#arena eden

[carlosyt14]

Alright @carlosyt14 favorite characters popularity contest time lol

[footballmanageraddict]

EuroTrip | Part 29 | The New Lionel Messi

#FM24 #EuroTrip Part 29: The New Lionel Messi. Trebor Mahtal makes his most exciting signing yet, bringing outstanding young winger Federico Sánchez to @slaviaofficial. And the new Messi inspires the club to domestic domination. Read here:

An exciting attacking Slavia Praha side blew away the Czechia league in record-breaking in Trebor Mahtal’s first season at the club. The challenge now was for the Zambian manager to keep hold of his young stars and have a go at the Champions League. Mahtal sold more players he didn’t like in the summer, boosting his transfer budget to more than £50m. And he invested that in more potential…

[chisungie]

.

[isaacathom]

my friend pondered a highschool au for their ttrpg ocs, and then i went 'hmm. interesting. what if my ocs?' and then, well,

[psyche-hero]

Reasons FNC should be canon, chronologically, sort of, by me, someone who is very slowly writing a mostly canon compliant soulmate au (yes i am reading between the lines for some of these)

1. Chip pulls Gillion out of the sea, Gillion, instantly acquires a new favorite color, the color of Chips eyes.

2. When Chip thinks he is going to die in the casino, he grabs Gillion and holds on, confessing all the wrong things he did to him because he does feel bad.

3. Episode 15 and 16

4. But fr, Gillion gets his honor back because Chip partakes in a cultural custom of his, then Gillion cheers Chip up by participating in a prank for Chip.

5. Chip INVENTING HIS OWN SHIPNAME

6. They shared a kiss that was loving enough that it opened a magic door (listen two nat 20s for a kiss, that is fucking true loves kiss, you just know Chip is thinking about the best kiss of his life constantly)

7. The rings during the BLOCK arc, like idc if it was practical, that’s gay.

8. Chip being so worried that Gillion would choose the undersea over him.

9. One of the few people we see Chip showing explicit attraction towards being someone who looks very similar to Gillion (Eden)

10. Chip basically loosing it after loosing Gil in the feywild

11. Chip like unlocking his magic potential via Gillions sword

12. Chip standing up on a rowboat in the middle of a raging storm prepared to get struck by lightning to bring Gil back

13. Gillion offering to help Chip with magic

14. Chip building an arena and begging to fight Gil because he lied and hurt Gil’s honor again

15. Them having matching scars cus of Kuba Kenta

16. Chip offering to wear a mind reading bracelet to try and fight off Gillions horrible nightmares

17. (I might be misremembering but one of Gillions nightmares primary features being him being unable to save Chip??)

18. Chip being so willing to believe that the person he was seeing was Gillion safe and alive that he fell right into Dopple Gillys trap.

That’s all I can think of. Do let me know more!!

[blue-lollipops-and-ice-clouds]

Full Recordings (all YouTube)

Paris La Défense Arena — November 3rd, 2024

Set List:

The Offering > The Summoning > Vore > Rain > Alkaline > Granite > Take Me Back To Eden.

[matan4il]

What's your evidence that Joost Klein harassed Eden at ESC? I've only seen evidence of Joost being harassed by Israeli delegation. And he was an assholeish idiot at the press conference but he wasn't the worst. And can people pleaaase stop spreading the smear campaign the EBU put out about him. He made a rude gesture, that's it.

Hi,

I'm gonna admit that if you saw the Dutch performer's behavior at the press conference, IDK how that doesn't constitute harassment? I mean, the part where he didn't like that the ESC organizers made him sit next to the Israeli singer, and he didn't want to be in the same frame with her, so he covered himself with the Dutch flag wasn't just being an asshole, he was publicly humiliating her, transmitting to everyone what a pariah she is, not based on anything she's said and done, but simply based on her nationality (and this little stunt was obviously going to attract attention, meaning he minded being photographed next to her, but he didn't mind being photographed covered up with the flag like that in the same frame with her, making it clear this wasn't him wanting to avoid political stuff).

In my book, that's bad enough, but then he added insult to injury. Eden was asked a disgusting question by a Polish journalist. He wanted to know whether she considered that she would be putting everyone else at ESC at risk (victim blaming much? Eden was the target of a violent mob besieging her hotel room, and turning her participation into an event requiring security. She didn't ask them to do this, she didn't force them to, she's a 20 year old girl, who has dreamt of representing her country at ESC for years, and when she finally gets to, she's being asked to carry the blame for the violence aimed at her due to her nationality... Imagine asking Ariana Grande after her Manchester Arena performance if she took into account that she was risking the lives of all of her fans, because an Islamist decided to use her event for a terrorist bombing that killed 22 young people, and would she never perform again, now that she was aware of the risk? No, that didn't happen, because it's a disgusting, victim blaming, terrorism-rewarding question). The panel host rightfully grasped that this was a political and harassing question, and told her she didn't have to answer it. Joost Klein then shouting at that, "Why not?" was harassment. He was piling up on the victim blaming, on top of showing zero empathy for a fellow performer targeted for her nationality, in a way he never would have agreed to be himself.

