#and ireland is third in the world? yes yes i did

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Fatboy Slim - Praise You 1999

"Praise You" is a song by British big beat musician Fatboy Slim, and was released as the third single from his second studio album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998). It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and in Iceland, number four in Canada, number six in Ireland, and number 36 in the US. A total of six samples are used in the song. The song features a prominent vocal sample from the opening of "Take Yo' Praise" by Camille Yarbrough, as well as a prominent piano sample from the track "Balance and Rehearsal" from a test album entitled Sessions released by audio electronics company JBL in 1973. That recording session was for "Captain America", sung by Hoyt Axton; a snippet of Axton's vocals humming the "Captain America" melody can be heard in the album version of "Praise You." "Praise You" also features a guitar sample from the opening of "It's a Small World" from the Disneyland Records-released album Mickey Mouse Disco, the theme from the cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, the electric piano riff from "Lucky Man" by Steve Miller Band, and the drum beat from "Running Back To Me" by Tom Fogerty. In a 2021 interview with the website WhoSampled, Yarbrough said that she liked "Praise You" and its use of her vocals, feeling that Cook kept the essence of "Take Yo' Praise".

The accompanying video for "Praise You" was directed by Spike Jonze with Roman Coppola. Jonze starred in the film, under the pseudonym Richard Koufey, along with a fictional dance group: The Torrance Community Dance Group. The video intro described it as "A Torrance Public Film Production". The video was shot guerrilla-style – that is, on location without obtaining permission from the owners of the property – in front of puzzled onlookers outside the Fox Bruin Theater in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. In the video, a heavily disguised Jonze and the dance group, acting as a flash mob, dance to "Praise You", much to the chagrin of a theatre employee who turns off their portable stereo.

The video reportedly cost only US$800 to produce. It won three major awards at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards: Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, and Best Choreography. It was also nominated for, but did not win, Best Dance Video. In 2001, it was voted number one of the 100 best videos of all time, in a poll to mark the 20th anniversary of MTV.

"Praise You" received a total of 80,6% yes votes! Previous Fatboy Slim polls: #12 "Weapon of Choice".

[caliburn-the-sword]

the main talking point of a lot of people that love eah but bash on descendants is that "eah was deep!! descendants was just a disney knockoff that meant nothing and was just a cashgrab" SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP (to be clear i am an eah lover). analytical thoughts to follow:

consider also, that auradon is portrayed as very technologically advanced in direct opposition to the isle being associated with magic (even with its ban) and a lot of of clearly second hand, worn and torn fridges and tvs and whatever

also, the fact that she felt PRESSURED to not only culturally assimilate into auradon culture, but alter her physical appearance to assimilate further. consider mal's costuming in the first movie. on the isle, we see her with (what i assume is her natural) purple hair, leather, etc. she is even, to a degree, gender nonconforming. pretty much the ONLY time we see her in skirts is when she's trying to impress ben for her plan to work

compare this with the hair costuming in descendants 2:

(i actually can't remember which scenes the third one was in but whatever) they have taken away her sparkle!! she's assimilated firstly into auradon fashion by dressing in pastels like them, and in SKIRTS which she textually only wore in the first movie when she wanted to impress ben. now with the added context of her wanting to impress auradon. and it really speaks a lot that she feels she has to conform to gender norms more in order to be accepted by auradon

and what about hair. she's felt the need to not only change the way she dresses, but change her hair to the eurocentric standard, so blonde that it's almost WHITE to conform to auradon's society (because let's be real, her mum's a fairy/dragon and her dad is a greek god. i'd be MORE surprised if she was DYING her hair purple than it being natural). changing your natural hair in order to to conform to and be accepted by the majority... where have i heard that one before??

shoutout to @soniccat

(to be clear. it is not a one for one analogy. "hey using a spell to force someone to forget what you did is an invasion" to me is like going "well actually people were right to fear mutants in x-men because some of them were walking weapons" IT'S A METAPHOR THAT IS ALSO A PLOT DEVICE)

('backwater' being used ironically, do not let my meaning be misconstrued here. a better way to word it is that immigrants are guilttripped into having to be 'grateful' for their oppression in a first world country because microaggressions or assimilation is considered better than the alternative, being back in your home country where living conditions may be considered poorer)

in the sense that for instance, jay put a VK spin on supporting feminism. like yes, he could've done it the rulefollowing, create a petition and gather signatures route, but INSTEAD he finds and exploits an existing loophole to let lonnie join the team. or evie shouting out dizzy's creations, uplifting her voice despite the fact she could've still taken the credit since she was the one that paired the outfit with the accessories. etc

are the descendants movies objectively bad movies?? yes. but this was to me, one of the most compelling analogies for immigrant struggles. take particular notice how almost ALL the main VKs are either racebent from the original disney movies (evie, carlos, uma) or were already based on an ethnic character (mal, jay)

but wait, mal is the whitest white girl to walk the planet. how is she already based on an ethnic character?

glad you asked. it is quite unclear in the descendants movie (basing its portrayal of maleficent on the disney sleeping beauty) is a fairy or a dragon. while the maleficent movie isn't canon to the descendants universe, i'm still going to use the fact that she's a fairy with the magical ability to turn herself into a dragon

a lot fairy folklore comes from ireland. the name maleficent itself, and i quote

shares similarities to the name millicent. millicent has irish (or scottish) roots (even a coat of arms) as in

thus one could argue that maleficent herself could potentially be irish coded

whether or not you agree with the idea that maleficent is irish coded, it is undeniable that mal is the daughter of hades, a greek god. it's a shame that that was a retcon in the third movie and not planned from the start, because the role could've gone to an actually greek actress (please google the ottoman empire and greek independence day if you still think it's not fitting for me to group mal with the others)

where was i going with this?? right. it's extremely telling that most of the main/side VKs, save for gil, are ethnic, in the story of a group of misfits finding themselves in an unfamiliar country with new social norms for them to learn as they try to fit in with and become accepted by their peers

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Did their mother leave Rhys the sword specifically? Or How did he get it?

This is based on the very vague idea that religion and displacement killed Britannia, and this is probably the second wave of Anglo-Saxon invasions, so I refer to the Jutes to try and be specific but eh???? This takes place as the Germanic invaders come to close around the family hillfort, I fucken guess. Idk, There was one Celtic British tribe called the Brigantes in Ireland, Scotland and England and maaaaaybe in Wales. It's a fucken reach, but I'm basically writing fantasy at this point anyway. But anyway, as the Romans pulled out in the 5th century, that transformed into the Kingdom of Rheged in what is now Northern England and Southern Scotland. Arthur is about ten, Rhys is probably sixteen, Alasdair and Brighid about 18. Alasdair has been stabbed, and Brighid was sent away to her her own territories. None of this makes fuck all historical or chronological sense ngl but this scene gripped me by the neck and wouldn't let go until it was on paper. TW for offscreen violence and... consensual implied???? murder.

The Jutes breached the steep sides of the earthworks on the seventh day. The carnyx made their harrowing cries, and Rhys shoved a Jute down and pried his sword from the man's neck, whipping around as the carnyx blew two short notes and a longer third, the signal to summon him to mother. Arthur was on the inner walls with the other archers. Rhys saw his youngest brother flick blood from his fingers as he nocked another arrow and slipped between the maze of stone battlements as fast as his legs would allow him. Arthur glanced down, a frown on his face as his arrow flew, and then he was off the gallery, hanging from the beam and running next to Rhys for home.

"Go back," Rhys said. "Go back, I'll come for you after."

"Mother summoned you," Arthur said, keeping pace. His tunic was wearing thin at the elbows, all the wear of firing, and Rhys ached. He would have to find his baby brother a new one soon and find his cloak before winter closed in.

"Yes," Rhys said.

"I'm coming."

Rhys slowed, stopped for only a moment, his momentum nearly tipping Arthur over as Rhys gripped his arm.

"They breached the walls." He said and Arthur nodded, his too-large eyes watering.

"I know."

"Do you understand what comes next?"

"I... I want to say goodbye. Please. I'll go if you say, but I need to say goodbye."

Rhys squeezed his eyes shut, taking a breath, pain he had ever scarcely imagined twisting in his body. "When I say go, you go."

Another nod, more tears. Rhys held his brother's trembling hand. He was still so young, sandy hair still fine. He kissed his brother's forehead.

"I won't let anything happen to you today." Rhys said fiercely. "But you have to go when I say."

They moved again. In the stone hall, they found mother on the yew throne before the altar where she had once been worshipped.

"Mother!" Arthur leapt into her lap, crying freely now. Her hair was loose, streaming over her shoulders in firey spirals, so like Brighid's. He sobbed into her arms, and Rhys could barely keep his grip on his sword. Not even his own, Alasdair's old one. He'd lost his brother in the fray and Alasdair had not responded to the call. His mother cradled her youngest son and stared at Rhys, searching his face.

He nodded, and his understanding of his duty seemed to give her more strength than she'd had in decades. She gripped Arthur tighter.

"Don't go! Don't leave." Arthur cried and then in a much smaller voice. "Don't leave because of me."

Mother cradled his face, her war torc glinting. "It is not your fault. This is not your fault, sweet boy. All things must journey beyond the sunset. It is only my turn now."

"Where?" Arthur trembled. "Where will you go?"

Rhys had to close his eyes. The world had changed so much, Arthur could not immediately recall where they went in the end.

"West, my love. Beyond the sea and the sunset. With all those gone and all those yet to be. West."

Arthur clutched her tunic in his small, trembling hands, but his small mouth set in a line.

"Someday," She said and kissed him. "In some form. You will find me again, my love. My sweet boy. I love you. I love you so much. Find your cloak, find your bow and live, my sweet boy. Stay alive." She set him on his feet again.

"No," Arthur shook his head and his control broke complete, sobbing. "Mother no, please don't make me go."

"You must," She touched his cheek. "You must find your siblings and you must go. I will see you again."

"Wait for us, Mama." He cried. "Don't go too far west, please. Please."

"I will see you again." She said firmly, and her tears broke over her cheeks. "Go, my boy. Go now."

He wouldn't. He screamed and kicked. Rhys had to lift Arthur as he beat on his back and tossed him from the hall, slamming the doors behind him as he howled. His mother was in tears, beautiful and trembling. The great golden war torc around her neck glinted.

"I am sorry," She said and she gripped his hands. "I am so sorry I have to ask this of you."

"I know." He whispered.

"I won't die under the hooves of the Germans," She said, fiercely, her nails puncturing his palms. "I will die as I lived."

"I know," He said again, unsure how he had managed to keep his sobs boiling in his belly and not rising to spill out.

"You have to keep the peace, my love." She said. "You have to keep the peace between all of you."

"I will." He said and that was what broke the sob open. He dropped Alasdair's old sword. "Don't hate me when I fail. Please. I'll try but I---"

"Never." His mother flung him on her and held him like he was newly weaned and tiny again, clinging to her as all light and life and warmth in the world. "I will never hate you. I will love you and your siblings still when the fire in the sky goes out, Rhys."

The cacophony had grown louder, shouts and screams and clanging metal. She gripped him.

"My torc goes to your sister. What's left of the gold you can divide amongst yourselves." She lifted her hands from him and he went cold without them. She reached behind her seat and lifted her sword. "And this, this will have to be yours."

"Is this..." He stared at the leaf-bladed sword he had watched her wield all his life.

"Yes." She said and pressed it into his hands. "Through my heart, my love. The blood will soak the soil, but my cloak can cover the wound. Wait for your sister to bury me in the barrow. It's cold enough. You know where."

Rhys sobbed. They poured out of him in the rush of the great rivers. One, two, three great gulping sobs, and then he shook his head, rubbed his eyes and looked at her, breathing hard.

"It is time. Remember what I told you." Her dreams of her youngest son, her wisdom for Rhys, her love for all of them.

"Keep the peace. Arthur will one day build impossible iron ships. You love us."

"More than anything, I love you." She said, and he knelt before her on her throne. Her hands were white. She opened her cloak to reveal her tunic, and he lifted the sword.

[kolimachris]

The scope of Persona 5?

So, I'm curious what people think the scope or range of Persona 5 is. By this I mean how far reaching (geographically) are things in Persona 5?

Massive P5 spoilers ahead.

For the most part the game deals exclusively with Tokyo. Yes, you do go to Hawaii, but nothing metaverse-related happens while you're there. Obviously things like news of the Phantom Thieves reaches beyond Tokyo, but there are a few specific things I'm curious about.

