblies over the years.)

Listen, I'm American, I've been having anti-drug PSAs preached at me my whole life. War on Drugs all around me. Grew up in somewhat poorer neighborhoods, literally was told to my face by multiple people that they were surprised how well I turned out because they thought that despite everything I was going to grow up to become a "drug whore." I'm not fucking joking about that one. I had family members say that to me, even.

Anyways, just, keep that in mind. I grew up around dealers and addicts and I have a lot of feelings about their portrayals in media. This whole thing was originally going to be part of a different media but it's probably best to split it up this way anyways.

TW: Slurs, drugs (obviously)

SO, without further ado,

Dennis O'Neil, in addition to comics, has a background in Journalism and some investment in social activism. He actively stated that he thought that he could use this in his comics, especially because, at the time, Green Lantern comics were potentially getting cancelled so he had a bit more freedom to do whatever he wanted. Basically, if it flopped in a probably-cancelled comic anyways, nobody had anything to lose. Think something along the lines of that Flinstones Comic by Mark Russel and Steve Pugh.

Ignore the goddamned cover, it's sensationalist and meant to get your attention, and it does the job. READ the WORDS. The above image is straight off the first page of the book. O'Neil takes off running with the utmost of compassion for the addicts in question, emphasizing their humanity, their mistreatment, and their suffering.

Now, lets be realistic with ourselves: Not every addict is so nobly tragic* as are depicted in Adams & O'Neil's story, but if you've heard people talk about addicts, both then and now, you'd know that it really does mean a lot that they come into this from an empathetic angle. *Yes I'm aware that I called them "nobly tragic" despite actively betraying Ollie & Hal and helping to drug them & leaving them to get caught by the cops while drugged up. Though they do express some hesitation at different parts along the way. The fact of the matter is people often ascribe a certain "nobility" to "victims" that they have enough distance from - whether by them being fictional or by not knowing them personally or changing their narratives after people's deaths to support themselves. in real life it's not uncommon for victims to be unpleasant to be around, they can also be perfectly pleasant people. They're human, and humans cover the whole range of personality and experience. Even if they are not "noble" & even if you do not have that distance, they deserve dignity.

Now, while our first introduction to the addicts (who we don't immediately know are that) they are trying to mug Ollie for money for dope (the dope part is implied). The second time we're introduced to one, however...

We are immediately thrust into the struggle of: quitting. Not using, but how difficult it is to quit. That's the worst part. This won't be the last time we discuss this.

Now, this is an arc where we see Green Arrow, who's typically the more liberal voice voice to Hal's politically neutral straight man, but I have to admit that as a Flawed Ollie enjoyer, I like to see him make a mistake, and he makes a LOT of them here. He is, in particular, harsher with the kids than he should be, and he holds a very very common position of seeing addicts simultaneously as "victims" of their dealers, while also refusing to sympathize with them.

The world is hard for everyone, why can't they Just Say No?

Up to this point, we're looking at pretty standard War on Drugs-style propaganda. But near the end of the story in #85 and for the bulk of #86, this is where I'm going to flat out say that the most important voice in this entire comic, is Roy's.

Roy doesn't at any point hesitate to stand up for himself (verbally) and call his generally well-meaning guardian out for his bling hypocrisy and ignorance. We see that neglect and loneliness led him here, but lets go back a bit and look at the reasons from a few of the other addicts:

Discrimination, cruelty, a need for an "escape." Any even mildly sympathetic media will have addicts explain that's their motivation, and I worry sometimes that people hear this and don't process it, because it's only one part of the circumstances that lead them there. the War On Drugs not only took the people who needed the "escape" the most and shoved at them a bad "solution" then imprisoned and profited off them.

From here we go back into Green Arrow's flawed logic:

He's a good, flawed man. He's like many parents who bring up their kids a certain way, a way they think is right perhaps because it's not unlike how THEY were brought up and absolutely missing the ways that they're harming them. Ollie will eventually see the error of his ways and regret these mistakes, but they're very common and very mundane flaws for him to have.

Alright, I'll admit I included this page mostly because that composition makes me giddy. Like, holy SHIT that's gorgeous. And now we are once again introduced to the idea of the struggle we were shown at the beginning: Quitting Cold Turkey.

It's extremely painful. It's dangerous. It could potentially even kill you as sure as the dope does. This is not something for everyone, and definitely not something to handle alone, which Hal himself expresses some uncertainties over, before inquiring what led Roy to this.

Is he wrong? Are the things he's saying any less true now than they were back then?

Even now there is plenty of pro-war propaganda (Just the other day I overheard someone talking about how their grandfather was in a war "Not World War 2, but one of the other Good Ones."). Even know there's lots of explicit and implicit racism that is treated as if it's justified and really MEANS anything about our humanity (Immigration/border control/ect). Even now we have people who believe that wealth is a measure of a man's worth to society or that it makes them inherently better (... I mean, I don't think I have to explain this one).

Hell, this doesn't even touch on gender (Whether discussing strictly feminism or if it's a trans issue) or sexuality or ableism (Whether physical or mental). Do you know how many people I've heard tell me they won't go to a therapist because they don't want to be reliant on a drug that might get prescribed to them? (ignoring the distinction between different branches of the psych field here, they never know the difference)

These are all things that get parroted to kids. We've seen the rising resurgence of gender essentialism, we've SEEN the rise of neo-nazi-ism, and TERFdom, and all these extremist views and movements and they ALL originate in the exact same place.

"What does that have to do with drugs?"

It's the same story. They're dismissed, they're disdained, they're not treated as equal living and learnign human beings. They are TOLD but they are not EDUCATED and they aren't treated with the kind of respect that leads them to think that they can even believe adults when they ARE being taught.

That neglect will be filled, whether by ideological groups preying on the vulnerable or by drugs or something else.

And here we meet our villain. We see society tossing the children away... and a man profiting off their despair. A CEO of a pharmaceutical company, even. Though, that's not really revealed until a few pages later.

... I'm so obsessed with this page you guys have no idea.

Our villain could have been a foreigner, a slumlord, a stereotypical drug kingpin, but it's not. It's a man with an abundance of wealth and a pristine reputation. A man so well known that he's on TV.

Denny O'Niel may or may not have known about the deliberate efforts to put drugs into black communities and prosecute them for them, but he clearly did see that the root of the issue was NOT someone among them, but something that someone else who could exploit them was bringing down to them.

Bringing this back to the dismissal of the youth and Roy's voice being the single-most important one in the story. Roy explicitly states that he only made it because he had support. Kicking a habit when you're on your own isn't impossible, but it's sure as hell not that far off. And, as I've mentioned, going "cold turkey" can also be deadly.

Now, yes, we have managed to create pharmaceuticals that can be useful for getting people off the harder drugs, and sometimes you can even find it for fairly "cheap"... but in our current day and age I don't think I should have to explain how predatory "Big Pharma" (and the health insurance industry) tends to be for those who have a need.