(I think that's last assessment is obvious since we now know he thought, even for a split second, that it was okay to threaten with fists a female camerawoman working for ESC, doing her job, filming the performers when they got off stage after their performances. This was done to the other performers as well, IDK what made Klein think his consent was needed in that moment, since to me it seems implied by agree to represent the Netherlands at ESC, but even if he had the right to refused being filmed, I have no idea what made him believe it was okay to use violent threats against an ESC employee).

I'd like to ask you where did you see "evidence" that Klein was harassed by the Israeli delegation? As far as I'm aware, there was only one vid trying to make that claim, and what was seen in that one, was an Israeli journalist (so, not a part of the performing team), working as a European correspondent (he also covered the war in Ukraine, to give you an idea of what that job entails, so he's a "respectable" journalist, not just a guy with a mic interviewing people for his ESC blog), called Dov Gil-Har (as far as I know, he's aligned with the left politically, so not exactly someone likely to be harassing people out of nationalistic sentiments), who was trying to ask Klein questions. Which... the last time I checked is his duty as a journalist. And Klein refused to answer Gil-Har's questions, which is his prerogative (though I do think it was pretty disgusting when some performers, like the Norwegian ones, refused to give interviews to any Israeli media outlets. Since it's based on nationality, it's once again hateful IMO), but then the Dutch team's manager (or whatever he was) really got in Gil-Har's face, and more than that, because I clearly heard Dov saying, "Don't touch me." Keep in mind, this was after Klein's shameful behavior at the press conference, and also after he missed a rehearsal that day, there were rumors circling around it somehow had something to do with Israel, so it is honestly the most natural thing for Gil-Har as a journalist, that he wanted to ask the Dutch team some questions. That should not have ended with him having to say, "Don't touch me," but to further misconstrue this as him harassing the Dutch team...!? WHAT?

It feels like another instance of DARVO, where the attacker/harasser/abuser shifts the fire away by reversing who was doing the harassment and who was being harassed. Everything we saw on camera was harassment of the Israelis, including even the media, while I've not seen one documentation on film of the Israelis harassing others. Plus, I heard the claim that the Israeli team was harassing everyone, yet we know that some performers didn't feel, act or express themselves that way.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[aziraphales-library]

hello!!!!

Really appreciate all don't work you guys put in for us, I basically find all my fic here. Hope you guys are doing well ❣️ any Cowboy AU would recommend? Prefer rating M/E thank you!!!!

Hi!! We have a #cowboys tag. Not all of these AUs are out-and-out cowboy fics, but they are all in the country/western/ranch arena...

Good Things and Ugly Things by cinnamonsnaps (T)

cowboy/wild west au! Reverend Raphael hasn't gone by his old name in a long, long time. When a tall dark stranger knocks on his door and brings a dire warning, it isn't long before rumours start to spread: what's a holy man doing talking to wanted men? (aziraphale is a preacher, crowley is an infamous gunslinger, and there's a lot of spitting)

Wild Hearts Only Sing to Each Other by theRavenMuse (E)

Crowley is a cattle rustler who's caught the attention of local sheriff Aziraphale, but not the type of attention most would think. Under cover of night, two lovers can be more than what daylight allows.

Is that a can in your pocket or are you just hay-ppy to see me by sixbynine (E)

"He was desperate for a shower; mucking out all the stables had taken him the best part of the day. He’d long ago lost his shirt, unable to handle the fabric sticking wetly to his skin. His hair had been pulled back into a high bun to get as much of it off his face and neck as possible, but the constant movement had shaken wisps loose. It stuck to his neck and forehead and he could feel the rest of the bun threatening to break free. Crowley swiped the towel across his face and neck, dipping down to catch the rivulets of sweat that had gathered along his breastbone as he turned. He groaned at the minor relief the soft towel gave him from the sticky feeling of sweat coating his skin. “Uh,” someone coughed politely. " Crowley is minding his own business when this tall glass of cold water walks in. And he plans to drink deep. Part 1 of The Ranch series

Striking Chords by Ambra_Sue (M)

Anthony Crowley is a country singer a couple of years off his latest almost-hit, itching for something to change. He’s done his best to outrun his demons, but it’s not until he runs into an intriguing blond angel of a man that things start to fall into place. Aziraphale has a successful career, close friends, and more than enough money, but there’s still something missing. When an unexpected arrangement with reckless, ‘work-hard-play-harder’ Crowley crops up, his well-ordered world is changed forever. Can they balance career goals and feelings, and find the perfect rhythm together? Country music AU! This fic was meant for Pride month, and because of that I'll be reccing LGBTQ+ country music artists on each chapter. I built this fic on short chapters to cover as many artists as possible.