First, Mementos. Is Mementos for the palace of the general public of the entire world? Just Japan? It's probably not (by my guess) of just Tokyo because of Futaba's confidant ranks. Futaba has a friend who "moved away" with her parents and you change the hearts of those parents as part of a Mementos request for Futaba. But Tokyo is big enough that I could see someone arguing that she didn't necessarily move outside of the Tokyo area, and nothing else indicates that anyone you deal with connected to Mementos is located outside of Tokyo, so it's limited to the Tokyo area as far as who's shadows are there and can be affected.

Second, Qliphoth world. Again, something that could be limited to Tokyo, or could go beyond it. We only see Tokyo affected, but we only only see Tokyo period. I've seen fanfic where someone from P4 is in Tokyo at the time and calls someone else from the Investigation Team and it's not happening where the other person is.

Third, "everyone" cheering on the Phantom Thieves during their fight against Yaldabaoth. Like, the poll on the Phan-Site reaching 100% can't really be taken as literally true unless everyone is not only cheering on the PTs, but also logging onto to the Phan-Site to vote in an online poll, which seems a weird thing to do given the circumstances. So I take the poll as a bit of narrative creative liberties rather than literal canonical truth. But of course I could be wrong. Still, the point is that everyone is cheering on the Phantom Thieves, and that I don't think is up to interpretation. What is up to interpretation, however, is what is meant by "everyone". Again, we only see people in Tokyo cheering them on, but that's because we only see people in Tokyo. The Phan-Site (which again, I'm not taking the poll you see there as literal canon truth during that scene, but it's still worth bringing up) definitely has people accessing it from outside of Tokyo and even from outside of Japan. And while you hear what's happening in the battle being broadcast in Shibuya, you do see people in other parts of Tokyo cheering. (I think. I know your max rank confidants are various locations when Qliphoth world starts, but I did just realize that I don't recall for certain if they're still at those locations when they're cheering you on. So maybe the only people hearing what's happening in the fight are in Shibuya specifically?)

So, yeah, those three points. How far do you think Mementos reaches, how far do you think the Qliphoth world reaches, and how far out is everyone cheering for the Phantom Thieves during the Yaldabaoth battle?

My personal opinion? Global, all three.

I don't think that people globally were supporting Shido. It would be weird if Mementos caused people in Ireland who had never heard of him to suddenly be like, "yes, I support this Japanese politician for Prime Minister of Japan, even though I've never cared about politics in general and this is on the other side of the planet". But I do think the distortions that caused the weirdly strong support for Shido reached out globally.

I think globally there were people with Palaces. I think the Phantom Thieves could have heard about someone in Brazil and then found the person in Mementos. I think the only reason we don't see things more globally is simply that the Phantom Thieves are themselves in Tokyo, so the things they hear about are in Tokyo. People outside of Tokyo probably don't make as many requests because everyone who knows about the Phantom Thieves knows that they're based in Tokyo. That's the only place anyone's heard about them doing stuff. So for the most part people elsewhere don't bother making requests, and Mishima, intentionally or subconsciously, doesn't really pay as much attention to requests from elsewhere as he does requests close to home. And requests from outside of Japan are probably even more rare as few people who don't know Japanese are likely to even access the site. But my headcanon is that they all are still connected to Mementos regardless. And of course the Phantom Thieves can't exactly go visit Palaces in distant locations even if they exist, since Palaces require you to be physically in the area in the first place.

I think the fight with Yaldabaoth wasn't just "broadcast" through the screens in Shibuya. And as big as Yaldabaoth was, it didn't really look like even people at Shibuya crossing would've been able to see much of the fight. I think it's more that, as the god of control connected to the masses and their wishes (even though the veins were cut by this point) people just kind of knew what was happening at the fight. At least, once it reached that point. Maybe it's also because of Morgana, as the embodiment of human hope, wanting to be able to see the good in humans and have them see how hard the Phantom Thieves were fighting. I don't see any normal way that the Phantom Thieves could have heard individual voices from the streets below during their fight. So I think both people seeing the fight and the Phantom Thieves hearing the people cheering for them were equally due to metaverse weirdness. And I see no reason why such weirdness would need to be limited in location, or restricted by language. The Qliphoth world is the real world and Mementos fused. Things work on cognition. If the people at the fight understand what's being said, people hearing the fight through them understand what's being said, regardless of whether or not they speak Japanese. So understanding the fight and understanding people around the world in all languages cheering for them works on the same principal that understanding Morgana as more than just meows does.

And as for Qliphoth world being a global thing? Well, I already think Mementos is a global thing, so that just makes sense to me. The reason why Yaldabaoth himself is above Shibuya is because that's where the Phantom Thieves have been accessing Mementos from all this time, and like it or not he is tied to them and their actions. I don't think he was really capable of doing the whole Qliphoth world thing until the Phantom Thieves opened a path for him to do so (otherwise why bother waiting at all?). And for that matter, while the Phantom Thieves access Mementos via the Shibuya subway entrance, and maybe that's the only place you could access it in the Tokyo area, I suspect that basically any large enough population center would contain an entrance to Mementos that could be used if one had the metaverse-navigator.

Of course none of my headcanons here about it all being global have any evidence in canon to support it. It's all just fun supposition. But there's also no evidence (as far as I can tell) that any of this is limited to just Tokyo/Japan. (The only exception being the entrance to Mementos and the appearance of Mementos both reflecting the Tokyo subway system. But that doesn't seem like very strong evidence to me. Even if there is only the one entrance to Mementos, that still doesn't mean it's not global, just that fate, or Igor and Yaldabaoth, made sure to pick people in the area of the entrance for obvious reasons.) But I've seen other people talk about the events of P5 as being limited to just Tokyo as fact. So I want to know peoples opinions. Am I in the minority? Do most people think this is a global thing? Is there actual evidence I'm missing that indicates I'm wrong? (Or indicates I'm right?) Or maybe this is all moot because there's some developer interview where they just state what's what.

[mariamariquinha]

Bossa Nova (Benny ‘Borracho’ Magalon x f!reader) - Four

Three | Five

Summary: Sometimes you hated the workings of your mind; it just didn't compare to how your job works.

Word count: 3.820

Warnings: Bad words, a bit of angst, insecurity, low self esteem, talks about cheating, talks about sexism, slight mention of violence, a pinch of flirting, mention of body parts and... I guess that’s it. 

Author’s Note: YES! It happened! I’m really happy to share, it took me soooo long to write this. 

Oh and I’m adjusting my posts given the new Tumblr’ updates, don’t worry. The light will shine and I’ll be able to be happy again! 

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

Join my taglist! Don’t forget to reblog, comment and like! As always, I would love to know what you’re all thinking! ❤

****

Los Angeles had an average population of 3.8 million. With a population growth of 0.7% a year and with one of the worst traffic in the world, you could probably say that coincidences were an improbability. Hardly a high school friend would say that they saw you by chance on the street if you lived in LA.

You liked these stats because they gave you security and a minimal chance of dealing with unpleasant encounters. You grew up around Cali, so a lot of people, a lot of things going on at the same time… it was more advantageous to go after celebrities in West Hollywood or Beverly Hills or on the way out of movie studios. If you wanted it, that is.

But you had to go to the farmers market that day – Fairfax District, it was in your neighborhood, sometimes you took advantage of paying so much for a house there. It was your father's insistence, to go there to buy fruit and, as he said, important food – accepting wasn't that hard, spending time with him was always good.

She was beautiful. A shorter, more streamlined version of Charlize Theron because despite not having the long legs, she had the smile, hair, and gaze of a woman of that caliber. You knew every possible detail about her because you did your research, in a much more difficult time when things were… different. Complicated. Aileen, that was her name. The ‘Aileen’ who traveled to Ireland every year because her family came from there. The ‘Aileen’ who had a perfect Pinterest with pictures of her apartment in Santa Monica and the time she visited a mansion in Bel Air – the only time you did that was in a case of the theft of golden statues of the Grinch. The ‘Aileen’ who turned out to be… her.

She wasn't the type to complain about the size of the kitchen window, probably because people naturally made things easier for her, more optimistic. It was easy to be like that when life privileged her in the right way. You weren’t like this. You complained about that damn window because Theodore never helped you clean the house, and from the beginning he chose a place that size, with that giant window, that he clearly wouldn’t move a finger to maintain.

When you saw her from a distance, you thought it was an illusion, that the sun was too hot and made your mind trick you somehow. It wasn't until the second glance, with narrowed eyes and your attention more focused, that you realized it was Aileen, standing at an organic food stall and looking at the products unpretentiously. It's okay, you thought, she must not even know who you are.

It was very quick, discreet, and you were soon blinking a few times to distract yourself from the sight when your father returned with suggestions for an eggplant lasagna. If you looked a third time, she wouldn't be there anymore, and you could finish shopping without worrying about bumping into the woman.

Still, it was her. Out of 3.8 million people, you ended up seeing Aileen; THE Aileen, who was so much better when she was just a faceless name. Of course she was a delicate, smiling woman, with all her features perfectly traced by God and who didn't get her hair tousled by the wind – as beautiful as in a Dior perfume campaign.

It looked silly. No, it was definitely nonsense. There was no reason to feel anything but indifference.

… Right?

****

It was kind of random, actually, like your mind took you by surprise. A bad habit crawling your skull, your brain, your mind.

First you put on your panties and bra. Black, enough to hold your breasts and keep you comfortable. Functional. You paid attention to what you saw in the reflection – your arms, thighs, belly, cleavage, face. Everything looked normal. Reasonable. You've never been one to go to the gym like crazy, even though you sometimes used your LASD credential for it, and the main reason you lost a little weight was because of the whole diet situation and all. You were healthy (with a bit of a stretch here), some would even say ‘cool’ with that tattoo on your left thigh that made any mom (including yours) freak out because it was so big; this goes from your thigh to your ribs! And what does a dragon mean anyway?

Standing there, post-bath and in your most natural state, you ran your fingers through your hair, then tugged at the skin of your face as if to find something there. Turned around, stared at your ass, then the other tattoo you had on the back of your neck, hidden most of the time. In the process, you slipped your finger on your skin and found a discreet scar on your shoulder blade, left side, that gave you memories of a time that seemed a lifetime ago.

“Theo! Theo, what are we doing?” You were laughing a little breathlessly, your hand sweaty with your fingers locked in Theodore's, who was pulling you down the sidewalk with nimble, quick steps, ready for some partially illegal atrocity.

“Relax, we're almost there. You’ll like it,” His voice whispered, fetching, a reflection of a behavior well out of the way that was part of who he was. Terrible, sagacious, agitated.

You've always liked different things, curiosity would almost eat you up inside, especially for things no one could prove: aliens, ghosts, the Bermuda Triangle, the truth about JFK. Theodore said he liked that about you, it made you unique. That night, you escaped from a birthday party that you had a time to get back from – eleven o'clock. There was an aura of danger and adventure to it all, especially since it was almost midnight and you two should have been home by now. Eighteen years old, these things could happen.

You stopped at a 'haunted' house that was about two blocks away from the party. It was big, your typical horror movie set with dumb protagonists, but you were excited.

With an opening hole in the wire fence surrounding the place, you had to duck through the cut wire, but your clumsiness resulted in a discreet cut. You hissed. Theodore noticed and gently, right there in the weird backyard of that ghastly place, he kissed the bruise, then your cheek, then your mouth.

You got home around two. Your mom just didn't ground you for more than two days because you were packed for Berkeley – not just with your stuff, but with the memory of something you held inside your heart for as much as you could.

You stared at the bedroom door with a deep frown, the tips of yours rubbing with some delicacy against the flesh of your thighs. No, it wasn't right. It shouldn't be like that. Aileen was a fucking ghost for so long and then she… She wasn't even guilty and it was an involuntary feeling; like fingers squeezing your insides, choking, testing one of the few truly authentic things in your life. Her fingers. Theo fingers.

Felt like a fresh cut even though it was all gone so long ago, a scar that opened at the first hint of memory of those terrible times – you even hated Theodore, but you hated more the idea of ​​standing there, in the middle of your own bedroom, with a lump in the throat and reliving a sensation that was hardly allowed to be felt, when more important things were happening.

The guilt, the lack of effort, the questions about where you went wrong when it wasn't really mistakes but choices. No, it really wasn't how it was supposed to be. You should have the resilience you held on to, the wisdom to take every step rationally, to just move on and not treat Aileen like a tormentor – a symbol that aroused your envy because she took something from you.