Like many things these days, even something like a rehab center is an industry - largely for profit, and the ones that aren't are often religiously and ideologically motivated. Even THOSE have issues that many result in incredibly dehumanizing conditions. (I was trying to find an article I read a while back including a few interviews from people discussing the conditions and treatment they faced while in rehab to link here, but I can't seem to find it. Must've gotten lost in all my other links and bookmarks.)

Despite there being places online you can look for how to spot a bad rehab center, the fact that these places will continue to exist with bad treatment methods and a complete lack of regulation and many people fall prey to them especially because they don't know to look for this stuff remains. Even still, and this particular one might be a bit outdated, It's not fully understood how best to treat addiction, especially since the one thing we do know of for absolute certain is that it has to be judged on a case-by-case basis. Though there have been good outcomes recently using MORE.

Social stigma and discrimination Including in media and news journalism plays a huge role in perpetuating these systems. And most people have this mentality of thinking it can be "cured", rather than being a chronic disorder with a management system. Here's another page discussing addiction treatments. Have I made my point yet?

My point is that this comic only reads as war on drugs propaganda if you're only listening to Ollie, who is FREQUENTLY being challenged on this throughout the entire arc by every person around him. Ollie in this is someone who has heard and fully bought into the propaganda, despite being a good person who typically tries to help those in need, He Is Not Immune To Propaganda.

There is a reason that this comic starts with a statement emphasizing that the story is about humans being mistreated, and ends with Roy calling Ollie out.

Ollie comes away from this with a changed perspective. It's not outright stated at this point but it's strongly implied because of how proud he is at the end there, and the ways he tries to repair his relationship with Roy down the line without (mostly) being too overbearing.

I would definitely say the worst part of this comic is that the solution our "hero" (Roy) uses is going cold turkey, which is a miserable, godawful, and dangerous experience. I will allow some forgiveness because it's likely that better addiction treatments weren't well understood back then.

So, in conclusion, Denny O'Neil is not without faults, but if you're issue with his works are "He wrote one of the most human-focused anti-drug propaganda pieces of his time, if not also compared to a lot of our time as well" or "He incorporated a lot of social justice topics into his comics" then I genuinely think you need to reevaluate yourself. Maybe he's a little heavy-handed with it, but have you SEEN people's reading comprehension even TODAY?

Sometimes a heavy hand reminding you that other people are human too, and you need to face the "ugliness" of our society and how it treats them and how YOU treat and think about them is the kind of kick in the ass people need.

I'm not even mad that they used Roy, because nobody is above addiction - not even a hero. It doesn't ruin him, because addicts aren't ruined. It's interesting and dynamic. If later writers take this history and write dehumanizing storyline that frame Roy as the villain of his own addiction, that's their biases, not the original story.

Anyways, ending this on my favorite moment that's not fully relevant but not irrelevant, from Justice League of America (2006) #7:

[mayakern]

Will you be making more viscose shirts in the future, or are you switching entirely to cotton? I love the viscose, but I'm looking forward to trying out the cotton as well :)

our next batch of shirts (ocean and bubbles) will be in the viscose, but everything after that will be in cotton!

in fact it'll be the same cotton we're using for maxi dresses, meaning we'll be able to split fabric lots, which will make button ups more viable for us.

right now we just have to order too many of them at a time so it's hard to sustain bc they're so expensive to make and we're technically under charging for them right now. basically, if we kept doing the viscose, we'd have to raise the price to at least $85 anyway to get even close to a healthy margin and we can get the cotton to that price point by splitting fabric lots and people are much more likely to pay $85 for a cotton shirt vs a viscose one.

[aviradasa]

The lost boys main hcs

Marko

5th times the charm with trying to post this.tumblr hates me. This isn't proofread. Sorry it's short I'm tired as fuck and irritated. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless 🖤

Marko is an only child, and he grew up without a father. His mother was a seamstress and worked out of their home when he was a child. His mother was Italian, and his father was Swedish. When Marko was born, they were already living in the united states though so Marko had never been to either country, and he had never met any of his other family members. his dad died when he was 8, so he hardly remembers him now. His mother, on the other hand, died on his 16th birthday, falling victim to the san Francisco plague in 1904. Which was an epidemic of the black plague. He had to abandon her in their home to avoid catching it himself. Taking the last of the money they had and the necklace his mother wore with a picture of their family in it. Not long after, he found the boys, and they all stuck together (as you can guess), but not until after he struggled around town by himself for a few months. God, i need to stop making this shit sad hand on switching gears. He was the youngest when the boys got turned into vamps he had only turned 18 that summer He really tries to act more mature than he is, but as soon as something funny happens, that's over. Marko has a really good sense of humor, but he finds a lot of really stupid shit funny. He's the type of dude to watch his friends fall face down ass up on concrete and start laughing and snapping a photo before asking if they are ok (he is me) This also can lean into how he does lowkey bully people on the boardwalk. Mostly surf nazis but let's be so deadass he's kind of a dick to everyone there in his own special way. Him and paul have a tendency to double team people to: like whoever they come at wont have a chance to say anything cause as soon as one of them pauses the other jumps in to just dog on the person who annoyed them. Some of his insults get pretty creative as well: so if he says something to you thats just out of pocket,like 85% of the time its one of the ones that makes you stop to think about it before you can even get offended 🤣 Strange enough, though. He is very well spoken and charismatic when you talk to him normally. When talking, you notice after a while that he's not one of those folks that cuss every other sentence. Like he will throw it in there like everyone does, but not all the time if you feel me Idk how to describe it. he still talks like a normal person and uses slang and stuff, but he is oddly classy vocabulary wise. He's got a slightly softer tone to his voice as well, which makes his way of speaking come off smoother. He's also extremely smart. Having conversations with him is never really dull or unpleasant. (Unless you're an unlucky boardwalk asshole) Marko is very imaginative and creative. He never stops coming up with things. He hoards hobbies like a dragon hoard gold. From painting to sewing to cooking to wood carving, He just knows how to do this stuff, and he loves it. You will never catch him doing nothing. Even when he's spaced out at the wall, the dude is fiddling with something or sewing. Something together, he just can't stop. He loves giving gifts to friends as well. All of the boys have gifts from Marko that he's made himself. Mostly cause he loves showing off he has skill and unlike Paul he doesn't care if people touch his stuff so he will drag you around his space handing you stuff and showing you everything he's made/ collected cause he's just so proud. Just don't break it. He will be fucking pissed if You break it. Or if you give away anything he gifted you. Also he will talk to you about this stuff for hours on end if you let him (Do let him. He will love you for life if you show Intrests in the things he likes) his space is really cluttered. But looking around, it's mostly albums,art, fabric,patches, and various random objects.

other then that he's really clean. On that note He does not like getting covered in blood when he eats just sayin. He's like the least messy eater of the group mainly cause he hates getting it on his jacket. Plus the texture of dried blood on him makes him want to rip his skin off. It's just one of those things he can't stand So he makes sure to clean up fast. That doesn't mean he doesn't like toying with victims though he's a jumpscare master. He likes to scare his victims half to death before beating the shit outta them. He jokes that hes “tenderizing The meat”. When he does this He gets a kick outta that one. Oh he also likes music, he's not like overly into it though He likes alot of different types as well. Some of his favorite generas are Rock,goth,classical, and some 30s jazz strange enough. He does not give a DAMN what the others have to say about his music taste. if He wants to play his music it will be loud and proud. If they don't like it they are free To take it up with him. (They never will)

[sgiandubh]

News from Birmingham, part 3: verbatim

Verbatim means 'word for word' in Latin and it is often used in French to convey the idea something is being reported exactly as it actually happened.