Town Meets Country by Angel_of_the_Dawn (M)

Former preacher Azira Fell moves to a small rural town to work as a librarian and meets Anthony Crowley, former drifter turned farmer. Crowley helps Azira come to terms with his past and face the future.

The False and the Fair by Princip1914 (E)

Growing up in the shadow of West Virginia’s Eden Mountain, Aziraphale Wright always expected to work for the family coal mining company. Anthony Crowley, the son of a down-and-out miner, was going to become a pilot and leave town forever. Now, thirty years later, neither of their lives have gone as planned, and an unexpected inheritance brings them back into one another’s orbit. Aziraphale hopes that they can move beyond their shared past, and a high school arrangement that ended in disaster, but he has secrets of his own that threaten their fragile reconnection…

- Mod D

[letsgetrowdy43]

From Eden (Rowan’s Version)—

Quinn Hughes x Honey Hughes

I tried a new style of writing, it's a bit more creative writing than normal so tell me if you like it!!

Ro's 1000 follower celly

Au Masterlist!!

"Babe, there's something tragic about you, something so magic about you. Don't you agree? Babe, there's something lonesome about you, something so wholesome about you. Get closer to me?"

Quinn’s draft day had been nerve-racking up until the moment his name was called, relief filling his lungs as the Canuck’s general manager called his name.

Seventh overall, it was a great day to be Quinn Hughes.

As their gazes collided, he was abruptly enveloped in his mother's arms. Yet, the impression of Honey's stare lingered in the back of his mind.

Something about this moment mixed with the way his best friend stared at him with such pride and love had him foggy-brained as he hugged Luke and then Jack quickly.

He made his way through his family members, thanking them and hugging them for everything before he found himself placed in front of her. She stood so prettily in a blue long-sleeve dress that matched his tie, something that Ellen had orchestrated to make their day more special.

A soft blush adorned her cheeks as she chewed on the inside of her plump lips, uncertainty filled her as she searched for the perfect words but was met with a silent cry of happiness as he pulled her into his chest. It was the perfect moment in his eyes. Every important person in his life at his side and the girl he loved most whispered short affirmations of her pride in him into his ear.

In the tender hug that followed, a sigh of pure contentment escaped her lips as his face found comfort nestled in the crook of her neck. "I'm so proud of you, Q," she whispered. Quinn, overwhelmed by the weight of unspoken feelings, could only manage a subtle nod, his voice lost to the emotions building up within him.

Instead, he expressed his gratitude with a kiss pressed against her blushing cheek before slipping his jacket from his shoulders and gently draping it across hers—a silent testament to the warmth that existed not only in fabric but in the shared moments of vulnerability and pride.

Jack looked at her knowingly as she fixed the jacket that sat on her shoulders, his arm wrapping around her shoulder as they along with the rest of the Hughes family and friends watched the oldest walking up to the stage to shake hands with the members of the organization.

Loud cheers erupted through the arena as he slipped the blue and green jersey over his head and onto his frame. A smile found its place on his face as he looked to the photographer in front of him taking his photo before exiting the stage. But not before looking back at the crowd, finding his family, and giving his best friend a little wave before heading toward the media booths.

★★★★

"No tired sighs, no rolling eyes, no irony. No 'who cares', no vacant stares, no time for me."

Honey ran her fingers through her tangled wet hair, the salt water causing the ends to curl. In the radiant embrace of summer, Honey blossomed into a picture of beauty. Quinn thought she was the most beautiful thing to walk this earth.

His heart stammered in his chest as her fingers stopped playing with her hair and moved to his, her fingers fixing the mess of damp hair that sat atop his head. Breath got caught in his throat as her fingers stopped playing with his hair and moved down to fix the dainty gold chain that hung from his neck, a draft gift from Honey's family, that he had yet to take off since she put it on him in late June.

It was now August, meaning that decisions were being made, and Quinn was being pressed into either returning back for his sophomore year at Michigan or moving across the continent to British Columbia to fulfil his dreams.

Quinn found himself standing at a crossroads, where the lines of destiny branched into two possibilities. One path beckoned him toward the path of his future, whispering promises of a professional athletic career. The other held the allure of youth, freedom, and the silent melody of unspoken confessions that he had yet to complete.

Summer's gentle touch adorned her, the radiance of her smile, lingered for mere seconds before a frown wove its way onto her expression. "Have you made a decision yet, about school?" she whispered, the words carrying both curiosity and an awareness of the timing.

She understood that the weight of such a decision wasn't something he wished to face at this moment, yet the curiosity that danced in her eyes revealed the undeniable urge to be in the know.