No, you thought for the third time, rubbing the skin of your face with your palms. She didn't take anything from you. He left. He was wrong. He chose. He made you small in your form as a woman. She… participated. As an accomplice. A partner.

“It’s always about your job! I don’t need a roommate, I need a woman! An accomplice! A partner! How can I find my happiness if you can’t even be the fucking wife you’re supposed to?!”

You clenched your fists tightly and took a deep breath. The thought inevitably made you angry.

****

Conference room. Important manner.

For those new to the Department, Emma's behavior could be classified as 'absent' or 'volatile', much like a divorced father who has left and only appears every two years. She had a broader view of the work, made people more comfortable but never enough to break rules, even if she didn't agree with all of them; she was a progressive. Her parents went to Woodstock and she participated in pro-turtles protests – that was her way.

The email that popped up on your computer just said that. By protocol, there was a 'meeting' written in the subject box, accompanied by a very succinct text: time, place, level of urgency. An economy of words, as if they were too rare to be spent on long informative paragraphs.You liked that about her. Still, with your acquaintance, you knew each other well enough to know that the situation required attention, so you checked your watch so you wouldn't be late; hoping that wasn't a problem related to Travis.

****

It was a problem.

A big one.

Not related to Travis at all.

And to be quite honest, it had been a mistake for you to think that the situation with Walsh would end that day. That's what you said to Emma when you saw the agent sitting next to his supervisor, as well as Lieutenant Brixton from Internal Affairs. It was a replay of what had happened the last time the confrontation between you two got to that point and judging by the way Mathias was serious, the situation fell more on him – this time, at least.

“We have a strict protocol on working together between agencies, especially in cases like the one we're dealing with right now,” Brixton started from his spot at the end of the table. “As the two of you have a history of conflict, I'd like to draw attention to an episode that occurred a few weeks ago and came to my knowledge recently.”

That made you frown at Emma, ​​who just shook her head discreetly – later, she meant.

“The reason for this meeting is to come to an agreement on how to handle the situation going forward. I've heard from agent Walsh's side, it's not my place to correct his behavior but it's my obligation to remind him that we have this integration policy that deserves to be respected, especially with regard to our female employees.”

What your boss didn't say, Brixton took advantage of it and followed the ‘protocol’ bit by bit. This included extensive speeches at the lectures they concocted about sexism in the workplace, for example. It was kind of pointless, things were still happening and you were sure the DEA followed the same bureaucracy and there you were, dealing with Mathias.

“So, agent, why don’t you tell us what happened that day?”

You? Oh, yeah. Right. What happened that day.

You blinked a few times before clearing your throat, looking at Emma, then Walsh and his supervisor. The story slipped out of your mouth easily, at least until the memory of the little confrontation taking place.

“From what it says here, was it your day off?”

“Not exactly,” You shook your head. “I only needed a few hours. Personal issues.”

“Your divorce?”

“... Yes.”

“I'm just asking to verify the situation, I don't want to embarrass you or…”

“That’s okay,” Your answer came as fast as he started his excuses. Brixton nodded, got back to his papers and you crossed your arms over your chest.

“Does Detective O'Brien have the autonomy to request your services?”

“Periodically, yes.”

“And do you know if he ever informed agent Walsh about this addition to the investigation team?”

“No.”

Mathias shifted uncomfortably in his chair, you saw it in your peripheral vision.

“Nick usually asks for her as a matter of professional affinity, they have been working together for some time and this has never interfered with the results of parallel investigations she was working on,” Emma complemented with a certain care, finding the necessity to explain her position.

“We all know detective O'Brien's reputation in this regard but I warn you that it wouldn't be ideal for this to become a habit.”

“I’ll make sure of it,” She said with a nod.

“Now, agent, did the situation with agent Mathias Walsh affect you in any way? Did you feel attacked, perhaps… Morally harassed in some way?”

You had the answer to that question on the tip of your tongue, between the memory of you leaving the scene and that pathetic moment of crying in the bathroom. So you hesitated, pressed your lips together and looked at Mathias again.

“Considerably.”

“How so?”

“I believe that my personal life should not be used as an argument in the situation,” Your eyes were on Brixton again. “And despite our differences, at no point that day did I speak to Agent Walsh or direct any offense towards him. Furthermore, he insinuated that my affinity for Detective O'Brien and his team had a sexual connotation.”

Connotation. Big, big word.

“Do you feel threatened by him?”

“No.” This answer came more assertively.

“Do you think you could continue the work eventually without major problems?”

“For me, yes,” And you increased that 'me', because you wanted to redirect the question to the said Mathias, who was always the main one bothered by everything. “Unless he uses his personal opinions to harass me again. Then no.”

“Right…” Brixton wrote something down in silence and you all waited for him just as quietly. He read a few more things, frowned, then raised his head at you while speaking. “What about detective Magalon?”

You frowned.

“What about him?”

“He witnessed what happened. Was he ever defensive, did he react in any way? Violently?”

It didn't take a genius to put things together, and even your distracted mind was able to understand what the point was; that meeting wouldn't have happened if Benny hadn't been there and if that punch (that had nothing to do with you) had never existed. You almost believed that your well-being would make a difference.

Emma must have noticed this too because she was visibly annoyed.

“No, not at all. Everything he did was exactly as I said.”

“Riiiiight,” He repeated the word, this time saying it while writing more things down.

The conversation didn't go beyond that and after an hour, you were conditioned to see Mathias leaving the building with his supervisor with an impressive number of 0 words for you. Emma stayed behind to chat something with Brixton, so you waited in the hallway for the two of you to be alone and you started asking questions.

“I think we had good impressions today,” She said first, gesturing to the elevator nonchalantly. “But, you know, it’s always about the guys.”

“I noticed.”

“Honestly, I thought this story with Magalon was gossip, but it looks like the repercussions were pretty significant.”

“Do you know what happened between them?”

“They’re men, anything could lead into a fight,” You saw her pressing the call button with a discreet smile. “I thought you had some idea, considering your proximity to them.”

Them being Major Crimes. Huh. That shit again.

“You were the one who told me that I should be careful to maintain a professional relationship with them. Benny never was… Open, I guess. He keeps his distance.”

“It's amazing to know that you listen to me.”

You both entered the elevator, which was fortunately empty. She sighed with a defeated stance, leaning on one of the corners.

“Anyway, I think this served as a warning,” Emma said after a beat of silence and you stared dumbly at her, waiting for an elaboration. “I should have encouraged you to talk to Internal Affairs, not just scolded you. Sometimes I talk so much about female support that I forget I have the power to help in any way and… Well, having to hear that one of Nick's guys took the step was a slap in the face.”

This left you even more confused, if not perplexed.

“... What do you mean?”

“Huh?”

“By Nick’s guys. Who told the Internal Affairs about what happened?”

“Benny did. Just today, Brixton went to talk to Gina, he wanted to know…”

As much as you would have liked to know more details, no other words from her made sense or even entered your ears. You weren't that veteran in the business, but you were sure that Nick's instructions about you extended to everyone on the team. Not that you thought Benny would face any reprisal for what he did to Walsh, but of all the issues that could go through your day, having a meeting like that and still knowing that it was on Magalon's instructions, it was confusing to say the least.

Yeah, confusing. That was quite a word.  

****

“Can we talk?”

It wasn't like every interaction with Benny was an issue, but suddenly you were afraid to bring it up, especially when the said issue was that. With any luck, you had managed to catch up with him before he left for the night and after a whole day of thinking, you decided to give it a try. Henderson was beside him and looked as surprised as his partner. You glanced at the two of them, not wanting to say that you preferred it to be a private conversation, but Benny understood and said he'd meet his friend at the bar – for some reason, you waited for Henderson to disappear from your sight in the parking lot after kissing his cheek goodbye. Just to be sure.

“Are you okay?”

You raised your eyebrows and nodded, adjusting the hem of your shirt that went up with the farewell. Looked like every conversation you’d been having with him started like that.

“Mm-hm. Yeah, I… There’s something I want to ask you, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. What’s up?” He shifted from foot to foot, a bit concerned at your hushed tone.

“Brixton called me to a meeting today, he wanted to talk about what happened with Walsh that day. You know, from the liquor store,” It was a rather useless insinuation, Benny was already expressing recognition when you mentioned Brixton's name.

“Emma told you?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you mad at me?”

The question took you a little by surprise – no, very much by surprise. You'd expect a more heroic reaction, something like 'I did you a favor' or something, but no. Benny looked worried.

“... No! No, I’m not, I mean…”

“I didn’t want to assume, just-”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“You can tell me if you’re mad.”

“I’m not, promise.”

You two stumbled with your words for a moment, both determined to make assurances with phrases being spilled faster than your thoughts, basically. He clapped his mouth shut when you raised your hands to put an end in the babbling, obliging for the sake of giving you the word.

“It just caught me by surprise, like, you didn’t need to. I just thought it was risky for you, given the circumstances.”

“What circumstances?”

And you didn’t know he was teasing you or demanding that you say what was implied in words, but without a shadow of a doubt there was no questioning on the way he asked. You considered not saying anything, just shrugging your shoulders and muttering a 'you know', but Benny shifted on his foot again, patiently waiting.

“You literally punched the guy in the face,” Defeated, your shoulders relaxed while you gesticulated at him. “I’m sure he made it clear to Internal Affairs.”

“He did.”

“As I said.”

“But I don't think it was a risk.”

Like in the lab, you stared at each other for a while, but he decided to break contact first with a pinch to his nose, turning his head to the side with a chuckle. That's when you realized you must have been carrying a grimace during the whole interaction; a frown, mouth partially open not knowing what to say.

“The danger was throwing the punch and this already happened. That day, I saw the way he spoke to you, how hurt you were. I know it's none of my business, and again, I apologize for that, but I should have said something, defended you.”

That shouldn't have made you back down like it did. That just shouldn't. Because it wasn't like he was putting himself in an alpha male position; it sounded more like regret for just not saying something to stop Mathias.

It came from a place of chivalry, you thought, not authority.

“You did enough,” Your voice was steady, even if a little too soft, and a smile played on your lips – maybe the first real one since you woke up. “Thanks.”

“When I said ‘gotcha’ I meant that. No worries here. Besides, this sort of thing is for princes who rescue pretty ladies and I'm really not that kind of guy. I did what I should do.”

“Oh,” You scoffed. “Okay, right.”

“What? Don’t you believe me?”

“Your analogy was interesting, that’s all.”

“An analogy is an example of things,” He twisted his mouth and shook his head. “Consider this a joke. The ones that have a basis of truth.”

“You just don't strike me as the type who aspires to be a prince.”

“But I like helping pretty ladies like they do.”

Once again, that shouldn't have made you back down, but you felt your cheeks burn at the comment he made, not least because he was watching you closely, gauging your reactions. That was subtle, understated, and he didn't move to be invasive in any way. Benny waited.

“I need to go,” He pointed behind his shoulder, already taking a step away. “Before you thank me for that, lemme say your tattoo is really cool. You are really polite, at least save the thanks for someone else.”

Your… Oh. Oh. You absently placed your palm where your shirt had riled up minutes before, right on the top of your tattoo.

Without saying anything, you watched the man walk to his car as if nothing had happened and discreetly raised your hand as he waved his in the distance.

“... Thanks,” Your murmured anyway, Benny already out of the ear sight.

****

No pressure tags

@cheesybadgers

@paintlavillered 

@sexuallover 

@nerdyreaderpapi 

[delphinia13]

I have barely recovered from the football world cup last month, and now the rugby world cup is starting in just a couple of hours! I'm excited, but also dreading the inevitable from a Scottish perspective - I've been mad about the draw since 2020, still can't believe they did it so early, and based on rankings from January, not even two months after the previous world cup. It's a terrible system and I really wish they'd change it.

However, I have to admit it's set up some exciting pools - pool C in particular stands out, I feel like any of Australia, Wales, Fiji, or Georgia could qualify, in fact I'll be disappointed if it does end up just being Australia and Wales! Likewise, while England are usually my second team, I'd be more than happy seeing them stay in the pool and Argentina and Japan making it out of pool D.

I'll be supporting Scotland no matter what but I'm not gonna get my hopes up too high - yes, I think we could beat any team on a good day, but we can also lose to just about anyone in a way you wouldn't expect, say, the All Blacks or Springboks to - it would be just like Scotland to pull a shock victory against South Africa or Ireland only to lose to Tonga and fail to qualify anyway. Also, even if we somehow pull off a victory against South Africa/Ireland, that doesn't guarantee qualification, it could then come down to bonus points if the team we beat also beat the other one. And if a miracle happens, it'll be France or New Zealand waiting in the Quater-finals... but my honest prediction is Scotland come third in the pool losing to both South Africa and Ireland - my only hope is that we put in some good performances along the way.