Absolutely not sorry for the length, nor for the lost night spent on it.

So, here go the juiciest parts using the recording I am (for those joining in later) NOT allowed to post as is. Selection is mine and mine solely - editorial line and all the rest. Once I am done, I shall add my comments. It was hard for the girls to focus on what was being said on stage and write to me in DMs, at the same time. Recording everything was a risk, but also genius. The bits I am going to post are taken exactly as I heard them:

✔️on Blonde Bambino (yes, she elaborated and I had no idea when reporting live by proxy): '(...) and it's just amazing, he's the sweetest, sweetest thing and he looooves music. And, I feel like I succeeded being a mother purely because the other day he asked me if he could invite Kate Bush to his birthday'.

✔️on borrowed things from set: she regrets not having taken some things she liked from previous seasons. 'It's been a long time since I've borrowed anything (...). Terry gave me two nightgowns made in Season 1, she gave me one that was never used. And then she promised me a lot of things (...).' Wanted to 'borrow' something from her own surgery.

✔️on her involvement with the Blankfaces fashion label-cum- homeless charity in GLA: 'oh, that is Gerry who runs that, he is a friend of my husband's and he is just this amazing person who does grassroots organizing, you know, Blankfaces he's been doing for a long time. And I just met Gerry, you know, socially, and then I thought what he was doing was amazing, and I also found the clothes amazing and so I just bought them.' Further explains what Blankfaces does, the shop, the stories, including the food kitchen, but denies a more active involvement with the project/brand. 'I was just the other day at Hozier (...),he is amazing [cooing, booing] and I'm just paraphrasing from Andrew, and Andrew said this amazing thing, which was how we all want to be part of big things, right, you know to be a part of those things that would change the world, and all of that, but it's actually the small little things you do every single day, in your community, that have the biggest impact. (...) But you can buy their stuff online.'

✔️on producing a future movie based on Book Ten: 'I would not be in those competitions with Starz.'

✔️on her resemblance with Claire (oh dear God, not that question again!): 'As a kid, I was definitely not obedient, definitely not quiet and definitely not tidy, but as an adult, I ended up being more organized than I've ever thought I would be in my life (...) shocking (...). The world has changed crazy, (...) I used to talk to people and have opinions on things, but now it feels like a cesspool (...). I miss that space for conversation.'

✔️on 'Erself and the end of Outlander: 'well Diana came to visit, I actually don't know when it was, not that long ago, she came on set, sheeee... ugh, you'd have to forgive me, it was last season, it was so long ago, I can't remember what is what and I have to remember if she wrote something last season (...). Diana, she's created this world (...), she watches everything (...). But she's also allowed us to sort of make her characters our own and she's given us her blessing to do that, which has been amazing. And she still won't tell us the ending. [Voice in public: Sam knows!] Sammy... Sam THINKS he knows.'

✔️on the public impact of OL's Season 1 and sudden fame: 'I got this job so last minute, I was living in the US and I knew it was a US series that we're gonna be filming in the UK. And I read the first book so I was like, OMG sounds like an amazing show to film. But then I went from being cast to being in Scotland in one week. And then you're just like, you're working for 85, 90 hours a week. I didn't know who I was, where I was, what was going on. (...) and we went to Comic Con (...), I mean that whole year was a blur, an amazing blur, but a blur.' Had no expectations about what the show would become, it's now broadcast in 87 countries, 'it's insane, it's amazing'. Being able to be successful after 10 years is 'amazing'.

✔️on what she will miss most about Scotland or is she planning to stay in Scotland after OL is over: 'that's the million dollars question, I don't know. I mean, I think I'll... my husband is Scottish, so I think we'll always have something there, his parents both live there, so you know, we're not never going to be there at some point, but I don't know what is gonna happen after, but I am very, I feel, yeah, I feel like it's gonna be so sad not to... you know for 11 years, no matter like if we're gonna back in the United States or to London for a while we've always known we'd be back to Scotland at some point and be there for 10 or 11 months and so now I don't know, I don't know what the future holds, so....'

✔️on her and Tony sharing the same musical tastes: ' do Sam and I share the same music [Steve immediately BARKS: 'no, Tony, your real husband!'] Tony? Yes. Sam - no.'

✔️Sam's whisky or Graham's bourbon? 'Sam's whisky. I haven't tasted the bourbon, but bourbon is too sweet'.

✔️speaking about Steve - 'he's so mean'. In jest (?).

✔️her favorite part of making her own gin: 'tasting (...), trusting your senses'. The distillery changed, from the first to the second batch - the product's taste changed, a learning curve. They wanted to make sure it's still the same product.

✔️on regretting she did not start acting ten years earlier - mentioned not being ready for the responsibility of shooting 14, 16 hours a day, no sick days, etc: 'it's like a beast'. She felt OL came at the right time, was 'prepared and ready to be there' and eager to be given 'a shot (...): whatever you throw at me, I'll do it'. 'And I think for Sam was the same.'

✔️on memorable OL sets/places: Craigh Na Dun stones. 'The new place where we are, really cool. (....) Amazing stately homes like Hopetoun'. It's 'amazing.'

✔️on another parts in movies - she looks forward for 'good writing' and 'the character to speak' to her, in a new project, the people she will work with... Cliche AF. The Cut and The Amateur roles are 'not huge', the last she clearly said it was a small role, 'it's not my film, it's someone else's film'. She 'did not want to be working all the time, obviously with a small child'. Defined The Cut's plot as 'bizarre', and The Amateur as 'funny'. Loves her job, is happy with it.