"I think I'm gonna wait another year, they said it was up to me, and I just think another year would be better for me," he watched as she tried to contain the excitement that was clearly written on her face. "Makes sense," she said in a sad attempt at being straight-faced, which he immediately read through as her grin got the best of her.

"Not that I don't want you to go fulfill your dreams, but I want you by my side for at least one more year, I'm selfish," she said repositioning herself so her head could rest against his shoulder, "I don't know what I would do without you Q" "You'll be just fine Hun, I'm never really gone, just a quick call away," he smiled as she moved momentarily to press a kiss to his sunburnt shoulder.

The awareness stayed in the space between them– Quinn would always be a simple phone call away from a decision that could alter the course of their lives. The potential of the forthcoming adult world loomed, yet there remained a precious promise of one more year. One more year to soak up the unbreakable bond that made them inseparable.

Honey and Quinn adopted a silent vow to make this final year, their sophomore year, an era of memories

★★★★

"Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago, idealism sits in prison, and chivalry fell on its sword. Innocence died screaming, Honey, ask me I should know. I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door"

In the warmth of his dorm room, Quinn found himself mesmerized by the allure of Honey's kisses. Since the moment their lips first connected, an insatiable hunger had taken residence within him, fueled by her intoxicating adoration.

"I think I'm in love with you," he confessed, the words a tender murmur as Honey laid her head against his bare chest. Soft breaths escaped her lips, creating a gentle rhythm with the beat of their hearts. In the quiet intimacy of their entangled limbs and sheets, she smiled against his skin, a silent acknowledgment of the emotions that words could only begin to express.

Her fingers traced circles on his skin, and she sat up, her gaze meeting his with a soft intensity. "I know I'm in love with you," she declared, her words carrying the weight of certainty, she leaned in to press a less gentle, more passionate kiss to his chapped lips.

★★★★

"Babe, there's something wretched about this, something so precious about this. Where to begin? Babe, there's something broken about this, but I might be hoping about this. Oh, what a sin"

There was something so tragic about being in love with someone who lived so far away.

The ache of longing manifested in her final kiss, a sweet torment as tears welled in her eyes. She desired relief in his arms, her face buried in the curve of his neck as she mumbled about calling whenever he felt. "I swear Quinn, you call whenever you need to talk, even if you think it's something dumb wanna hear about it all," she mumbled as he smiled into the crown of her head. "Thank you, Hun," and with that her fingers gripped the soft cotton of his sweater, and his hands traced comforting patterns across her shoulder blade, a silent reassurance echoing through the tender touch, as they swayed back and forth.

With a heartfelt whisper, words of her adoration for him were followed by sad murmurs about how she would miss him. As he pulled away, the lingering warmth of his lips on her cheek, oblivious to his brothers' groans, left an unforgettable mark. "Thank you for everything Hun," he smiled a genuine expression of love on his face.

With one last squeeze, he began to make his rounds of goodbyes to his family, leaving Honey with a promise. "Go have a good rest of the semester, I'll see you in a few weeks, and then we have all summer together," he affirmed.

As he hugged his little brothers, Honey stood, both anchored and adrift, in the thought of their shared moments, eagerly awaiting the summer.

★★★★

"To the strand a picnic plan for you and me, a rope in hand for your other man to hang from a tree"

"Date night?" Quinn nodded to his brother as he stole a quilt from the hall closet and draped it over his arm, "You're so in love, it's unbecoming," the comment earned Jack a glare as Quinn shoved the blanket into a bag. "That's a really big word for you J," he poked back which gained a laugh from Jack. "I'm just saying, you are fulfilling your dreams and you get the girl, it sounds like it's gonna be your year," Jack teased, savouring the chance to poke fun at his older brother, but instead of pressing any more he left to go and bother Luke instead.

As Jack retreated, Quinn stood there, quilt in hand, fully aware that this was in fact his year.

Honey got his car, the engine humming with potential, a cooler bag of dinner nestled by her feet, as she leaned over the center console, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Where are we going?" "I don't know," Quinn admitted honestly, his eyes reflecting the spontaneity of the evening, "we could go to the park, or that little clearing outside of town."

His gaze lingered on the girl beside him, her hair woven into loose braids and the bridge of her nose adorned with freckles and a hint of sunburn.

The words "outside of town" escaped her lips like a secret shared between the couple, "It's more private," Honey's whisper hung in the air. Leaning in, she sealed the idea with a passionate kiss, leaving Quinn momentarily breathless.

Quinn, hand now on the wheel, felt a combination of excitement and dizziness. His other hand found its way to her thigh as they set forth on the road to the outskirts of Plymouth.

It was Quinn's year, and he was sooo in love.

★★★★

"Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago. Idealism sits in prison, and chivalry fell on its sword. Innocence died screaming, Honey, ask me I should know. I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door"

In the quiet embrace of nostalgia, Quinn found himself lost in his old Instagram posts, scrolling through the old captured memories that he hadn't looked through in years. The images that appeared on the screen told tales of life, their life together. Each photo was a snapshot of a chapter he had lived alongside her and were the moments that had sculpted him into the person he would become today.