The Quarter-finals will be brutal, only two of the four big favourites can get through. I have a feeling the Semis will be pretty dull after that, with the draw being so imbalanced, but if players get lost along the way to injury or cards I could see one of the favourites still going down there.

Right now I'm leaning towards a French victory. It feels like there's so little between the top four teams, so I think the home-side advantage will just tip it in their favour. I would not be surprised if the final winds up being a repeat of this opening match - France v New Zealand - it would be poetic in a way. Whatever happens though, in the end I just want to see some good rugby!

[eyesupmarksman]

Tagged by @quitebizarre

1. Are you named after anyone?

a relative - we recycle names 'round these parts

2. When was the last time you cried?

literally last week after the third episode of TLOU...i'm still upset

3. Do you use sarcasm?

it's my favourite thing in the world so yes

4. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

i don't make eye-contact with people when i meet them first, so idk

5. What’s your eye color?

hazel/amber

6. Scary movie or happy ending?

give me a tragic tale with a happy ending and I'm all for it. Don't do scary stuff - for the most part

7. Any special talents?

Idk i guess i can write and crochet and i did eventing for over ten years so 🤷🏻‍♂️

8. Where were you born?

ireland 💚

9. What are your hobbies?

writing, reading, drawing fantasy maps, crocheting, looking after my two silly horsies who routinely try to kill me...

10. Do you have any pets?

two aforementioned murderous horses and a delightful old cocker spaniel well into his senior years...

11. What sports do you play/have played?

eventing (show jumping, dressage, and cross-country) and tennis for a bit, I guess?

12. How tall are you?

5'8

13. What was your favorite subject in school?

so you can really tell when my ADHD kicked in bc i only cared about subjects I found interesting lol I loved English, Art, and History and did really well in them while the rest of my grades just like...flatlined lol

14.  Dream job?

if i have to work, then either writer, english lit lecturer, or working with museums 🤷🏻‍♂️ but ideally i would like to have millions, summer in milan and winter in the alps, and live in a forest to be left alone

Tagging: @beyoursledgehammer @danisnotonniall @marvagon

Don't feel like you have to do it ❤️

[talkingwithghosts555]

The Cycle of the Divide of People-Conversation with Tupac Shakur

The Cycle of the Divide of People-Conversation with Tupac Shakur

I met Tupac back in 2015 when I first started channeling. I think he was my second or third ghost that I talked to, and he’s stayed my friend. I love his energy. I love his…no bullshit attitude. He’s an amazing energy to connect to. My nickname or the name that he put in my brain for him a couple years back is Chewy. He likes to be called Chewy by me. I’m not sure if that was something when he lived or what but now that’s all I ever call him. Here is my chat with Tupac Shakur.

K: Hey Chewy. What’s up?

T: Miss. Kim. Miss. Kim. How you doin’, girl. It’s been a while.

K: As if. (It’s a game we play. I try to get his words spelled like he says them and he knows it’s difficult for me to try to put his personality down “on paper”)

T: It’s a relative thing. For me to stay relative, I gotta talk like it’s relative and I ain’t talkin’ science. I’m talkin’ bein’ understood.

K: The way you have me typing out your words…good luck with that.

T: Hey, yo. It’s me. I gotta tell ya…(rubbing his hands together and thinking while he’s sitting) it’s been quiet up here. Eerily so. Where’ve you been?

K: Hiatus. Learning, evolving, being attacked by dogs. You know, the norm.

T: I hope you’re kiddin’. (concerned)

K: No. I’m not. You didn’t hear?

T: I did not but I’m sorry to. How you feelin’?”

K: I’m feeling okay. It’s a process but I’m working through it. I have some extra help…if you know what I’m talking about. (wink wink nudge nudge)

T: Yeah. Absolutely. You look good.

K: Thanks. You look the same.

T: (laughs) I got the image to uphold.

K: Of course you do. What’s up? What’s happening? Do you have something you want to chat about?

T: Yo…things are crazy out there.

K: Tell me.

T: I remember I first came to you and talked about race. Remember that?

K: Yes. I remember it like it was yesterday.

T: (rubs his chin then shakes his head) Now…it’s past that while including that. You talked to Marcus about spiritual warfare.

K: Well, I just channeled a message from him. I didn’t talk with him about it.

T: It’s real, right now. The black and white…(moves his hand to either side like the words stay there) it’s an issue. For real. There are more issues there now, depending on where your heritage lies but the spiritual vs. the spiritual and the spiritual vs. the religion and the religion vs. the science of it all. It’s crazy to me how deep the divide is because if we just talkin’ about color or if we just talkin’ about race, it’s like that’s just the surface of where it all stems from.

K: The amount I’m learning about Atlantis…Lemuria. Now I’m hearing rumor there was a war between them but I don’t feel that’s accurate. I know they lived on the planet for a time…together.

T: Yeah, they did. And no, it wasn’t a war that you would think it would be…the stuff that you’re used to hearing about. The war really started when Atlantis took the control and took the power away from the Lemurians that made it to Atlantis when their world gave up.

K: Interesting.

T: Consider something for, like a minute.

K: I got time.

T: Race…spirit…gender…the divide started in Atlantis and then consider that it’s been a cycle…ever since.

K: It is pretty crazy and the fact that you’ve come in to really open my eyes to that is insane. Because…Ireland and I were listening to Billie Holiday the other evening.

T: Yeah. Great woman. She’s an amazing woman.

K: Do you know her?

T: I’ve sat with her a lot of times. I consider her a great friend.

K: That’s cool. I will admit…the ignorant me…slaves…the black vs. white, the white holding control…I believed it was a more recent issue.

T: Yeah. (nods)

K: But it really isn’t. The more I take a deep dive into my existence with my family in Atlantis, the more I realize that the divide and the cycle is ages and eons old but, like, how are we to bring that to the surface…bring it to the light to finally end that cycle?

T: The first step is to give some understanding to how old the issue is. But how a person knows that this issue is rising to the surface, is seeing how many different types of race or color or identities there are. You see a cycle coming up to be ended the more differences are being explored; the more people are feelin’ like…hey…I’m not like everyone else. I really identify as this and this is me.

K: I totally get that. I’m a very accepting person and as long as people aren’t hurting others, if they live their lives the way that promotes freedom and individuality while respecting the world around them, I’m okay. Nothing really fazes me anymore. I wish for people to live in the freedom of who they are because I feel that would bring an immense energy of what people feel is heaven on earth.

T: Yeah. (nods)

K: But the more people identify with their truth or the truth of their identity…I feel the more of a…divide there tends to be because there is so much that is new and not exactly understood.

T: To add to what you’re sayin’…you got people identifyin’ as this and that…it’s very futuristic. And then you got people grounded to their roots…their ancestry…their homelands…where they originate from and where they were stolen from. So, on top of…let’s say gender…very futuristic…

K: Okay.

T: You got race which is very very historical.

K: Yes.

T: Not only does the divide between left and right occur but the divide between the sky and ground occurs and then you have the people that can only see the linear and then you got the people that can see all around so the divide isn’t up and down or side to side anymore. It exists within that spiral of life that y’all talkin’ about a few years back.

K: Dear! God!

T: So now you got the divide in the spiral and that spiral is going everywhere real fast.

K: Not good.

T: It’s what it is. It’s called chaos. But the power of a people, is that whether they know it or not…they like those billy goats. People are sure footed. They can stay grounded and not get caught up in the storms of the others that are still learning to walk.

K: Then what’s the missing ingredient that have some people just staying as observers and holding everything down while others are getting swept up in the spirals of currents that is energy trying to work itself out.

T: Connection.

K: Connection?

T: Yeah. You can have people shout on the soapbox of who they are and who they want to be seen as and how they’re angry about it…you know…how it’s not…this is me and you are all welcome here. It’s more like…this is me and I’ll defend it because I feel your anger about it which makes me angry because I should be accepted no matter what. That’s not connection to a higher source. That’s not connection to a soul. That’s a connection to the reaction of people or a society outside of yourself that you need to validate who you are in any part of your life.

K: Whoa That’s huge.

T: Same with the spiritual. If a person is in a community where it’s angry and stubborn and this is the way to be in this light…that’s not connection. That’s still requiring some sort of validation to prove to them that they are spiritual. This divide…I’m gonna call it the Atlantean Divide…is in everything. Because it’s missing the connection.

K: Then how do we connect so that we welcome instead of fight what’s fighting us out of ignorance or being closed off? And by us I mean society.

T: The first part of connection is not God or heaven or spirit. The first part of that connection y’all crave is inside you first. (points to me) Because a higher power isn’t outside of anything. Everything contains that within so you gotta connect to yourself first and then you gotta connect to the world that you decided to live on instead of wishing you were somewhere else. So first (points on his fingers) it’s you as a person of God. Second, it’s the ground…the planet you live with. Third, is with the spirit…the heaven that everyone wants to be seen by or connect to or talk to. That’s easy. We all exist together. But if you aren’t connecting to yourself first, there’s nothin’ to ground heaven to. That’s when you get people believin’ it’s a fake existence. Hey, yo, that’s my home. Don’t be dissin’ my home like you do.

K: (laughing) Are you talking to someone specific?

T: I’m talkin’ to lots of specifics. Oh, and another thing. I ain’t alive. I’m not livin’ in Cuba. I’m not livin’ in another State. I’m here…with God.

K: Got it. Thanks for that…I guess. Is there a fourth?

T: The fourth is the spiral of the first three and that’s connecting with others like you’re connecting with the first three. Once that’s down…the divide shrinks and is no more.

K: The theory of it is simple.

T: It’s very simple.

K: You know what…talk like that before you got a bullet in you.

T: (chuckles) Took a bullet for me to realize what’s really goin’ on.

K: No kidding. So...I have a scary question.

T: Sure.

K: If Atlantis happens again and we’ve created those spirals…do the spirals stay or do we start from scratch?

T: They stay. They stay ‘til they get worked out and there is an opportunity to do that now and there is help for this stuff right now. I guess that’s why they gone and dragged you back here, kickin’ ‘n ‘screamin’.

K: There was no kicking and screaming. There was none of that. There was an easy…slide and fit.

T: Yeah…right. Slide ‘n fit.

K: Dude! Trauma!

T: (laughs) Had to happen for the slide ‘n fit.

K: I have come to understand that.

T: I missed you, girl.

K: Missed you too. Come back any time but I need coffee so I’m going to get that coffee.

T: Isn’t that the pattern when…this all…

K: Yes. That cycle will never stop.

T: Cool. I liked you then, I like you now.

K: Same. I like you too. You’re alright.

T: Love ya, Miss. Kim.

K: Love you, Chewy. See you later.

T: Out.

Gone.

[holidays-events]

The GIF Calendar: March 2023

3.3: Music fans, get ready! After a six-year hiatus, Grammy-winning artist Macklemore debuts his third solo album, Ben. Also, don’t forget to hit the theaters to check out Michael B. Jordan in his directorial debut of the next film in the Rocky series: Creed III (also, step into the ring…er…our official page for the film).

3.6: We’re celebrating the start of Purim, a two-day holiday celebrating the survival and strength of the Jewish people. Join in the celebration with festive meals, carnivals, and gifts!

3.8: We never need an excuse to celebrate women worldwide, but we can do *even more* celebrating this International Women’s Day. Started by the Socialist Party of America over a hundred years ago, this global holiday is an excellent way to celebrate the great women of the past, like trans rights activist Sylvia Rivera and feminist activist Gloria Steinem. To quote Beyoncé’s line in the chorus of her 2011 hit song: “Who run the world? Girls!”

Also happening on this date is the Festival of Love, the Festival of Colors, the Festival of Spring: It’s the Hindu holiday of Holi! Honor the eternal and divine love of the God Radha Krishna with community and colors!

3.10: Horror fans rejoice: the next installment in the popular Scream series, Scream VI is here! This time, our heroes face off against Ghostface in the Big Apple (and, yes, we have an official page for this movie too).

Also, don’t forget to listen to pop star Lana Del Rey’s new album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd because it’s out today!

3.12: Cinephiles, it’s the most important day of the year: it’s the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars! First presented in 1929, this ceremony celebrates the best of filmmaking — and we’re all excited to see who wins this year.

But before the show, don’t forget to fix your clocks because Daylight Savings begins!