✔️last question was asked by a French woman with a very thick accent, about traveling and learning things out of it - C. considers herself very lucky to have been able to travel all around the world as a model. Traveling taught her empathy, how to get over our very Christian centric view of the world. Mentions growing up in 'a very small village in Ireland, that was pretty much, you know, one church, one tiny school and one shop'. Her parents 'instilled a love of reading and learning'. Then she left Ireland to live in France and Japan, and traveled to Nepal. Nepal :'the trip that changed me and changed my life, because I was like seeing a completely different culture that had no correlation to anything that I grew up with, but it was the most beautiful spiritual awakening I guess I've ever had. (...) By traveling and by eating different foods and trying to speak other languages, which I try to do and I apologize to everybody because I try and speak your language, too, because I think (...) it's important to try and connect, because we expect people to come here and do that and it's so rude we don't go and do the same [ applause].' Being able to travel allows us to see how different and how similar we are'.

Ended with a huge thank you to fans, it's been so long that I wasn't attending a convention, 'but it meant the world to me to meet you all again, seen so many familiar faces, it feels so weird to be at the end of this show, because it has meant so much to me (...). Will see you all again soon.'

***

And now, for my comments and findings. Almost point by point:

Kate Bush, LOL (we'll never agree, C and I, on this one; but I can almost imagine Blonde Bambino cooing this - awww):

So, she basically repeated the same anecdote as last year, during promo. From Sade to Kate Bush, and hey, what about that birthday - 'the other day'? But let's not be nitpicky.

'Gerry' actually is Gerard McKenzie Govan, one of the three Directors and the founder of The Blankfaces CIC, a Community Interest Company (regular company with an increased social responsibility twist and, as such, heavily subsidized by the local authorities, too). More on him, here, for those who really want to know about him: https://www.glasgowwestendtoday.scot/magazine/the-man-behind-the-blankfaces-1391/. But that is not the most juicy part, actually - some blatant inconsistencies are. Like 'Gerry' being a friend of Nameless Husband's, but still she met him socially (huh? I thought he was a friend of Nameless Husband, hence a family acquaintance?). Also, C doesn't know shite about The Blankfaces, but still bravely fills in those blanks, like when she tells us fans Gerry has been doing Blankfaces 'for a long time'. The UK competent public authority, Companies House, says something very different and I can prove that the CIC was registered in 2018. Which is not really a long time at all:

'March 6, 2018 - Incorporation of a Community Interest Company' - see above. It also doesn't seem to be very well managed, at all:

Both its yearly accounts and its confirmation statement are long overdue (since 2023, in fact). The CIC is, actually, subject of an 'active proposal to strike off', which means it will be closed/dissolved, and rather sooner than later:

In their case, I suspect a compulsory strike-off, issued by the Companies House register. Fits with the legal criteria:

In a nutshell: because The Blankfaces failed to file its annual accounts and confirmation statement AND because it did not answer to the Companies House's two kind reminder letters, it will be forcibly dissolved in less than two months from now and there is NO going back on that decision, according to UK law.

Wouldn't C know about her Nameless Husband's Friend huge problems? I mean, how more tone-deaf and disconnected can you be, promoting a clinically dead business and inviting people to buy their clothes from their online shop?

Unless... Yeah, unless - but oooh, stupid shippers, slap a shipper, etc.

[Source: Moore and Stoke, an insolvency practitioners' firm based in Stoke-on Trent, UK - simply because they had the simplest and most recent legal explanation, see here: https://www.moorestoke.co.uk/active-proposal-to-strike-off/].

Compared to that, the fact that Tracula was nowhere to be seen at the recent Andrew Hozier-Byrne's concert in GLA is really peanuts. This is serious, legal stuff and please don't give me the 'she's an artist, she doesn't know shit about business' lame excuse. She is also a businesswoman, with her own spirits brand and several other companies, at least in the UK, Ireland and the US. Give me a break, #IYKYK.

Can't wait to be done with OL. Even the thought of a future movie based on Book Ten makes her cringe. Felt it in her voice and it was enough.

World feels like a cesspool? Why on Earth? She is a beautiful, successful and accomplished woman, with her own family and free from want. A cesspool is a very strong and strange word, in this apparent context. Unless.. but yeah, stupid shipper, slap a shipper. Missing conversations, expressing her opinion.... Not even LOL. It made me feel sad. Everything that happened to them since 2016 must be such a burden.

Sammy. SAMMY? Whoa, girl! Merci beaucoup, vraiment. Term of endearment, anyone? Compare with the stiff dead 'my husband' - again, the difference between a teddy bear and a guillotine is transparent in her voice. Also, DG - a difficult topic for her. She doesn't like 'Erself much and I think we all know why.

You tell me about 87 countries, Ma'am. I experience it every day, from the sidelines, so I can easily imagine what the impact could be for you. OL, that blessing and that curse. Also, when she is fed up with prodding and unwilling to kiss arses, she'd quip something along the lines of 'amazing' and be done with it.

Bonnie Scotland and the Day After. Another great moment of 'what the hell ever, just say anything'. Also, Caitriona Mary is a terrible, terrible liar - just like Sam Roland, you know. Her answer came out as incoherent and borderline illogical. Look at this: ' I mean, I think I'll… my husband is Scottish' - the 'I'll' part was her spontaneous starting to answer, about herself, but then inhibition kicked in and shit, she remembered she is married and had to somehow insert Tracula and both his parents (alive, just to make sure). Also, excuse me, hellooo: 'I think we'll always have something there'. Sounds like a flat, more like a pied-à-terre, but lo and behold, she suggests life is going to be elsewhere. What about that pharaonic McMansion, we so passionately followed the painstaking refurbishment of, double glazing included and borderline scandalizing the local heritage protection NGOs in the process? That doesn't really sound like 'something there', does it? That Bear Grylls flat looked more like 'something there', so where's the catch-22, here? What if I was right about McMansion being a fixer-upper she never planned to live in (where, oh where does The Happy Couple live? ooooh, ROFLMAO)? What if I was right about some other thoughts I am not ready to discuss yet? Questions, questions. And yes, London. IYKYK and very different from the emotional, savant blur. Also, for a very organized grown-up woman (her own words, see above), not knowing what the future holds... I mean I get it, but how peculiar, isn't it? Drawing a line, that question unsettled her. She was not planning to answer. She ended with a joke on not being able to see 'that yellow thing in the sky for five months in a row'. Get me out of this question and quick.

The music tastes' question was very clearly audible, even from the back of the room and I had zero trouble to distinctly hear it - it was also asked in a posh & polite British accent, so that helped a LOT: ' do you and Tony share the same music tastes?' The Freudian slip is simply inexplicable. Also, she answered Tony, not 'my husband' : Tony+ my husband in the same phrase is something beyond her strength. But why answer about S at all, that was NOT the question? Why? There are limits to dumbfuckery, after all. Also, Steve is such a pain in the arse. Who, in your mind and heart, is the real husband, C?

Whisky vs. Bourbon, she mumbled her answer, very uneasy, had to listen three times to untangle it. The Soup Nazi had to step in and bark the answer, train station megaphone style, for everyone to hear and get the memo. Now I understand why. And you should, too.