With baby Maeve cradled in his arms, a symbol of the present and the future, Quinn's heart warmed at the stark contrast between then and now. Fifteen years had woven into a prosperous life of experiences, and as he looked up from his phone, he saw the picture-perfect scene unfolding before him. His wife, snug on the couch, sharing a bowl of popcorn and M&M's with their other two children as they watched old Disney movies

In this snapshot of domestic bliss, Quinn realized just how full of love his life had been. Quinn's heart swelled with an appreciation for the present— Honey and their babies were his everything, and in that quiet living room, surrounded by their shared history, Quinn cherished the beauty of his life.

-

-

-

[endlich-allein]

Till 🩵 Eden Arena, Prague, Czech Republic, 28-05-2017 © Petr Klapper

[lineycantdance]

For all the people clamoring for a book/movie/prequel about Haymitch's Games, why is there virtually ZERO fanart of the 2nd Quarter Quell? Young Haymitch who was canonically a baddie? Maysilee Donner, the OG owner of the Mockingjay pin whose death Katniss explicitly compares to Rue's? Where y'all at?

Suzanne dedicates 3-4 pages in ch 14 of CF to describing Haymitch's Games. We know what the arena was like, how most of the tributes died (bloodbath killed 18, volcanic eruption killed 12), we know how Haymitch outlasted 47 other tributes, we know how he won and why the Capitol was unhappy with his victory.

PLEASE the fact that the arena was designed to look picturesque and enticing but every temptation, from the flowers and fruit, to the butterflies and even the water itself, was toxic like some kind of twisted Garden of Eden???? Gotta hand it to the Gamemakers, that's so scrumptiously evil!

Also, I'm sorry to bring this back to my girlie Maysilee, but the fact that she wasn't killed by another tribute but by flamingo mutts minutes after she broke off her alliance with Haymitch and just as soon as he figured out the force field... Ohhh the Gamemakers did her so dirty!

Honestly, for a character with connections to many established characters in the trilogy, (she was Madge's aunt, Katniss's mom's best friend, AND Haymitch's ally) and who is the originator of an object which was both a testament to the intergenerational dynamics in the series and whose symbolic significance is central to the entire HG franchise, we know very little about Maysilee.

Maysilee's family ran a sweet shop, she owned a pet canary (a songbird used to detect poisonous gas in coal mines) which was bequeathed to Katniss's mother after her death, and she had a twin sister who eventually married the Mayor but suffers from chronic pain, presumably because she remains devastated by her sister's death.

These details establish Maysilee as someone distinctly of the well-off merchant class of D12, and they evoke notions of frivolity, excess, and indulgence. Arguably so does the pin which is described as a family heirloom made of solid gold in the book. And yet, these details also speak to the simple joys in life that should be luxuriated.

Katniss's mother receiving the songbird foreshadows her falling in love with Katniss's father as well as his eventual death in the coal mines. Similar to the cakes in the Mellarks' bakery that Prim so admired, sweets represent joy, beauty, and pleasure, even if rare and fleeting.

Candy as both a source of temptation and pleasure, the canary as both a melodious songbird and detector of poison, plus the fact that the 2nd QQ arena was a poisonous paradise, I feel like these dualities had to be intentional! Maysilee's weapon of choice was poisonous darts. She was both beautiful and lethal.

I would like to imagine that Maysilee had something of a rebellious streak as the original owner of the Mockingjay pin. I would like to imagine that she probably had some important things to say given that the last thing the Gamemakers did to her was rob her of her voice.

Maysilee stuck her neck out for Haymitch and rescued him from a Career tribute before their alliance was formed. I would also like to imagine that, even though she died in the arena, her legacy lives on in the little and big acts of defiance exhibited by the other characters around her.

Her spirit lives on in Katniss's mom who moved from the merchant sector to the Seam to be with Katniss's father. In Madge who brings Gale her mother's medicine after he's whipped for hunting illegally. In Haymitch who becomes a key figure in the rebellion. And obviously in Katniss who risks her life for Prim, Rue, and Peeta.

We're all familiar with the origin story of the Mockingjay as a crossbreed between the mockingbird and a Capitol muttation—the Jabberjay which was intended to gather rebel intelligence but backfired. The Mockingjay thrived outside of the Capitol's control and thus became a symbol of anti-Capitol resistance.

It's called a MOCKINGjay because it made a mockery of the Capitol's failings. Sometimes mockingbirds are called nightingales but Suzanne intentionally used the former in the portmanteau of her fictional bird species because she literally spells things out with her naming conventions!