3.14: It’s the best time of the year for college basketball, March Madness! The 2022–2023 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament begins today and concludes on April 3. Who do you have your money on?

While you pick your favorite team, why not enjoy a slice of pie to celebrate the mathematical holiday, Pi Day!

3.17: St. Patrick’s Day, the world’s favorite Irish holiday, falls today and honors the Patron Saint of Ireland. Enjoy the day with some four-leaf clovers or with a corned beef sandwich — and remember to wear green or you will get pinched! After you celebrate the holiday, check out the new DC Extended Universe film Shazam! Fury of the Gods, where the original cast is joined by Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren (who you can get a glimpse of on the official page for the action flick).

3.20: C’mon get happy! This International Day of Happiness, don’t forget to acknowledge the things that make you happy and how important it is in your life. Better yet: Celebrate this holiday every day!

3.21: Happy Nowruz! Also known as the Persian New Year, this festival celebrates the beginning of a new year on the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar. World Poetry Day also happens today, so celebrate by reciting a limerick or coming up with a haiku.

3.23: Prepare yourself for a cuteness overload as National Puppy Day arrives today. Celebrate pups by adopting a new dog, treating the one you already have, or maybe just petting a new friend while you’re out and about!

3.24: After four years, Japanese kawaii metal band BABYMETAL returns with their fourth studio album, The Other One. Also returning is our favorite assassin, played by Keanu Reeves, in the long-awaited John Wick: Chapter 4 and, yes, there is an official page full of GIFs from the entire franchise.

3.25: Today the world gathers together for Earth Hour, a day to honor the globe by turning off non-essential electric lights for one hour, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Join in this last Sunday of the month as a symbol of commitment to the planet!

3.31: This Transgender Day of Visibility, make sure you are uplifting and highlighting trans people and their stories. Then, fly to theaters to check out the new movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves based on the popular roleplaying game. Follow a group of thieves as they stop a great evil from taking over their fantasy world!

Happy March from Tenor! What are you most looking forward to?

[capseycartwright]

005 from the prompt list BUT in a rugby au please bc it is the greatest sport and I need a robron rugby au and you are the best honestly xxxxxxxxx

#005 - i don’t want to get up, you’re comfy.

Aaron’s got a bruise blooming on his hip, Robert notes. He hadn’t noticed it earlier, not in their haste to undress each other, both of them frustrated and needing release after their loss against Wales.

But he was noticing now. It was a bad one, the kind of bruise Aaron was going to wear like a battle scar for weeks, the edges already mottled black and purple. Playing against Wales always resulted in a few injuries, and more so when they were playing on England home ground - Wales had come to Twickenham to fight, and fight they had done.

Aaron was always a target, in these games. Robert remembered when he’d come up onto the England squad, a grumpy looking twenty one year old, the ballsy scrum-half who’d made it to the Leicester Tigers squad at barely twenty.

He’d been jealous, at the time. Robert was used to being the golden boy of English rugby - he’d gone through the academy for the Wasps, leaving Emmerdale behind at sixteen in favour of chasing his dreams of professional rugby, much to his fathers distain. Robert had been called all sorts - the one to watch, the golden boy of English rugby, one of the greatest props of the last decade.

He liked it, he liked the attention - and then Aaron had come along, silent and stony, and one of the best rugby players Robert had ever seen. They’d played together, Aaron’s first six nations game. He’d come on as a replacement in the second half, and managed a try in his first minutes on the field.

It had been nothing short of spectacular, not that Robert would tell him to his face, but that had been the moment he’d wanted to know more about Aaron Dingle, another Yorkshire lad who’d made his moves to chase his dreams of getting to wear that white jersey and play for his country.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Aaron said quietly, pressing a thumb to Robert’s forehead. “The game is over, Rob.”

Robert sighed. “It’s over, and we lost,” he said. “We should have won it.”

“I know,” Aaron said, propping himself up on an elbow, careful to avoid the KT tape on Robert’s shoulder. It was more precaution, than anything else, but he’d landed awkwardly during a tackle, and the team physiotherapist was reluctant to risk Robert missing the next game on injury grounds. “We should have, but we didn’t, so we’re just going to have to look to the next game, aren’t we?”

“I want it so badly,” Robert admitted, thinking of all the world cups he’d watched, all the times he’d dreamed of being part of the England squad that would win it, and win it on home soil. That dream felt like it was slipping away, bit by bit, and their next game against Australia already shaping up to be a tough one.

“So do I,” Aaron hummed. “How good would it feel, to win?”

“We’d party for days,” Robert grinned, pressing a soft kiss to Aaron’s lips. “We could even take a holiday.”Aaron pulled a face. “That wouldn’t help the rumour mill, would it?”

Ah, the rumour mill.

Robert had all the faith in the world in rugby. He’d never been a religious man, but the way he loved rugby felt a lot like how other people might worship God - but there was no denying it wasn’t a sport with many gay players.

No, that was wrong. The gay players existed, but they didn’t come out until they retired.

The thought of keeping this, them secret, until they were both off the pitch and into their golden years of retirement was depressing, in all honesty. Robert figured he had a good seven years left playing professional rugby, provided injury didn’t get him first, and Aaron? Aaron had a decade left, fifteen years if he kept playing the way he did.

“Do you ever think it could work?” Robert asked. “If we told people.”

Aaron was quiet for a second, thoughtful. He was sort of out, the kind of non-confirmed, common knowledge sort of out you got so often in sport - he’d never denied his sexuality, but he’d never confirmed it either, and every time the rumour mill got too curious, he always managed to pull an epic try, or tackle out of the bag, and turn the focus back to where it was supposed to be, on his rugby skills, on the pitch.

“I want to believe it would,” Aaron said, stroking a thumb against Robert’s cheekbone, the nasty cut there from a bad tackle making Aaron wince as he looked at it. “But I don’t know for sure.”

“I’d do it, if I thought it wouldn’t affect us,” Robert admitted. “I don’t want to be the bisexual English rugby player. I want to keep being me, Robert Sugden, England’s top choice number three.”

“Let’s not think about it now,” Aaron said. “We’ve still got the rest of the World Cup to play.”

“True,” Robert agreed, glancing over at his watch. “You should probably go, we’re going to get called for training soon.”

“I don’t want to get up,” Aaron grinned, that stupid, infectious smile that always twisted Robert’s heart in his chest and got him to agree to anything, fixed in place on his face. “You’re comfy.”

“You should sell that scoop to the papers, you know - Robert Sugden, a comfiest prop in England.”

“I haven’t tested out the other props,” Aaron grinned cheekily, easing himself into a sitting position. “Anyway, I think they’d be more interested in how good your thighs look around my waist. Did you see that article the Mail wrote that was just fifteen different shots of your arse? The country is in love with your legs, Sugden.”

Robert grinned. He’d definitely read the article in question, and he’d definitely enjoyed the ego boost. “I’ll make sure they write one on your arse next, don’t worry,” he said, smoothing a hand over the firm muscle of Aaron’s arse. His boyfriend had a body to die for, and Robert would have given anything to stay in bed and keep indulging in all of his favourite parts of it, but they had training, and press, and tactics, and all the boring parts that came with playing professional rugby.

Just, give him a ball and get him on a field and he was happier.

“I’ll see you in a bit,” Aaron said, leaning in to press a lingering kiss to Robert’s lips, savouring the feeling. It was easier to sneak nights like this during the six nations, during the normal season, but the world cup was different, and they’d been lucky to sneak off after the post-match commiserations, the squad cursing the fact they couldn’t drink away their sorrows after the two point loss to Wales.

“I’ll see you in a bit,” Robert echoed, watching as Aaron snapped his Team England tracksuit bottoms over his hips, wincing as the elastic snapped back against the bruise on his side.

Aaron Dingle was always a sight to behold, but even more so when he was like this, half naked and sleep soft, the powerful, athletic scrum-half he was on the pitch a softer, calmer man in Robert’s bed, the kind of man who snorted at Robert’s dumb jokes, and kissed him like Robert was worth fighting for.

They were worth fighting for, Robert knew that much. But with a World Cup win slipping from their grasp, and more than a few doubts about how accepting their profession might be, he couldn’t help but wonder if they had any room to fight at all.

[alexskarsgardnet]

New Interview & Photo Shoot!  Alex photographed by Johan Sandberg and interviewed by Timothy Small for L’Uomo Vogue (October 2020)!

Alexander Skarsgård: the photo shoot and interview for L'Uomo

BY TIMOTHY SMALL, JOHAN SANDBERG 25 SEPTEMBER 2020

Alexander Skarsgård is a really, really nice man. A Swede through and through, Alexander, or Alex, is a very down-to-earth gentleman who could definitely act as more of a big shot, considering he is also one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood right now, a town that, in true Swedish style, he once defined as “kind of silly”. After getting his first big break as the lead in David Simon's excellent Iraq War mini-series for HBO, Generation Kill, Skarsgård exploded in our collective imaginations as Eric Northman in True Blood, while also acting for Lars von Trier in the wonderful Melancholia. 

Since then, he has been a very buff Tarzan in The Legend of Tarzan, a mute bartender in future Berlin in Mute, a very dark killer in Hold the Dark, and a hilarious Canadian Prime Minister in Long Shot, as well as giving an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning turn in HBO's Big Little Lies. The self-defined “restless” 43-year-old is set to star in The Northman, Robert Eggers's highly anticipated third film, a “Viking revenge story” that Skarsgård himself was crucial in bringing to production – and, by all accounts, it seems like it could have all the right pieces to become a future cult classic. It certainly has that kind of hype.

L'Uomo Vogue:  The Northman is such an interesting project. I know it's important to you. It's also part of a growing resurgence of interest in the Viking era and Norse mythology and that sort of epic Scandinavian adventure. How did it all begin?

Alex:  It all started seven or eight years ago. As a Swede living in America, I realised there was a certain level of fascination with the Viking era and Viking culture – and this was before any of the Viking shows that have since happened. It made me realise that there basically had never been a real great epic Viking movie made, and I thought that that's what I wanted to do.

LV:  So how did the project kick off?

Alex:  I started having conversations with a studio back then, trying to crack the best story. All I knew at the time is that I wanted to make a big Viking movie. We had a couple of potential different starting points: we had a story about two brothers, and then one about the Viking travels down to Constantinople with the Viking siege of the city. We were looking for the right story, but I never really felt we were there. I knew the scope I wanted it to exist in. But what was the story?

LV:  And that's when you met Robert Eggers.

Alex:  Yes, like three or four years ago. We met about something else. I can't remember how, but we started talking about Vikings. And he was, like me, a huge fan of Viking culture and of that historical era, and I immediately felt he would be the perfect guy to direct this movie. And then we found an author and poet in Iceland, Sjón, who came onboard to write the screenplay – and they did a fantastic job, just cracking the story and the essence of it.

LV:  Sounds great.

Alex:  It's a real adventure movie, but it's much more. It taps into the culture, and the mysticism of the Vikings, it becomes more intimate and more personal. I didn't want it to be a generic “swords-and-sandals” movie. Robert is one of the best filmmakers out there. And the whole process is so much more gratifying than when you're quote-unquote “just an actor”. It's been truly extraordinary.

LV:  But then you had to halt production.

Alex:  Yeah. I was in Belfast, Northern Ireland, three months into prep on The Northman about seven days away from principal photography. Just gearing up, you know, getting ready to start a very long, very intense shoot -- a shoot that we were scheduled to wrap in July – and that's when the virus hit.

LV:  What did you do then?

Alex:  I normally live in New York, while my family lives in Stockholm. When the first wave came, I was on the fence: nobody really knew how long it would be, or what precisely was going on. So we shut down production for six weeks. The idea was to then see what would happen. I basically moved to Stockholm for four months.

LV:  How do you feel about this forced break from work?

Alex:  I had not been home for this long in... more than 20 years. It was strange. We were in a bubble; we were all healthy and safe. In a lot of ways, I had moments when I felt being surrounded by my loving family, feeling safe and loved, and taking a break from work, but then also feeling very guilty because I was, for the lack of a better term, being spared.

LV:  In the past, you've described yourself as being a nomad. Did you miss Sweden and the North?

Alex:  I realised how much I have been missing it. I go to Sweden regularly, but usually only for three or four days, maybe a week, tops. My father and two of my brothers are actors, so we're used to never being in the same city. We all travel all over the world. Maybe we'd get back together for Christmas. And I can really say that I had missed spring in Sweden.

LV:  Do you think we will change the way movies are produced?