'He's so mean'. Definitely not in jest. Steve, that is. Fire that dick. Plus, later on, she quipped to him: 'you have the reputation of being like a strict schoolmaster'. Answer: 'maybe I am'. A cara nem treme, like they say in Brazil.

In that gin question, the Stan dutifully mentioned Tony (arse kissers, ALL OF THEM) - she could have mentioned him openly, she had a boulevard in front of her. But nope, she came back to mainly mentioning her own experience and a very vague 'we'.

'And I think Sam was the same' - conversations were had early on. In Central Park, London. And then things went very fast, as it sometimes happens. Sharing takes things on a very different level. I think this is exactly what happened to them.

Memorable places: they both are very moved by Craigh Na Dun, and it's absolutely normal. And Hopetoun - LOL, hello, of course ('The Door Faces North', pun totally intended).

Next two movies: so long for her Stans' delusions she was given a main role. She wrapped deception with grace and hid behind being a mom. ALL THE ANTI BLOGS WERE EERILY SILENT ABOUT THIS. I wonder why. Actually no, I don't. But sure, shippers twist things, shippers hide things. No shame, those people.

The last question, on travel, was my favorite one. I think it was perhaps the only time she felt able to fully express what she meant and wanted to. Many will jump on that Nepal reference and it is correct, but to me, on a very personal level, it spoke in many, many other ways. This is the C I have managed to embrace, reluctantly at first (I admit) and like a LOT. This is the witty girl I thought I have lost forever in that sea of painful innuendos, stupid Stans ass-kissing and blurring everything in the process, plus a Nazi minder on top. Fire that dick. Seriously. He wanted to end on a 'funny' Kumbaya note - she subtly managed to break free. Thank you, C. Seriously. The wonder you are and completely unaware of it. And the things you can do with words, if only you'd dare play with them some more.

Her tone at the end was emotional. Very. It was the same tone as for that 'partner everyday' gala speech. Oh, the things she wanted to tell all of us. And if we only knew. But hey, she promised we will meet again, soon. Perhaps in Paris? I'll gladly speak to you. In French.

A HUGE thank you. Both of you. I love you, girls.

[lareynaderucorazon]

Sol x Reader, long post, Minors DNI

"I'm home"

You call out as you take off your shoes. Not even a moment later Sol greets you with a kiss.

"Hi babe, how was your day?"

"Mm nothing special. How was work?"

"Ugh don't even get me started. This new hire, Kevin." You rolled your eyes at the thought of that man.

"But I'm home here with you now so all of that doesn't matter." You put your shoes up and follow your wife into the kitchen.

"Endonde esta Sebastian?"

"He's upstairs finishing his homework."

"Hmm my baby's so studious."

Sol stands over the stove in his frilly green apron. You hug him from behind and peek over his shoulder.

"What gourmet dish did you cook up for us today?"

"Well you've been craving shrimp pasta so I made shrimp fettuccini and some garlic toast."

"So that was the heavenly smell I smelled as soon ans I walked through the door."

Sol slightly blushed. He knew he was married to the love of his life for seven years now but he still couldn't get over how she complemented his cooking. He felt a little embarrassed being put on the spot but, nonetheless, pride swelled in his heart at how he's able to take care of his wife.

"Dinner's ready."

"I'll go get Sebastian."

You walked away but not before you slyly groped his ass cheek. Sol's face turned red and he covered his ass with his hands before turning to softly glare at you. You only sent him a kiss before laughing and walking away.

As you walked up the stairs you could hear faint piano music coming from your son's room. You knocked and waited for him to say come in before you opened the door.

Your son looked up at you, tearing his attention away from his homework.

"Oh hey mom, when did you get back from work?"

"Just right now. I came to get you for dinner, dad made pasta."

"I'll be right there, I'm just trying to finish this last question but I can't get past it."

"Oh what class is it for?"

"Spanish."

"Hm let me see it."

Question: Maria compro ocho frutas. Tres naranjas, dos pinas, una sandia, y dos manzanas. Cada naranja cuesta veinte y ocho pesos y cuarenta y uno centavos. Cada pina cuesta cincuenta pesos y setenta y tres centavos. Una sandia cuesta sesenta y nueve pesos y ochenta y cinco centavos. Cada manzana cuesta veinte y tres pesos y sesenta y ocho centavos. Cuanto pago Maria en dollares?

"Ok wow, that's a lot of information."

"I know right."

"Ok so lets break it down in English first. The problem say, follow along with me, Maria bought 8 fruits. Write down the numbers on top of the words so you can visualize it better. Ok, she bought 3 oranges, 2 pineapples, one watermelon, and 2 apples. Each orange costs 28 pesos and 41 cents, Each pineapple costs 50 pesos and 73 cents. One watermelon costs 79 pesos and 85 cents. Each apple costs 23 pesos and 78 cents. Did you get all that?"

"Yeah."

"Is it easier to see all the numbers written down?"

"A lot easier."

"Now remember its asking for the total in dollars and they gave us the amounts is pesos. So add all of the numbers up and then we are gonna convert the total amount into dollars."

"But how are we going to do that if the teacher didn't give us the conversion rate?"

"The internet my son. What's the total amount?"

"314.1 pesos"

"Now, looking it up on yoogle, you get 1 dollar per every 16.91 pesos. So, you divide the total amount by 16.91 and then you get your answer, which is?"

"18.6 dollars!"

"That's my boy, now let's go down and eat dinner before it gets cold."

You and your son head down to the dinner table where your husband was patiently waiting for you to.

"What took so long?"

"Homework." You and your son said simultaneously. You both laughed before all three of you started to dig in.

🤎timeskip cuz im lazy + smut🤎

Your husband was now washing the dishes as you boxed up the leftovers for your lunch tomorrow. As soon you as you were done with that you were right back onto clinging to your husband. You started trailing kisses up and down his neck, leaving hickies in certain areas. Sol started to groan as you were caressing his hips, occasionally trailing over his hard on before going under his shirt to play with his nipples.

"Mmf."

You leaned into his ear while groping his bulge.

"Shh baby."

"Wha-haa. What abous Sebastian?"

"Taking a shower. Now let me take care of my sexy husband."

You decided you were done with the teasing, so your hands finally found their way under Sol's waistband and at the base of his cock.

"Hm? What's this? Basketball shorts and no draws? You wanted this to happen didn't you? You were fantasizing about this all day weren't you?"

You teased your husband, both with your words and with your hands, slowly traversing up and down his length while occasionally flicking his head.

"Tha-hah. That's not... true."

"It's not? You don't want this? Should I stop?"

"No! No please keep going." Sol could feel you smirk against his shoulder which caused shivers to run down his spine.

"That's my pretty husband. Look at your pretty pink cock in your wife's hands. You love this don't you?"

"Yess!"