Thus, any character who acts in defiance of the Capitol's expectations or designs is akin to a Mockingjay. It's Haymitch avoiding other tributes as much as possible and only winning by exploiting the arena's forcefield—the D1 girl's axe backfires, and she's taken out by her own weapon. It's Katniss holding out the berries and refusing to win on the Gamemakers' terms, forcing their hand to let both her and Peeta live. It's Reaper using the Capitol flag for his makeshift morgue.

It's all the tributes who gave solace, comfort, dignity, and respect to other tributes in their deaths (this happens A LOT but notice that all the D12 Victors do this). It's Thresh sparing Katniss for taking care of Rue. It's Peeta playing with the intent of helping Katniss win. It's Mags volunteering for Annie, it's Finnick resuscitating Peeta, etc. It's anyone risking their life or livelihood for someone else's sake. It's care, compassion, and even love persisting in the most brutal of circumstances.

For me, taking risks to care for others is what flies in the face of the Capitol ideology that people are inherently prone to war, violence, and destruction. This is especially true when it happens in the Games which are premised upon an "every man for himself" and "kill or be killed" mentality.

For me, taking risks to care for other people is the power of the Mockingjay symbol. It's also the meaning of the Hanging Tree song; risking everything for the chance of love and true freedom, even unto death. And that kind of hope is what rebellions are built on.

I just think that the Mockingjay pin means so much!!! I didn't even mention how, when Katniss pins it on her green shirt, she associates it with the freedom of being in the woods. It reminds her of her father whose singing voice was so beautiful that the mockingjays stopped to listen. The pin grounds her and makes her feel like she's taking a piece of home, a piece of her father into the arena.

Also, the pin is what makes Rue want to trust Katniss! For Rue, music is the one thing she can't live without, and back in D11 she sings to mockingjays to communicate that the working day is done. Katniss offers to give the pin to Rue, but Rue says she likes seeing it on Katniss better.

Also, let's not forget that the pin is a parting gift from Madge, Katniss's friend who truly cherishes her. As with the crowd who offers her the three fingered salute which she attributes to D12's respect for her father or Prim's loveableness, Katniss has difficulty recognizing that people like Madge already respect, admire, and care for her in her own right for her tenacity and bravery.

Madge is very insistent about informing Katniss that she's allowed a district token and implores her to wear the pin into the arena. This is likely a way of honoring her aunt who presumably also wore the pin as her district token. If so, then it's likely that Haymitch would have recognized the pin which may have given him an extra push to do his utmost to save Katniss because it reminded him of the girl he couldn't save.

Anyway, I feel like the intricacies of the mockingjay pin, its original owner, and its connection to the 2nd QQ are a little underappreciated. Like, this isn't even getting into the everlark parallels that write themselves... Please, Haymitch and Maysilee paved the way. They were the blueprint.

Personally, although I'm just as intrigued about the 2nd QQ as the rest of y'all, I'm fine with it being left up to the readers' imagination. There have been some great fan interpretations both in the form of fanfiction as well as the fan film by mainstay pro: https://youtu.be/7mUjssn86h4?si=PNH1rblPBp1Us5pg

I just find it kind of strange that, given how much interest there seems to be around Haymitch's Games, there isn't that much fan content, discussion, or analyses about them. Please feel free to contribute any thoughts, corrections, or reactions to this post!

[earlycuntsets]

mcr shows on youtube pt. 4 (2011 - 2023) last one :]

-> pt. 1 (2002 - 2005)

-> pt. 2 (2005 - 2007)

-> pt. 3 (2007 - 2011)

08/05/2011 pnc bank arts center holmdel nj - the academy is my beautiful romance

08/13/2011 hersheypark stadium hershey pa - the academy is my beautiful romance

08/20/2011 first midwest bank amphitheater tinley park il - the academy is my beautiful romance

08/26/2011 little john's farm reading england - em

08/31/2011 rogers arena vancouver canada - catie cunningham

09/03/2011 usana amphitheater west valley city utah - delaney nye

09/04/2011 comfort dental amphitheater greenwood village co - the academy is my beautiful romance

09/09/2011  capitol federal park at sandstone amphitheater bonner springs ks - the academy is my beautiful romance

09/11/2011 dte energy music theater clarkston mi - justanotherkilljoy

09/18/2011 farm bureau live at virginia beach va - the academy is my beautiful romance

09/20/2011 verizon wireless amphitheater charlotte nc - the academy is my beautiful romance

1/22/2012 gold coast parklands gold coast australia - the academy is my beautiful romance

02/03/2012 adelaide showground adelaide australia - the academy is my beautiful romance

02/05/2012 mccallum park perth australia - myxinfinitexromance

05/19/2012 north beach asbury park asbury park nj - ryan hanratty

12/20/2019 the shrine expo hall los angeles ca - gabe havel photo

05/16/2022 the eden project day one st austell england - the academy is my beautiful romance

05/17/2022 the eden project day two st austell england - the academy is my beautiful romance