Alex:  We're going to have to figure out how to shoot movies with dozens of crew members and hundreds of extras while still respecting social distancing rules. It's an unprecedented situation and everyone is scrambling to figure out the best approach. My brother was one of the first people who worked in our industry during the pandemic. He shot a movie in Iceland in the middle of the lockdown. The way they solved it is they split the crew into colour sections. So, hair and make-up had yellow armbands and the camera department had blue, and they had a “Corona appointee” on set who would call out, “Now blue go in!” and then “Blue, out! And yellow, in!” And then they would all do their job in turns. It was very military-like. Productions are already complicated, so we'll just have to add another layer.

LV:  How did you become an ambassador to the Clarks brand?

Alex:  To me, authenticity is very important. I don't want to endorse products I don't genuinely like. That's why I was excited when Clarks reached out. I've been wearing Desert Boots for 25 years. Also, I like to travel a lot. I like to explore new cities by foot. I want to be able to walk around comfortably in a classic, iconic shoe. I travel from movie set to movie set, and I often live out of a suitcase. And this teaches you to be frugal. Whatever fits in that suitcase, that's all I can bring.

LV:  Is that the Swede in you?

Alex:  Maybe. But we consume way too many things in this society. Also, you give things more meaning when you live with them, and when you go on adventures with them. Like, these are my boots. I've been places with them. And when they fall apart, I'll buy a new pair. If you have the right stuff to begin with, you don't need more.

LV:  Going back to The Northman, that really sounds like a dream project.

Alex:  It is. It will be a rollercoaster ride. I can't wait to get back to Northern Ireland and get back to the production. It's also a very physically demanding project, so I have been training for, well, since a few months before production stopped.

LV: In a way, getting into a role, getting on a movie set, acting through it, the whole process of making a movie is a bit like a little adventure. You have to prep, you have to travel, often with people you don't know, and you have to push boundaries.

Alex:  Absolutely! A huge part of the appeal of this profession is you get to travel, and you meet amazing, interesting people from all over. And the uncertainty, you know? What was it, 12 years ago, I was in New York, and I'd never heard of Generation Kill. And then two days later I was on a plane to the Kalahari Desert to be out there for seven months to shoot the series. And I'll never forget the feeling, sitting on that plane, thinking, “Two days ago I didn't even know about this project, and here I am on my way to Southern Africa to spend seven months in the desert with 200 strangers.” It's very exciting.

LV:  What a feeling that must be!

Alex:  And every single job is like that. Every movie is different. Your part, the tone, the energy, the people – it's always different. And for someone like myself, who has that kind of wanderlust, who's always looking on the horizon, it's very attractive to never know just what the next adventure might be.

October 14, 2020:  Updated with the full interview courtesy of our friends at the ASkarsLibrary (x).

Fashion credits:

Photographs by Johan Sandberg Styling by Martin Persson Grooming Karin Westerlund @ Lundlund Hair Amanda Lund @ Lundlund Stylist’s assistant Isabelle Larsson Digital Daniel Lindgren Production Madeleine Mårtensson and Olle Öman @ Lundlund

Read the full interview by Timothy Small and see the photo shoot by Johan Sandberg in the October issue of L'Uomo, on newsstands from September 22nd.

Sources/Thanks:  Interview:  Timothy Small for L’Uomo Vogue (x), Photos:  Johan Sandberg for L’Uomo Vogue (x), artlistparis.com (x) via artlistparisnewyork instagram (x),  luomovogue instagram (x) &  atomomanagement.com (x) via atomomanagement instagram (x), our caps from artlistparisnewyork’s September 23, 2020 insta story (x, x)

[dimitrescus-bitch]

Old Friends and New Experiences (Maura Isles x Reader)

It’d been a long time since you’d been back in Boston. After graduating from college, you moved to England to attend law school at Oxford. It had been lonely, but Maura had flown out to visit you a couple of times. After your first year there though, the visits stopped and you found yourself adjusted to living on your own. Although, you weren’t really alone all that much. You’d become very successful after catching a couple of big cases and you were flown all around the world to represent a multitude of clients for a multitude of things. It didn’t matter what kind of court you were in, it was obvious you were meant to be a lawyer. 

“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing at our crime scene?” There was a detective trying to stop you from coming and taking a look. You were surprised that your client had called you in as quickly as they had. You’d been in New York just a couple of hours ago and it looked like the police weren’t even finished with their initial sweep of the crime scene. 

“At this point, babysitting to make sure you do your jobs properly. Where is your medical examiner, I wish to speak with them,” you said and the detective crossed her arms over her chest. “Neither of us want me to be here, so the sooner you let me speak with your medical examiner, the faster I can go back to my hotel, take a bath, and the less we have to see each other.” 

“Fine-,” she turned around and then yelled out, “Maura!” 

“Thank you,” you thanked the detective quietly. The detective nodded and you flipped your phone around in your hands as you waited. Once the medical examiner came into view, you dropped your phone on the ground, glad that its case prevented it from shattering or even cracking that badly. “Maura, what a pleasant surprise.” 

“Y/n, you didn’t tell me that you were back in Boston,” Maura said as she stepped over the line. She tossed her gloves in the trash and linked her arm with yours as the two of you stepped away from the crime scene. “What are you doing in Boston?” 

“Eugene Harrington called me to represent his son in this case. Do you think you could tell me what happened to the body?” you asked and Maura sighed. “I know, but the sooner I can clear this up, the better. I mean, come on, do you think Doug did this?” 

“I don’t think he could have. His body’s been dead the longest in there,” Maura told you. “It looks like he was shot, along with his girlfriend. The other body will take more time and a better examination. So, it doesn’t look like you’ve got a client.” 

“Give it time, I’m sure someone else will need me,” you told Maura. “We should go out sometime, just like old times.” 

“I’d really like that. Good luck on your case, whatever it is now.” Maura kissed your cheek and then went back to her crime scene. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“So, who’s the lawyer?” Jane asked curiously. Maura was examining the third body, trying to determine a cause of death while Jane occasionally handed her a tool or something else. 

“Y/n Y/l/n, an old friend from college,” Maura told Jane. “Are you jealous Jane?” 

“Just an old friend?” Jane asked and Maura nodded. “Okay then, so we don’t have to worry about her being a kook or anything. She won’t try to kill one of us?” 

“No, she won’t try to kill one of us. Y/n is perfectly normal and a brilliant lawyer. She wouldn’t ruin her career committing a murder,” Maura promised Jane. “She’s just in town for a couple of weeks until we wrap this up and it’s certain she won’t be needed at trial.” 

“She’s not a prosecutor,” Jane pointed out. “Your friend would help get our murderer off on these charges?” 

“It’s not like that. Y/n is a good person, defense attorneys aren’t the devil,” Maura reminded Jane. Jane sighed, feeling bad for upsetting Maura. 

“I’m sorry Maura, obviously you know her a lot better than I do,” Jane apologized. 

“Why don’t the three of us go for dinner?” Maura offered and Jane nodded. Maura finished up the examination of the body, gave Jane the cause of death, and then called you to arrange the dinner. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Maura, this place is ridiculous,” you said as you looked around the restaurant. It was the fanciest one in Boston that she could have dragged either you or Jane into. Jane had yet to arrive, but Maura decided to show you to the table so you could wait inside. About 5 minutes after she left you at the table, she came back with a grumpy looking Jane by her side. 

“Jane, this is Y/n. Y/n, this is Jane,” Maura introduced the two of you. Both of you shook hands and then were handed menus. 

“Maura, why couldn’t we have gone somewhere else? I know a place where you can get three steaks for the price of one and I know for a fact that they’re bigger than you get here,” you huffed and Maura put her and on your back. “Come on Maur, my grandparents are rolling in their graves right now at the money I’m throwing away here.” 

“She’s got a point Maura,” Jane said as she looked over the menu. “There’s no reason for any of this to cost more than $100.” 

“See, the two of you already have something in common, you’re cheap,” Maura teased and you rolled your eyes. At your slightly deeper than usual inhale, Maura put her hand up to stop you. “I’ve gotten the grandparents’ hardships in Ireland speech. I also saw your hotel room, which I’m sure that they’d disapprove of for being cushy as well.” 

“This is college all over again,” you muttered as Maura smiled triumphantly. 

“Oh, so you were a bit of a pain then too,” Jane joked. You smiled at her joke and the way that Maura elbowed Jane for the little jab. “Ow, watch it.” 

“How about the two of you order something, actually eat it without complaining about the price, and then we can go to Dooley’s for drinks after,” Maura offered and you perked up at that. Jane looked confused, wondering where she benefited from this exchange. “If you can drink a pitcher of beer by yourself, you get free drinks for the night. Aside from the price of the pitcher.” 

“I’ve never paid for more than a pitcher,” you said with a proud smirk. Maura rolled her eyes and the two of you ordered. You ended up giving the waiter your card before anybody even ordered, claiming that Maura could buy the pitchers at the bar. The three of you had an easy conversation going. Maura was pretty quiet, letting you and Jane talk about your lives and all the things Maura knew you already had in common. After dinner, you changed in your car and then walked down to the bar with them. 

“I don’t see why we couldn’t have taken a car,” Maura said as she shivered. You took off your jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, tugging her closer as you did. 

“We always walk to Dooley’s and we always walk back,” you told Maura. “Tradition.” 

“Your hotel and my house are over two miles away from the bar,” Maura pointed out. You sighed and rolled your eyes at her. “I’m calling us cabs home when the time comes.” 

“Always the worrier,” you tapped Maura’s nose and then ran ahead to the door when you saw it. 

“You sure you’re just friends?” Jane asked Maura as she fell into step with her. 

“Yes, I am,” Maura answered. 

“You sure that’s all you want? I mean, she’s pretty affectionate and you like her. I can tell that you do, so I think you should go after her,” Jane advised and Maura brushed it off. 

“Maura, come up here and pay the man,” you called out as your friends finally made it into the bar. Maura slid the bartender a $50 and told him to keep the change. Three pitchers were set at the bar and the three of you took your places. Your pitcher was downed first and Jane finished second. Maura didn’t bother finishing hers, drinking only about a quarter of it before taking it over to the table you and Jane had found. “Maura, let’s play pool.” 

“I haven’t in a long time,” Maura tried, but you were already pulling her over to the table. You got everything all ready as Jane got her pool stick. “We have an odd number.” 

“I’ll take you on my team, make it fair.” You winked and Maura blushed a little bit. You took the first shot, then it was Jane’s turn. When Maura’s turn came up, you stood behind her and adjusted her to make a good shot. You backed up and Maura took her shot. The ball went into the pocket and Maura turned around and wrapped her arms around your neck in a celebratory hug. You bit your lip as you looked up at her, your eyes flicking up and down between her eyes and lips. Maura took the plunge and leaned down to kiss you. Without her heels, the two of you were normally the same height, but now she was just a bit taller than you, not that you minded all that much. 

“You want a drink?” Maura asked and you nodded. Jane went to get everybody something small and the three of you toasted. 

“To old friends and new experiences.” You took the first sip of your drink and Maura squeezed her arm around your waist a little tighter. “I think I could stay in Boston for awhile.” 

“All I’ll ask for now is that you stay in the country,” Maura told you. 

“That I can do.” You leaned forward and kissed her. For years, you’d come to this bar with Maura in hopes that maybe something would happen, and finally, it did.

Taglist: @storiesofsvu @xixxiixx​

[karimac]

Share 10 facts about one of your OCs! :)

Thanks for this ask, @arrthurpendragon! This list of facts is for Devnet Casey, the third member of the trio that includes Kari MacOrish and Enya Sun. Dev's face claim is Renee O'Connor/Gabrielle of Xena fame.

Dev is slightly younger than Kari and Enya at around 1497, but do three years really count for immortals?

If Dev were asked what her favorite era is in her long life, it would have to be the the Lost Generation period of the 1920s. She moved to Paris after World War I and lived there peacefully and happily amongst fellow writers and artists until the dawn of World War II.

During World War II, Dev rejoined Enya in London with the two none the wiser that Kari was in England as well. They only reconnected after Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers' apparent deaths.

Dev had a thing for Howard Stark, and the two had a "spring fling" for a couple of years before Dev finally got a tad tired of Howard's wandering eye. They did stay friends and in touch until he met and married Maria. Dev always felt it would be hard for Howard to explain her presence to Maria, so she backed away gracefully.

While Kari has always had cats and dogs around her, Dev is more partial to dogs. Her favorite breed is the majestic Irish Wolfhound. She has had many over the centuries, and her current one is named Tyrone.