"Sh!" You tugged on his dick a little harsher which caused him to bend over and for him to almost drop a plate.

You heard the water turn off upstairs so you knew you had to finish him off quick. You let go of Sol's dick which caused him to whine. You grabbed his hips before harshly turning him around and getting on your knees. Sol's breath hitched in his throat when he felt your warm wet mouth take him all in. He gripped onto the sink as you practically sucked the soul out of him.

"Y/nn. Fuck."

You knew he was about to come so you quickened your pace and started fondling his balls.

Sol's release came quick and powerfully. His eyes rolled to the back of his head while his body involuntarily jerked itself further into his wife's mouth. His hips sputtered for a few seconds before they eventually stopped.

Sol's body fell flaccid against the counter, so you picked up his shorts and gave him a kiss.

"Thanks for desert honey. Why don't you go get ready for bed while I finish up the rest of these dishes."

Sol could only nod and wobble away, the high still heavily weighing on his mind.

Finishing the dishes only took 10 minutes, and once you were done you walked up to your son's room to wish him goodnight. He looked around, trying to spot Sol.

"Where's dad?"

"Oh, he went to bed early. He was really tired today."

"Hm ok. Goodnight mom."

"Goodnight sweetie."

You turned off his lights and left your son's room. You walked down to the opposite end of the hallway to enter your room where you found Sol laying on the bed, staring up into the ceiling. He greeted you with a warm smile and love filled eyes. You smirked while closing and locking the door. You stripped out of your clothes and you could see excitement spark into your husband's eyes.

"Ready for round two?"

Sol belongs to @fantasia-kitt

[lilyblackdrawside]

Leonhardt and how to live with being a Splash Caster

Splash Casters are sooo baaad, am I right? Ha ha ha, that's the post! See you next time!

So Splash Casters have some obvious issues, like high deployment cost, high attack interval, mediocre splash radius and low range. Their overall DPS tends to suck and they're outclassed at dealing area damage by Chain Casters unless there're like 495 slugs approaching in a 2x3 formation.

A lot of Splash Casters have an S2 that makes them hit everything in their attack range at once, as opposed to attacking one target and splashing their damage off of it, like Gitano, Santalla, Dusk, Lavalter and Mostima. The former four even get a range extension of some kind with it. Aside from Gitano, the other four also adress the bad attack interval by gaining ASPD (Dusk, Santalla*) or just not attacking and instead having a passively damaging area while the skill is active. But ultimately, this still leaves them very bad when their skill isn't active. Lavalter's S2 takes 70 SP and lasts 40s, so it has stellar duration but the downtime is just wretched. Gitano's is even worse at an unimaginable 85 SP cost with 30s duration! She also self-stuns for 10s afterwards but at that point she's off skill anyway so it hardly matters. Mostima doesn't even pretend to have any good uptime on her S2 with its 50SP cost and 7s duration, but it is also a full aoe stun and she's actually cheating the cost too with her SP aura that cuts it to an effective 35 raw and 26 with ModX. Yes, they did amplify her SP aura from +0.4sp/s to +0.9sp/s with that module. (For herself. non-Mostima Casters "only" get +0.6sp/s with it) Marcille with her S2 entirely bypasses how bad Splash Casters are off-skill by having it be permanent. It also increases her aspd and range and splash radius, so they really did their homework when assembling her kit. Greyy also tries to solve his branch's issues in a unique way by having an S2 that takes 60SP, has 0 initial SP and lasts for 30 seconds. That's not how he solves problems, that's how he created a problem for himself. No at M3 and with his module, between his S2 giving him +80 ASPD (that's it.) and doubling his talent's Slow duration, he actually has permanent Slow uptime while this skill is active, which increases the time he has to hit enemies in his range and clumps them up for better splashing. It's very functional if you ignore his need to sit around for a minute to get it up. Skyfire does her own thing and has a lot of merit, but because she is a Splash Caster most of it is wasted. Santalla is pretty good. She just has bad skill uptime, but at least gets +20% atk from her talent so she still does decent damage off skill.

So that leaves our boy of the hour.

Leonhardt. Whoops, that's not quite right.

There we go, now he's right side up. He's 'strayan, you see. That's why he's upside down, hm?

So what makes him so special then? Well it all lies in his instant burst damage S2.

This deals damage immediately on use, with a range extension to reach as far as a Marksman Sniper. You can just bust out all three stored charges back to back to back with practically no delay for a big burst of damage. Like this, he bypasses his branch-given bad attack interval, bad range and mediocre splash radius all at once. Smells a lot like those S2s I mentioned earlier so far, but unlike those his skill only takes 10 SP so as long as you're judicious in its application, Leonhardt doesn't have downtime. He's never in an off-skill state. Hell, if you add MostimaX the charge time for this goes down to 6.25 seconds which is about as long as Skyfire's attack interval with her S2 active. (That's like 5s, I'm exaggerating) His talent also is pretty good, giving him up to +24% ATK at 4% per enemy in his range. +40% maximum with module! That's pretty massive actually. Takes him from 918 ATK at module level to up to 1285, pretty nice! Unfortunately, they gave him the X module which is just really weird because the extra nipple of range he gets doesn't work with his S2. You pretty much always want ModY for Splash Casters because all of them minus Greyy have a range extension somewhere in their kit and it never works with Mod X's trait change and ModY's -8 Deployment Cost is huge. Paying 31 DP for Leonhardt is barely reasonable, but 23 would be just fine. I'll deploy 23 cost operators all day long. ModY makes Dusk into a functional Vanguard.

But anyway, give Leonhardt a try. He's good. And funny! I love slamming his S2 down three times cause it has a nice crackly sound effect and comes out so delayless, very satisfying.

Also look at his E2 and winter outfit artworks:

He knows he's the shit.

Look at him without his jacket or coat. Look at him in his little schoolboy uniform. So prim and proper. What a brat.

And yes I am really good to him because look how much I raised Ayerscarpe too:

He's pretty nice too, as long as you don't expect him to be a Broken Lord like every other 5+ Star member of the Branch. Sometimes there is an actual situation where his S2 can do its thing and when it does it's just amazing. S1 is also quite good and he has hovering swords?? Come on! He has floating blades! That's already worth raising him for.

[hestzhyen]

Chapter 85 Open Posting

The feels, dear void. THE FEELS!

The second editor's note has a spoiler so the rest of the post is under the cut.

Editor's Notes First Page: (too blurry, will get later) Last Page: 閉ざした目を、開いて... [tozaishita me o, hiraite...] "Eyes once closed, now open..."

The Metaphor Blade

Samura Seiichi nominated for "most stubborn character in fiction"

Chihiro cracked Samura's resolve, but the old man fixed it right up with the same "what if the future sucks" anxieties that propelled him all this way.