05/21/2022 stadium mk milton keynes england - TheChickenGiraffe

05/24/2022 royal hospital kilmainham dublin ireland - the academy is my beautiful romance

05/28/2022 sofia gardens cricket ground cardiff wales - the academy is my beautiful romance

06/04/2022 bologna sonic park arena parco north italy - the academy is my beautiful romance

06/06/2022 olympiahalle munich germany - the academy is my beautiful romance

06/07/2022 budapest park budapest hungary - the academy is my beautiful romance

06/09/2022 progresja warsaw poland - the academy is my beautiful romance

06/11/2022 o2 arena prague czech republic - the academy is my beautiful romance

06/13/2022 stora scenen gröna lund stockholm sweden - live from stockholm

08/19/2022 paycom center oklahoma city ok - tony

08/23/2022 bridgestone arena nashville tn - the academy is my beautiful romance

08/24/2022 heritage bank center cincinnati oh - the academy is my beautiful romance

08/29/2022 wells fargo philadelphia pa - ronaldb2985

08/30/2022 mvp arena albany ny - the academy is my beautiful romance

09/05/2022 scotia bank toronto ca - the academy is my beautiful romance

09/16/2022 riot fest douglass park chicago il - geoffrey gardner

09/20/2022 prudential center newark nj - deadhoarse

09/24/2022 fla live arena sunrise fl - the academy is my beautiful romance

10/03/2022 tacoma dome tacoma wa - seattle concerts

10/05/2022 oakland arena oakland ca - HisoKu

10/07/2022 t-mobile arena las vegas nv - wormspeddler (smeagles)

10/08/2022 aftershock discovery park sacramento ca - the academy is my beautiful romance

10/09/2022 barclays center brooklyn ny - the academy is my beautiful romance

10/15/2022 kia forum inglewood ca - the academy is my beautiful romance

10/23/2022 when we were young day day two las vegas - the academy is my beautiful romance

10/29/2022 when we were young fest las vegas nv - PichyJr

11/18/2022 autódromo hermanos rodríguez mexico city mexico - leashalia

03/11/2023 the outer fields at western springs auckland new zealand (soundcheck) - the academy is my beautiful romance

03/23/2023 qudos bank arena sydney australia - the academy is my beautiful romance

-> pt. 1 (2002 - 2005)

-> pt. 2 (2005 - 2007)

-> pt. 3 (2007 - 2011)

[the-catboy-minyan]

You didn’t hear booing during Eden’s performance because audience microphones were turned off and EBU played a prerecorded cheering track over the livestream. Look up any audience video from inside the arena and it was all boos. Israel got what it wanted, EBU made it look like everyone was happy which is the complete opposite of reality

the only boos I can hear are the ones from people who are close to the person who's filming, you can actually hear a lot of cheers.

and like, they got to the finals, and are second place in the final predictions or whatever that is, that should be a sign that people liked their song?

[ephysalis]

My friend and I just finished our rewatch of Star Trek: TOS. What a fun, fun trip it was.

Purely for my own enjoyment, here are the 10 Star Trek: TOS episodes I liked the most. Heavily steeped in my love of retro cheese and B-Movies.

10. Arena

The Kirk vs A Lizard episode. The rocks are very obviously foam, the fight choreography is peak Trek and the lizardman wears a go-go dress lovingly crocheted by meemaw. At the end a bedazzled space twink shows up. A classic for a reason.

9. The Corbomite Maneuver

Structured like so many other Trek eps (ship gets in predicament, Kirk must pull a solution out of his ass in the 11th hour) but with great twist ending that blew my mind. Showcases Kirk's brand of cleverness very well.

8. Turnabout Intruder

The last episode of the series has a fascinating plot: one of Kirk's ex-girlfriends forcibly switches bodies with him. There's a lot of unfortunate gender discourse but if you decide to view the whole thing as a typically 60s trans allegory, it becomes fascinating. Spock recognizes the captain through a mind meld and defends him in court. Good times.

7. The Cloud Minders

The best episode of season 3 imo. Beautiful painted backgrounds and amazing retrofuturist interiors. The story is a really solid metaphor for classist oppression right until you learn the workers actually ARE violent and stupid because of some gas in the mines. Still loved it.

6. Operation: Annihilate!

The crew visits a planet decimated by alien parasites that look like flying rubber pancakes. Spock gets got and it's very tense and dramatic. Good Spirk vibes, plus I love it when my blorbos suffer.

5. The Way to Eden

The Enterprise picks up space hippies trying to find a fabled paradise planet. The costumes and songs are super enjoyable. A shining example of an ep that was probably extremely cringe back when it aired but has aged like a fine, campy wine.

4. The City on the Edge of Forever

Ok this one isn't underrated, everyone knows it's good and they're correct. Kirk and Spock get stuck in the past together and it manages to be incredibly gay despite Kirk literally dating a woman. Excellent story. Spock wears a beanie.