While Kari is from County Kildare, Dev is from County Galway in Ireland. She has a home in the city of Galway and has been known to give lectures on writing and history at National University of Ireland, Galway.

Being from Galway, Dev is also a lover of the sea. Over the centuries, when she is back home, Dev loves to go to the docks and local pubs to talk with the seamen about their travels.

While Dev is known for her romance novels and the tomes she has written about the adventures she has had with Kari and Enya, she is most proud of the Irish history books she has written for children. She is currently working on a series for children that encompasses facts about the people of other nations who now make Ireland their home.

During the 1960s, Dev jumped feet first into the music scene in London. While Kari and Enya both love to sing, Dev loves dancing, and she found herself many nights in discotheques dancing The Frug and The Freddie with all the Mods in the clubs.

Does Dev consider herself a domestic goddess? That would be a no. Yes, Dev can cook, and she does not have daily hired help to take care of her place, but she does not consider herself a pro at any of it. She thinks one of the greatest inventions in history is the microwave!

[celticcrossanon]

BRF Reading - 24th of August 2021

This is speculation only

Cards drawn the 23rd of August, 2021

Question: What tiara did Meghan want to wear at her wedding?

Note: To answer this question, I will be interpreting the cards according to their astrological signs and relating that to stones, to see if we can narrow down the choices.

Under a cut as this is long

Interpretation: Emeralds, pearls, and Prince Philip.

Card One: The Knight of Swords. This is the card of Gemini, an air sign ruled by the planet Mercury.

The gemstone for Mercury is amethyst. Gemini goes from the end of May to the end of June. The birthstone for May is emerald, and the birthstone for June is pearls.

Swords is the suit of thoughts and strategy, so there may have been strategic reasons for choosing this tiara.

BUT

The energy I am getting from this card, strongly, is that of Prince Philip. I think that the tiara that Meghan wanted may have strong associations with Prince Philip and/or his family.

I looked into this and there are two tiaras I found that are associated with Prince Philip. One is the Meander Tiara, which was owned by his mother and today is the property of Princess Anne:

However, this is too small to fit the energy of the tiara size that I got from the last reading.

The other one is the tiara worn by his sister, Princess Cecilie, at the coronation of King George VI (I think). Today is the property of the Foundation of the House of Hesse. It was on display in London in 2002 at the ‘Tiaras: A History of Splendor’ exhibition, and can be found on the Royal Exhibition website as one of the Queen's tiaras (which is not true) (https://royalexhibitions.co.uk/queens-jewels/queens-tiaras/the-hesse-strawberry-leaf-tiara/)

The tiara is called the Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara. As you can see, it looks similar to the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, which is the one Queen Elizabeth has worn for her image on coins and banknotes, and very like a crown.

So those are the two tiaras that I could find that are associated with Prince Philip.

Now, back to the cards. :)

EDIT: I goofed! The Knight of Swords card gave off a strong person energy, which I interpreted as a strong Prince Philip energy, as he is the only Gemini sun sign in the BRF that I know. However, when it comes to tiaras, dead members of the BRF can leave them to be worn by living members, so I went back through all the kings and queens and I found two more Geminis: Queen Victoria and Queen Mary of Teck. Both these queens left tiaras to the crown, so the field has widened quite a bit.

Card Two: The Page of Cups. This is the card for a water sign child. Water is the suit of emotions, so the tiara Meghan wanted may stir up strong feelings in people. The water signs are Cancer, ruled by the moon (pearls again) Scorpio (ruled by Pluto, associated with rubies through its old ruler Mars), and Aquarius (ruled by Uranus, associated with diamonds through its old ruler Saturn). If we go to birthstones for the months of the signs, we get even more stones - pearls, ruby, opal, topaz, garnet and amethyst.

EDIT: The third water sign is Pisces, not Aquarius. Pisces is ruled by Neptune, its old ruler is Jupiter, and it goes from around 21st February to 21st March. The stone associated with Jupiter is sapphire, the birthstone of February is amethyst, and the birthstone of March is bloodstone or aquamarine.

The picture on this card is of Narcissus admiring himself in a cup of water. I'm not getting a lot of energy from this card, but the energy I am getting is focused on how the tiara will look, both to Meghan and to other people (Narcissus gazing at his reflection), and the emotional impact of appearing in that tiara.

Card Three: Justice. The energy from this card is that it is only fair (in Meghan's mind) that she gets to wear the tiara of her choice, and anything else is 'oppression' (yes, I am laughing as I type this at the image of Meghan being oppressed by having to wear a tiara that wasn't her first choice). In terms of gemstones, Justice is the card of Libra, which is ruled by the planet Venus, and the gemstone of Venus is emerald. Libra covers late September to late October, and the birthstones for those months are sapphire and opal.

Underlying Energy: The Two of Wands. This is a card of planning, especially planning for one's entry into the world, and this tells me that Meghan carefully planned her appearance for her entrance into the BRF on her wedding day at Windsor. The card shows Jason standing in front of the cave of Chiron, and Chiron appears on the card for the BRF (the Hierophant), so if we take the cave as the BRF, Meghan wanted to stand out (be in front) of the family, not blend in, and she had a specific tiara in mind to achieve this and that would give her publicity (wands is the suit of PR, so the Two of Wands can mean planning your PR).

Conclusion: Lots of gemstones here! Emerald and pearls come up repeatedly, but we also have amethyst, sapphire, opal, ruby, topaz and garnet (some of which are also repeated).

The other energies around the tiara are one that has some sort of link or association with Prince Philip, one that would give a specific look and provoke emotion in people who saw it. Meghan definitely had a strategy in mind when she choose a specific tiara for her wedding day. The impact of that tiara was carefully planned. Unfortunately, as we know, her tiara was chosen by HMTQ and all her planning came to naught.

EDIT: The tiara association has been widened to Prince Philip, Queen Mary of Teck, and Queen Victoria, so lots of tiaras to consider.

EDIT: The gemstones have changed to: amethyst, emerald, and pearl (Card One), pearl, pearl and ruby (Card Two - Cancer), ruby, opal, and topaz (Card Two - Scorpio), sapphire, amethyst, and aquamarine (Card Two - Pisces) and emerald, sapphire and opal (Card Three).

EDIT: Repeated stones (more likely to be the ones) are pearl, emerald, ruby, sapphire, amethyst, and opal. Pearl is repeated three times and the rest are repeated twice. The single stones are topaz and aquamarine.

[metanoiamorii]

Wip Re-Introduction: A Rope In Hand

❛Horror is like a serpent; always shedding its skin, always changing. And it will always come back. It can’t be hidden away like the guilty secrets we try to keep in our subconscious.❜

♧ Title: A Rope In Hand [ARIH]

♧ Status: First Drafting

♧ Point of View: Third Person, flexible between a few

♧ Genre: Dark Fantasy, Supernatural, LGBTQ+, Action, Drama

♧ Warnings: This story revolves around the occult. There will be talk of witch hunts and trials and cults. There will be torture methods used to gain confessions, and these methods will be justified under religious belief. There will be toxic and abusive relationships, particularly family; finding an escape from them, and healing from the trauma. There will be homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and colonization. There will be major character deaths, but I can spoil after the book ends the main characters do get a happy ending. Each chapter and scene posted will have personalized warnings, but these are the main things to expect.

♧ Featuring: The majority of the characters will be LGBTQ+, from pansexual, homosexual, to asexual; genderfluid, agender/nonbinary, and transgender. Each character is complex and morally grey. Yes, they will do things that are blatantly terrible, or actively good. Overall, they will be morally grey and questionable at best. There will be complex world-building, from both the universe it takes place in, and the religious pantheons brought up. The religions brought up will be polytheistic and animism-themed. The romance between the major characters will be slow-burn enemies to friend to lovers, and them learning to love themselves through one another. There will be an exploration on generational healing, and unlearning toxic, and bias believes.

♧ Setting: The setting is influenced by Victorian London, and Medieval Ireland. There will be mention of other places, primarily western Europe, the Ottoman Empire, Ancient Rome, Eastern Asia, and Napoleonic France.

♧ Synopsis:

In the town of Arkaley, in the northwest of the Duchy of Ruairc, the people have been plagued by bad fortune and crime. Attacks of bandits on the road, raids from pirates on the shores, untimely deaths of children and young women, elected officials coming out corrupt; there is no end in Arkaley of the suffering the locals endure.

Rationally, to explain such a bad string of luck, there is only one possible explanation: Witchcraft.

The Duchy of Ruairc already has a history of witchcraft: the Ó Ruaircs turned out to be witches, the Abondé incident in Salem, the Liathain incident in Trakee; the Ruaircs have their record. Perfectly acceptable for everyone to assume the worse of the Ruairish, as they have proved to be nothing but.

To prove his worth, the young Reverend Prudence Clemency Frye, takes up the task of quelling this coven of witches and heading this witch-hunt. Young and naïve, witch only knowledge from books and little hands-on experience, he’s unprepared for this challenge. When he finally leaves the town, well… everyone would rather put this incident behind them.

♧ Tease:

My darling dear, a knave so clear

You appear, so bravely near;

Do you hear my darling dear, sneers of austere jeers?

Behave, my dear, when I am near;

For peers will lear, in their fear,

Allow me o' dear our persevere

So my fave you appear

And volunteer a slave so dear 

in an atmosphere we fear.

my darling dear, wave so clear

Depravely as we leave, and give a souvenir;

My lips to yours, as you crave in these fallin' years. 

Be brave darling dear, and give into hearts o' queer.

For mine you be, your darling dear, 

To the stars you have swore in love, so crystal clear.

My peers shall sneer, but whore I be, and you I crave

Oh so bare. slurs and glares, just listen to my prayers.

Kiss me love, and leave o'they to a'crave 

In this atmosphere that we fear

Their own, o' pure, knave so dear.

♧ Excerpt:

".... This is wrong." Prudence finds the words slipping from his lips, voice a quiet whisper; a breathless tone of voice. He allows his fingertips to falter against scarred skin, watching as Mastema turned his cheek, he pressed himself into the palm of Prudence's hand. Eyes closed, a smile curled on his face. Prudence couldn't help but smile at the scene, but slowly, slowly, slowly, he rescinded his hand; breaking the hold.

"Revered..." Matching his voice, Mastema replied. Maintaining such a soft voice, as he shifted himself forward on the bed. One foot to the ground, the other drawn beneath himself. Over Prudence he leaned, resting one palm to the sheets, the other lifting to seize Prudence's hand before he could recoil back. "You have made me feel something in which I've never felt before..."

From where he laid, Prudence could only form a soft frown. He knew he could draw his hand back, the grip was far from tight. But he didn't. He laid there, allowing Mastema to hold his hand. "... This is wrong, Mastema."

Mastema frowned; he matched the reaction Prudence wore. Through it, he forced a half-smile, tightening his grip on the other's hand, and forward he brought Prudence's hands to kiss the knuckles. "... If this is wrong, I do not wish to be right."

At the response, Prudence shook his head. "It is not for us to be right or wrong, the gods—"

At the angle he sat, Mastema shifted once more. He dropped Prudence's hand, to lean forward; to lean in close. Both of his palms found the other's cheek, as he touched their foreheads to one another. "... Do not force your will onto another." In that soft whisper, he spoke. Eyes closed, breath drawn in. "Is that not a Commandment of our Creator?"

"I..." Prudence faltered. In, he drew his breath, to try to steady himself. "... I did not take you for the religious sorts."

"I'm not." Mastema all too quickly retorted. But as he was, he laid; this proximity. "But you are."

♧ Characters:

The Order of Witchesbane

Prudence Clemency Frye; The Reverend

Half Fae/Half Human • Intersex • Genderfluid • He/They • Homosexual • Homo-demiromantic

The bastard son of Lord Zachariah Frye. Raised by his father, with his mother dying young, he took to following in his footsteps. He became a religious young man and an active witch-hunter. A part of him desires his father’s acceptance, his praises; the other part despises his father and everything the man stands for. In recent years, he has joined the De La Cruz household, becoming an apprentice beneath the famous Witch’s Advocate; upholding the beliefs that not every witch is evil and has foul intentions, and the ones that mean harm are the only ones that should be hunted.

Zachariah Frye; The Bloodhound

Human • Male • He/Him • Bicurious • Aromantic

The oldest living member of the Order. Now he is the man that holds the face of the Order, who you think of when they come to mind. Cold. Vindictive. Despotic. Violent. He is not a good man. He is firm in his beliefs and stubborn to change. Once his mind is made up, he cannot be reasoned with. He is blindly convinced of his beliefs and his cause to eradicate every living witch, unfazed if he has to fill a few innocent thousands in the process.