Honestly there's not much to dissect this chapter since it was 100% loud and clear about what was going on and what the visuals were standing in for. 10/10 stuff, right on point; even the speed readers have no excuse for not understanding since it's all plain as day. Samura even says it outright: as long as Chihiro holds that blade (a metaphor for his father's wishes/burden), he'll be in constant pain. Leave it to him, the older generation, to kill himself trying to make amends.

Not a chance, middle-aged man.

But obviously Chihiro's having none of it and Iori's coming in big with her desire to stand by her father's side. Chihiro and Iori want to be there with their dads to make things better. Step by step, side by side. Chihiro can't do that with his own dad any more but he can at least make Samura see the error of his ways and give Iori what he can't have himself. God. I love you, Chihiro.

This is peak shounen too: the MC providing hope and insisting that things can and will be better if we all work together is at the heart of the works in this demographic. Friendship, effort, victory: the original motto of WSJ. Chihiro's gotta work on the friendship part and the part where he has hope for himself, but he's getting there. Forcibly showing Samura a better way to do things is a start.

The Metaphor Door

Anxiety incarnate.

Samura's been struggling with this door for a long, long time now and he finally opened it to see what was really behind it instead of all his fears and anxieties taking control. Very cool that it was Inori's memory that reminded him to do that, too! Chihiro did a hell of a lot this fight, but it was all so that Iori and Inori could finally get through to him. The catharsis is seriously overwhelming.

I think this is also a really strong message from the author. I relate to Samura a lot, unfortunately. Anxiety disorders compounded with PTSD mean it's extremely hard to catch yourself in a self-destructive thought pattern based off of negative assumptions. You're trapped in a myopic vision of the world without realising it a lot of the time. So, actually taking a fucking look what's behind that door is momentous. Incredibly difficult. Even remembering there are other options is a struggle a lot of the time. And what if it's even worse than what you're imagining?

But oftentimes, it's better than you think.

The catharsissssssss

It's something that speaks to me on a deeply personal level and I think it was executed perfectly this arc.

Be there for the ones you love. Thank them, love them. They need you as much as you need them, no matter what your brain's telling you. The future isn't as frightening if you don't try to go it alone every time. Which leads us to...

The Metaphor Injury

Oh no, he's hot.

Samura's blindness being healed because he's finally, finally, FINALLY seeing reality for what it is. This moment is what the whole arc's been building to ever since we met the man in chapter 50!

I hope some of his scars remain as a little reminder that having a breakthrough moment doesn't wholly "fix" a person, but no matter how it turns out, we got our resolution. Samura's standing down and willing to talk things out at last.

Now we just have to hope Yura allows this to happen.

Chapter 59. Yura's so unseriously serious.

I will enjoy this moment of relief as long as it lasts. But I'm also prepared for some sudden heartbreak because of this "unbreakable pinky swear". Seriously, I want Samura to be able to retire and rebuild his relationship with Iori at last. Both of them need to really talk and sort things out... and honestly... the suicidally anxious/depressed man deserves a chance to heal all his wounds, not just the physical ones. We'll see how it goes though... Iori inheriting Tobimune and/or joining Chihiro's crusade against the Hishaku isn't off the table yet is all I'm saying.

There's also a very slim chance that Samura continues on his quest, but I think we can safely rule that out now. At this point I think he'd rather let the pinky ring do whatever it's there for instead of acting against Chihiro and Iori's wishes. So the main questions I have now are:

Will Samura get a chance to talk to Iori? And sort things with the Masumi?

When will the pinky promise come into play?

What's Yura up to while all this is going on?

Where's Kumeyuri, exactly?

When are we getting back to the Kamunabi HQ thread and all it's own plot points (Azami vs. Samuraishaku, Hakuri and Uruha, Magatsumi and the Sword Master, Hakuri being "bait" for the main forces, the mole, etc.)

How will the Kamunabi events set up for the next arc?

Will we ever get the kanji for Iori's given name? If not, that bodes ill for her chances of sticking around...

Okay. Like I said, not much to dissect this week since it's all extremely obvious stuff resolving the main tension of the arc. 10/10 peak chapter I love it and have so many emotions. Next week... who knows what will happen? Until then, stay hydrated and healthy, dear void.

[aliciavance4228]

Now that I'm thinking about it... @sarafangirlart talked a lot about how Perseus and Pelops might have been good friends, given the fact that most of Perseus' sons ended up marrying most of Pelops' daughters. And we also know that Chrysippus got kidnapped by Prince Laius of Thebes, which caused Pelops to recover him by force, and some sources directly state that he started a war against Thebes because of this:

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 85 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "Laius, son of Labdacus, carried of Chrysippus, illegitimate son of Pelops, at the Nemean Games because of his exceeding beauty. Pelops made war and recovered him. At the instigation of their mother Hippodamia, Atreus and Thyestes killed him. When Pelops blamed Hippodamia, she killed herself."

So... what if Pelops made an alliance with Perseus and was something like: "Hey man, can I please borrow some of your soldiers n' stuff 'cause apparently this guy named Laius wants to make pederasty a thing in Thebes by exmplifying it on my son, you know?" to which Perseus replied with: "Yeah, man! Sure thi- Wait, did you just say pederasty?!"

Are there any sources supporting this interpretation? Nope! Would it make thematical sense and add more nuance to the future disputes between Argos and Thebes such as Seven Against Thebes? Well, yeah...

[sirjocktrainer]

Weekly Workout

A good jock workout hard.

A good jock eats right.

A good jock obeys coach.

Keeping with the theme of dreams, what started yours? Because if you're following me not only to you like jocks/soldier/etc you like either being a submissive one, maybe a dominant one, or both.

So what started your you on the path to dream of being a owned jock or jock owner?

For me I grew up on an overseas military base so uniforms where normal and even before I realized I like guys all the fit and attractive guys around me where in uniform much of the time. Which is why while I like sports uniforms I will also take a guy in a military uniform over a footballer or even a rugby player any day.

I also always like the part of movies and TV shows where the bad guy(or girl) used their magic, a watch, whatever, to control either the sidekick or random victim of the week, bouse points if it was a guy being controlled.

But it wasn't until very late high school with the rise of the internet in the late 90s (yes I'm in my 40s) that I started find sites with d/s angles and while it looks very different than it does today I found places like Gear fetish which made me realized the idea of being in charge and control of those men in uniform was what I wanted. and then e-groups/yahoo groups that made me realize just how powerful a tool hypnosis could be as part of that control.

From there I quickly realized it wasn't the sex I was after, it was the pushing him I wanted, molding him. Knowing that he's in the share he was in because of him, for me. That he was on his knees not because he wanted to be on them but because I told him to be.

It was about the control, mostly long term control to put my mark on the man, so that no matter where life took him he knew it was there because at least in part me.

I've learned a lot in the 25-30 years since I started but at it's core it hadn't change, I like men in uniforms of just about every kind and I want to forge them into someone better under my control.