3. The Trouble with Tribbles

Another one where I agree with the general sentiment: it's silly and fun and I will never tire of seeing Shatner buried in furry little potatoes. The Animated Series episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles" is a hilarious sequel.

2. Amok Time

The Spirk episode that started it all, featuring a fascinating look into the mix of uptight decorum and violent heritage that makes Vulcan culture so compelling. I did particularly enjoy the extremely awkward conversation between Kirk and Spock about "Vulcan biology" at the beginning. "It happens to the birds and the bees..."

1. The Devil in the Dark

Shatner's favorite ep and also mine. The acting is on point and seeing Spock yell "JIM!" with obvious concern on his face is just 👌🏻. I love the retro cheesiness of the paper mache caverns and the alien who looks like a lasagna; I love how testy Bones is about having to do first aid on said lasagna; I love the horror-like story structure and overarching message about understanding others. 100/10.

[blue-lollipops-and-ice-clouds]

Sleep Token's "The 100 Songs That Changed Our World" Article.

(Source - photos courtesy the lovely jawsofeden)

Transcript:

100 - Sleep Token

The Summoning

(Take Me Back To Eden, 2023)

The meteoric rise of Sleep Token caught us all by surprise. At the start of 2023, the mysterious masked band were one of the metal underground's buzziest names. Led by enigmatic vocalist Vessel, they were a band to watch, for sure, but firmly attracted the niche passion of a cult following.

Then came the song that would change everything. On consecutive days in early January, the band released two singles from their third album, Take Me Back To Eden: the burning, crashing Chokehold, followed by The Summoning - and it was the latter track that would turn them into an Earth-conquering, expectation-shattering phenomenon.

Veering between depraved tech metal, soulful vocals and shimmering electronics, an enormous, hymnal chorus gave way to an Earth-shifting breakdown and screams. Intricate and groove heavy, The Surmoning was more like three songs seamlessly crafted into one genre-fluid modern masterpiece. And it still had its trump card to play: a bendy, thirst-trap, funk outro that went viral on TikTok, turning the internet intoalusty Take1 puddle. Suddenly, Sleep Token were the most talked-about band on the planet.

"THERE ARE HINTS OF EARLY SLIPKNOT THERE."

COREY TAYLOR

"It took me three listens of [The Sumroning] to realise that when they do that whole psychedelic section at the end, that it's actually the same chorus as it was before, only in a completely different way," Evanescence's Amy Lee told Revolver. "And I love it even more that. I thought they just went a whole new direction and wrote a new part, and then I was like, 'Wait, that's the same...but not at all'."

Sleep Token weren't the most obvious choice for a commercial breakthrough. The success of The Summoning, an unconventional, seven-minute, brutal shapeshifter, bucks just about every music industry trend there is.

"It's going to a lot of different places, and I think there isn't any other band out there right now that's able to do that," Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford said earlier this year.

The Summoning set a chain reaction in motion that was unprecedented in modern metal. In just a few weeks, the band saw their Spotify figures jump from the thousands into the millions. To date, the track has been streamed more than 123 million times on Spotify and 19 million on YouTube. On release, Take Me Back To Eden went straight in at No.3 in the UK and was the most streamed metal album of 2023. When the band announced a show at Wembley Arena, tickets sold out in 10 minutes.

Earlier this year, they left the metal-heavy roster of Spinefarm Records for RCA, the home of mainstream megastars Justin Timberlake and rapper Doja Cat.

"In heavy music, or even in just rock, even in the last decade or 15 years, there's so few stories of bands ever breaking through," says Health bassist and producer, John Famiglietti, who supported the band at Wembley and sees Sleep Token's success as proof metal still can resonate on a massive scale. "This is one of the few times I've seen a band go from a fucking club to an arena in six months. And I don't know the last time that happened."

It's worth pointing out that in the social media era where celebrities and artists are more accessible than ever, Sleep Token have achieved all of this on their own terms. To date, they've barely done any press, while their masked mystique is all part of the allure. Last year, fans reacted with outrage when bassist III's identity and birth certificate were allegedly leaked online, seemingly leading to a decision to wipe the band's Instagram.

"There are hints of early Slipknot there," Knot vocalist Corey Taylor told The Allison Hagendorf Show in 2023, thinking back to the early internet days before Slipknot removed their masks. "At first, we were like, 'Nope. You get nothing. This is what you get, you figure it out. We'll let the music speak for ourselves.

Today, Sleep Token are being mentioned in the same breath as potential future Download headliners Ghost, Gojira, and Architects. The only difference? Sleep Token have managed to ascend to the same level as those bands in a fraction of the time. Metal needs new superstars who will push things forward, innovate and keep the scene relevant - and with Sleep Token we have a band we can believe in. DL