Calisto Ferzan Hermengildo Melchior Lorencio De La Cruz; The Witch’s Advocate

Half Fae/Half Human • Amab • Nonbinary • Genderfluid • He/They • Asexual • Aromantic

A witch-hunter in title alone, Calisto has been making enemies since he could first talk. He’s always enjoyed being the underdog, going against the expectations of society, being ridiculed by his peers. The sole reason? Proving them wrong. To ridicule his own peers for their outdated beliefs, he’s taken to defending witches, proving them innocent of their ‘crimes’, and going on to help them to set up a life in a country more accepting of witchcraft

The servant of Calisto, never seen far from his side. He is a servant in name alone and is more-or-less an assassin, a hitman for Calisto. Held in contempt by Athylian society for being a foreigner, he often treated by others more as a slave than a servant. To help be unseen, to help the De La Cruz Household, Michelotto endures the treatment and goes as far to be perceived as ignorant, alongside him being born a mute. Keeping his true intents and intelligence duly guarded, only a handful are aware he is also a witch.

Myk'loumihr [Michelotto Dougal] Siavash; The Man-Servant

Witch; Amab • Agender • He/They • Asexual • Aromantic

Austin Duvine; The Lord Without A Ring

Half-Human/Half Fae • Amab • Nonbinary • He/They • Pansexual • Demiromantic

One of the younger members of the order, Austin relies on his father's wealth and name. He doesn't care for responsibilities, he doesn't care for hard work. He's a playboy at heart. He's fit to hold social events, and use his natural talent to gib and fib his way through life. He'll keep his mixed feelings to himself, struggling with doing the right thing or upholding tradition.

Alistair Lavine; The Witchfinder General

Human • Amab • Agender • He/They • Bicurious • Aromantic

The best friend to Zachariah and his right hand. Where Zachariah is business and lacks charms, Alistair can charm a crowd and hold their attention. He knows how to feign being an ideal human, without letting on his own bloodlust; he's a monster in human skin. At the end of the day, unlike Zachariah, Alistair does have morals and standards he will abide by, even if they come back to ruin him.

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The Vakari Coven

Ausrine Baoghal; The Lady

Witch • Female • She/Her • Bisexual • Aromantic

The woman in charge of the town, widowed and inheriting the right to rule as her husband had no heirs. She is a manipulative and dangerous woman, eager to commit any sin or crime for more power. She, in truth, cares only for herself and would feel no remorse if she had to turn on one of her coven to further her own agenda.

The magistrate and also the chief policeman of the town. He maintains a  calm, but manipulative personality. As a front, he presents himself to be fair and just, liked and favored by the people for genuinely caring for them. While in truth he has his own heinous and sinister agenda, aiding Ausrine in her plans.

Leary O'Laoghaire; The Magistrate

Witch • Male • He/Him • Bicurious • Aromantic

The oldest member of the coven, Dairine lives under the guise of an elderly woman, who lives alone with her children and grandchildren already leaving her to live their own lives. She is a kind and understanding woman and cares for the younger witches in the coven. She will not support Baríon with her agenda, nor does she care for the servant girl, she even despises the so-called ally Ausrine claims to have and who they all adhere to.

Dairine Ó Séaghdha; The Crone

Witch • Afab • Agender • She/They • Asexual • Aromantic

The acting servant of Barion, Anisha’s true loyalties lie elsewhere. She stays within the town, serving the coven while acting as the eyes and ears of someone, the person who is truly pulling the strings. She is the one to relay information and letters between the coven and her master.  She is a quiet woman, that keeps her head down and her mind to herself. She only shows her true, confident and demanding, nature behind closed doors with the coven when they dare to question her.

Anisha Kaur; The Servant

Witch • Afab • Demigirl • She/They • Asexual • Aromantic

The charming son of Leary. Many whisper that is part fae, due to his charm, if it’s true or not many are unaware. He is a very sophisticated young man, that has managed to wrap the entire town around his finger. While on the surface he is alike his father is a caring, compassionate, charming young man, something sinister brews beneath. He is devious, demanding, domineering.

Nathir O'Laoghaire; The Magistrate’s Son

Half-Witch/Half-Fae • Amab  • Agender • He/Him • Bisexual • Aromantic

Being the baker's daughter, Liannah helps around the bakery and family business. Unlike the company she keeps, she is a reserved young woman. She is polite and maintains her manners with whomever she is dealing with. She has the patience of a saint and rarely loses her cool. Liannah is a woman with a calm demeanor about her, being a woman many are comfortable around due to her peaceful and calm aura.

Liannah Ó Buachalla; The Baker’s Daughter

Witch • Afab • Genderfluid • She/They • Asexual • Panromantic

Ausrine's bastard son she had with a spirit she bargained with for more power. Since he was young, he was raised by the servants of the house, and the coven, over his own mother; the two have more of a business relationship over a family one. Since he cares less about what his mother does, he spends his time with Liannah and Reyes, either at the bakery or getting into trouble somewhere. With Reyes as an influence, Mastema is a flirtatious man that enjoys scandals and making the most of life

Mastema Baoghal; The Knave

Half-Witch/Half-Spirit • Amab • Genderfluid • He/They • Pansexual • Demiromantic

Rochan Misra; The Charlatan

Half-Witch/Half-Spirit • Amab • Queer • He/She • Pansexual • Aromantic

A foreigner to the Coven, born and raised in the Duchy of Incali. At a young age, he became a traveling charlatan, recently settling within the coven only as he befriended Liannah and Mastema and enjoyed their company. Now, he is the local bad influence: scamming locals out of their money at the taverns, wooing and seducing young men and ladies alike, always trespassing and vandalizing something. He is trouble but has a heart of gold when it matters.

ARIH: : @hekat-ie, @writings-of-a-narwhal, @silent-creed

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Taglist:

General: @endlesshourglass, @writerray, @poore-choice-of-words, @alexwritesfiction, @primusesgiantmetalballbearings

Both: @cecilsstorycorner, @little-boats-on-a-lake, @hazard-writes, @egg-shark

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

High Strung AU

Good evening my good blog-readers, here, have some snacks for the Supercorp AU trainride:

Kara is a Midwest dancer entering into her first year at the competitive National City Conservatory for the Arts (NCCA), whose attention is soon captured by a raven-haired violinist she hears playing in the subway. The woman’s music isn’t anything Kara’s heard before-- it’s dark, and intense, and angry. But she’s captivating, and her violin case quickly fills with coins and dollar bills. 

They don’t run into each other right away-- it’s not until a showtime faceoff on the subway platform causes Kara to nearly slip and the woman reaches out to catch her that they finally meet. Their meetcute turns sour when a thief uses the commotion to steal Lena’s precious violin.

The violinist is angry, at herself mostly, but she takes it out on Kara, quickly brushing her off even when Kara offers to help get the violin back. But her rough edges aren’t enough to scare off Kara. Kara drags the woman to the nearest pawn shop, hopeful that someone might have tried to hock the violin already. No one has, but the woman’s pessimism is tempered by Kara’s hopeful outlook, which has her leaving her phone number at the counter in case the violin comes in. 

In the meantime, Kara offers her name and a slice of pizza to soften the blow of the violin’s loss. Something about her well-meaning charm softens the violinist’s scowl, and she offers her name in return.

Lena.

Kara’s smitten, and she walks around on cloud nine the following day, leaving her oblivious to the attention of a fellow student, another violinist by the name of Mike Matthews. Mike Matthews is reportedly the catch of the school-- cocky, sure, but with the looks and talent to back it up. He’s used to being recognized, so Kara’s brushoff only intrigues him more, prompting him to invite her to a charity benefit being hosted by his sponsor. 

Kara accepts, but her thoughts are still on Lena. When she learns that NCCA loans instruments to students, she rents out a violin and offers it to Lena. Lena, however, scoffs at it. She’s been on her own for years, and she doesn’t need handouts from a yuppie student at a yuppie arts school. Burned, Kara takes the violin back, and turns her focus to the benefit with Mike. 

At this point, she finally picks up what Mike’s been putting down, but while she isn’t really into him, she doesn’t want to make it awkward, and so she brushes him off in a roundabout way that he doesn’t accept. He asks again.

“I believe she’s already told you no,” Lena says, appearing seemingly from nowhere. Kara stares, her brain taking precious moments to put together the rented tux Lena’s wearing with the uniform bowtie worn by all the servers. Lena’s clearly working the event, but how? Why? 

Well, obviously busking isn’t an option for her anymore, so clearly she would need to make rent somehow-- oh my god, shut up Kara and focus. 

“Oh yeah?” Mike retorts as Kara focuses back on the conversation. “You want to go outside and settle this?”

Lena only smirks. “It’s already settled, Mark,” Lena says, shooting Kara a look that tells her that she knows exactly what Mike’s name is. “She said no.”

Mike glares daggers at Lena, before his expression twists into a smirk of his own. “I know you. You’re the hack who busks the subway.”

“Lena’s not a hack,” Kara snaps. “She’s amazing--”

“Then how about you give us a show then?” Mike boasts, bowing towards the stage with a flourish of his arm. “Prove it.”

“I’m here to work, not play with little boys.”

“Oh, so you’re chicken shit AND a hack.”

Lena can’t say no to that. Not when Kara is looking at her like everything in the world hinges on this one moment. Finally, Lena shrugs. “What the hell. I’m fired for talking to a guest anyway.”

Walking towards the stage, Lena unknots the bowtie around her neck, letting it hang free as she unbuttons her blouse to the third button. She lets her tuxedo jacket hang loose as well, giving her room to move and breathe. 

When Lena picks up a violin and bow, Kara expects the music that comes out to be as confrontational as her subway performances. To her surprise, a concerto spills forth, as smooth as silk. The notes pour from Lena’s fingers, catching Kara’s breath and the eye of every guest in attendance. 

Mike doesn’t move until he hears the patrons starting to murmur with interest, at which point he storms forward and rips the violin from Lena’s hands. 

“Get out.”

Lena doesn’t put up a fight. She cocks an eyebrow at him and leaves with a self-satisfied smile. Kara goes with her. 

“Wait!” Kara calls after her. Lena slows, then stops, allowing Kara to catch up with her. “What was all that about?”

“He wasn’t taking no for an answer,” Lena explains. “Us girls have to stick together, don’t we?”

“I meant the playing! That-- that was amazing!”

Lena blushes, ducking her head to hide her smile. But it’s still there when she lifts her chin again a moment later, tilting her head to one side in invitation. 

“Wanna go get a drink?”

Kara huffs, grinning. “Yes.”

---

“I wanted to apologize, actually,” Lena offers over pints twenty minutes later. She holds Kara’s gaze. “For what I said before. I was a bitch. I’m sorry.”

“You were,” Kara agrees. “But I accept your apology.” She fidgets with her paper coaster. “Your violin seems pretty special to you.”

Lena nods. Her smile falls, but she doesn’t shut Kara out like she did before. “It was my mother’s. She taught me music, and I’ve never played on anything else. When you offered the rental it was too...”

“Too soon,” Kara says softly. “Too fresh.”

“You sound like you understand loss.”

“My parents,” Kara shares. “They died when I was little. I was really lucky, and was taken in by a really great family, but yeah. I get it.”

They talk for hours. In that time, Kara learns that growing up in Ireland, it had only been Lena and her mother. No father to speak of, no extended family or relatives. They hadn’t been well off, but Lena had always been loved, and together they had shared music, playing together with Lena on violin, her mother on piano. When her mother had died, Lena had been forced to sell almost everything they had to cover the funeral expenses. All she’d been left with was the violin and just enough money for a one way ticket to the US.

“I’d had this grand idea of learning music, making music.” Lena takes another drink of her beer before shrugging. “And now I play for coins on the subway platform. Or-- I did.”

“You know...” Kara says hesitantly. “My school is hosting a competition next month. A string and dance thing. If you wanted... maybe you and I could... you know.”

“Work together?” Lena’s eyebrow lifts again. Kara thinks she might be in love with that eyebrow. “And what’s in it for me, besides the pleasure of your company.”

“Oh, ah-- there’s a cash prize, and a scholarship to NCCA. I mean, I’m already on scholarship, so it’d be all yours, if you wanted. The scholarship, I mean.”

Lena looks at her with an unfathomable gaze. Kara waits. And waits and waits.

“Okay,” Lena says finally. “Let’s do it.”