Which is why if you've talked to me one on one I don't just talk about workouts, I also talk about how is school/work going, goals outside the gym. I want to mold the whole man.

Now, what's your story? what lead you to this part of tumblr?

Goals

My 500cals is still very consistent at 6:29. With my writing was okay, I didn't hit my goal but I wrote about 1500 words which is better. My goal to reading went very well, I finished over 600 pages, finishing the book I was one plus two other shorter ones that have been waiting in to my read stack .

This week  @orcaazure, my marines and Toy, are being good boys and giving their best.

sirjocktrainer-100cal in 5 min, read 300 pages a week. 2000 words write/edit

boy-s37- 85% meal diet compliance Perform 100 pushups per day Achieve chest growth 40 inches

orcaazure- Total of 5 workouts a week Stick to my meal plan 5 out of 7 days a week bicep measures goal 42 shoulders measure goal 25

Costas-Drop 50 pounds 100 pushups in 2 minutes Free of sugar for 6 months

[ckret2]

I'M SORRY but I don't have TIME to read through all 60 chapters of your fic. I do however have a MIGHTY NEED for as much content about Euclydia as possible. Can you direct me to which chapters feature flashbacks to Bill's home life?

Bad news! it's 94 chapters now!!

There's flashbacks to Bill's childhood in chapters 15, 40, 41, 42, 49, 52, 53, 55, 82, 83, and 85. Some of them are dream sequences, so they aren't 100% accurate, Bill's subconscious is reinterpreting the events.

On top of the flashbacks, chapters 52, 53, 55, and 85 have extra lore about his home/childhood in the rest of the (present day) chapter.

Bill talks about his childhood in chapters 30, 56, and 84 but there's no additional flashbacks, just lore. (including pictures of his house!)

Chapters 61-69 are about the aftermath of the Euclidean Massacre, so they're about Euclydia but technically Euclydia burned up like a day earlier. There's a lot of other 2D dimensions/people though.

‼️Important note!‼️ Chapters 16-60 were posted before TBOB and haven't been edited yet, but technically the only part that isn't canon compliant is his parents' designs—I originally made them a golden line and a green trapezoid. So, don't be surprised by that. The rest of the lore about his home dimension is unchanged by TBOB. (and if anything doesn't look canon compliant, that's because you don't know the whole story yet.)

[sea-salted-wolverine]

In honor of the moose/Iditarod rule 34 chaos post reaching 1000 notes and then Dallas Seavy winning the Iditarod here are all the unhinged stories and things I know about that race

They changed the rules and schedules so you can't do this anymore, but there was a subset of mushers who would race the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod back to back. That's a 1000-mile race followed by another 1000-mile race through some of the harshest terrain on earth in late winter. And the Yukon quest doesn't even finish where the Iditarod starts. To do this required putting dogs in a plane OR having another team of dogs waiting in anchorage and someone to deal with both teams of dogs.

The first woman to win the Iditarod was Libby Riddles in 1985.

Only to have her finish promptly blown out of the water by Susan Butcher who won the race in 86', 87', 88', and 90' while setting speed records the whole way.

Susan did race in 85' but she ran into a moose early and it killed two of her dogs and hurt the rest so she scratched. Dallas got lucky this year.

She was also the first person to mush a dog team up to the summit of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. This is not what dog teams are intended to do, I don't know why she even wanted to, other than to prove it was possible. I don't think anyone has since.

The race now requires GPS trackers on all the racers and you would not believe the bitchfit everyone threw over those. Mushers can either hop between checkpoints or camp on the trail and it may surprise you to learn that these are the kind of people who have secret camp spots in the woods that they don't want anyone to know about. So now, everyone has acquiesced to the tracker requirement but you must have an account on the race website if you want to see them.

The race has 2 paths that alternate even and odd years with different checkpoints but every year includes a section of race that crosses the sea ice, approximately 50 miles from Shaktoolik to Koyuk. so forget landmarks. point the sled north and hope you're going the right way.

the race is in honor of the 1925 Serum Run and the diphtheria outbreak, but the trail itself is the old freight route which is almost twice the length. also, it's a freight route for hauling freight which means the the racers are going at more or less lightspeed as compared to the intended use.

the most effective way to avoid frostbite on your face is a fur hood and duct tape on your cheeks and nose. Cold-related injuries are rare but far from unheard of. The average number of toes and fingertips among mushers is lower than that of the general population.

The finish line is a massive burled arch in the middle of main street in Nome. There is not a lot going on in Nome at any given time and this time of year is the exception. Every racer who finishes the race gets the same reception, which is everyone in town crowding into the finish chute to cheer them on and the city fire siren going off. The last racer in gets the Red Lantern Award which means that they finished dead last but didn't scratch.

the 2020 race had started and was fully underway when the pandemic lockdowns came into place. as far as social distancing goes, you really can't do much better than being isolated 100 miles into the middle of frozen nowhere but the checkpoints are itty bitty villages with no medical infrastructure and the finish was reportedly terrifying because instead of a crowd to cheer at the burled arch, it was just the siren going off in a ghost town.

there is no way I can tell this story that doesn't sound like I'm making it up as I go. The sign says no sniveling and they fucking mean it.

no really, click that link. here's the YouTube vid (non-graphic, after-the-fact interviews)

[splatsvilles-fashionista]

Splatoon 3 Fashion Challenge - Week 85:

I'll be real with y'all for a second: Between the lack of updates for Splatoon 3, me playing a bunch of other games, as well real-life stuff (like my recent birthday and my new aquarium which I just now remembered I haven't shown yet. I'll get on that soon!), I've not really found the time or interest to do things for this blog, including new fashion challenges. And that's a shame, because I wanna keep them going for as long as possible, but it's getting harder and harder.

We're not giving up yet though, even if I'm struggling to come up with new stuff we've still got some old ideas to reuse, including one of my personal favourites:

Thrifty Fits: 2025 edition!

Special Rules: We’re being very economical this weekend! For this challenge, your outfit’s total cost must not exceed 3000 coins, nor have a combined default Star Rating of more than 2. Additionally, all Grizzco, Singleplayer, and amiibo gear is banned. No hand-me-downs allowed, this all about smart shopping!

We ran this challenge for the first time back in 2023, and lots of new gear's been added since then, so there's plenty of new fits to make!

Rules:

Put together an outfit of any kind that you feel matches this week’s theme. Be sure to give it a name, as well!

Send it to me via ask or submission, please don’t add it to a reblog, that makes it very easy to miss! Also, please make it clear that it is a submission for the challenge and not just a regular submission.

Only one outfit per person! You can submit multiple photos of that single outfit, though.

Please include the gear you picked in the submission. It makes my life just a touch easier!  

The deadline for outfit submissions is 10 PM UTC on Tuesday!