#as a petty French person myself…

[idkimtiredanddumb]

Headcanon that Jean decides to seduce Jeremy out of pure spite against Kevin cause he’s petty and Kevin made like one comment that sent him off the edge (and like Jeremy’s pretty but like whatever he’s cool he barely even notices really not even when - nope, he’s so cool, he’s French ) but he’s still shocked when it works??? Because??? What??? Jeremy Knox??? But also Jeremy Knox

[yamisnuffles]

I love Aziraphale because he's expected to be hard, to be a warrior, but he chooses to be soft. He's not gentle, kind, and good because he's an angel. We've seen what the other angels are like and many of them are anything but. And there's no doubt that he could be that warrior if he wanted. He was issued a flaming sword, after all. But he gave it away and seemed none to eager to use it when he finally picked it up again. No, he is who he is because he chooses to be that way again and again.

I adore that. In a world that's often so hard and in a system that expects him to be just as hard, he chooses to be soft. To be silly. He learns to dance even though angels don't dance. He learns magic and French the human way. Successful or not, he likes playing parts, living it up as a double agent and newspaperman. He wears glasses because he thinks they're nifty. He enjoys eating food and going to the barber not because he has to but because he likes being pampered. To be fussy and indulgent. Despite strength and miraculous powers, he makes himself vulnerable so that he can be coddled and rescued.

And it's not like it's easy for him. He has to struggle against what's expected of him and against judgment from the other angels. He was worried about doing the wrong thing before the beginning, before there was even really a concept of the wrong thing. He's so terribly anxious but he doesn't let it stop him from trying to do real good. He did his part to save Job's family, even when he was certain he would fall for it.

Most difficult of all, he loves. Is in love. A thing humans do, he says to the Archangels in S2. So that's not just some easy, natural, angelic thing for him. It's very human and very scary because it's not really something he's meant to do and especially not with a demon. But he pushes slowly forward as best he can. He risks small touches and can't help but wear his heart on his sleeve with that all too expressive face. He's the angelic embodiment of heart eyes. Because he wants to love and be loved.

This isn't all he is, of course. He can be bitchy and petty and hard when pushed. He can be the warrior he was built to be. Those aren't bad things. Just enough of a bastard and all that. But just enough also means they also don't define him.

Which is where my frustration comes in. I understand the desire to flip the script sometimes. I like to do it myself from time to time and definitely think Aziraphale should be allowed to take charge. But it feels like, more often than not, large parts of fandom have taken those moments and made them all of who he is. Of the two of them, he's often made to be much more impassive and distant than Crowley. It's Crowley who is more emotional, who is more overcome physically. Despite the fact that it's almost entirely Aziraphale in canon who reaches and touches. Despite Michael Microexpressions Sheen putting so much open heart into Aziaphale's face. He isn't allowed to be soft and needy, comforted, coddled, and rescued. To be the one who yearns and lets himself be weak with it.

Just... let him be soft and silly. Let him be the person he most often chooses to be.

[sisternightroad]

Lady Oscar's flaws and weaknesses

In case someone is interested, I've written in an italian blog a small analysis of Oscar from Rose of Versailles, so I've translated it to post it here too.

Thank you for the dive into the past. To give some context, I primarily base myself on the manga because it is the original medium and, as almost always, the most complete. The original Oscar is very different from that of the anime, because the latter makes different narrative choices from the beginning. Among other things, since Oscar is not born as a protagonist but as a sidekick to Marie Antoinette, her character is initially less deep and set up differently.

Moreover, the anime has a predominantly dark and dramatic tone, but the contents have been overall very softened, especially in the edition with Italian dubbing, while the manga alternates comic moments with moments of great tragedy and violence, even very brutal for a shojo of the time. But let’s cut to the chase:

From the beginning, Oscar is characterized as a tomboy, which serves as a recurring comic element in the story. Even at the time of her birth, her father mistakes her for a boy because she screams and thrashes about like a little boy.

[Oscar’s birth in volume 1 and a comic callback in volume 6]

Despite her refined and elegant appearance, she often behaves in a decidedly rude manner, spits and swears. In her character profile, the author emphasizes that she always behaves like a man and loves weapons, alcohol, occasionally going to drink in the commoners bars and that her flaw is that she is ready to start a fight.

[A snippet of Oscar’s profile and a brawl from volume 3]

Another thing went a bit lost among the transpositions is that Oscar is a huge troll. She often behaves in a brazen and insolent way to mock scandals, pettiness and gossip of court life. The funniest example is when her father wants her to organize a ball to find a husband, in the anime criminally reduced to an innocent scene. General Jarjayes asks her to commission a dress from the best tailor in Paris and Oscar shows up at the ball with a flashy dress uniform complete with bell-bottom pants in '70s style. To complete the work, she spends the evening dancing and flirting with her throng of admirers, even kissing two and threatening to duel a guy she stole the girlfriend from. Priceless.

[Lady Oscar happily trolling her father and her suitor Girodelle who, along with the other contenders, despair in the background in volume 6]

Moving on to more serious matters, in both versions Oscar is notoriously cool and detached, but in the manga she is less fickle, impulsive and reckless. She tends to be a risk-taker, but most of the time the risks she takes are calculated or at least justified. One of the first big examples is when she threatens Madame du Barry with her sword for trying to frame Oscar’s mother for the poisoning of a maid. In this case, she draws her sword in defense of her mother to scare du Barry, because she knows even the countess may not want it to be known what happened.

[Oscar threatens Countess du Barry with her sword in volume 2]

In addition, beneath her cold exterior, she often shows herself to be emotional and quick-tempered, characteristics that come out especially during the most dramatic moments, such as the killing of the child by the Duke of Guémené, when the black knight injures André’s eye or the soldiers of the French guard want to push her to punish them.

[Oscar getting furious about the extravagances orchestrated by the Duchess de Polignac in volume 4]

In the manga, Oscar does not live her military career as an imposition, but rather as a source of pride. Also for this reason, she shows from a very young age to be competitive, ambitious and even a bit arrogant. In fact, she is the one who personally requests the assignments of the capture of Jeanne de Valois or the arrest of the black knight, thanks to which she reaches the rank of brigadier general and, if she had not let the latter escape, she would have advanced at least one more rank. Moreover, in the comic she decides to join the French guard not to get away from Fersen, but to prove that she can make it even outside the privileged environment of the royal guard.

[An adorable little Oscar who already thinks big in volume 1]

Since Oscar, like all nobles, has always lived a privileged and protected existence, especially at the beginning she is naive and ignorant about the conditions of the world and the people around her. It is also for this reason that she is sometimes excessively indulgent towards Marie Antoinette and tends not to take into account André’s feelings for her, even though she knows he loves her.

[A moment of tragic realization on Oscar’s part in volume 5]

Finally, Oscar has an ambivalent relationship towards her femininity. While this does not represent a flaw in itself, it remains one of her major weaknesses that makes her suffer and rends her very vulnerable. While she is in every way a woman, she occupies a place that in a very rigid and hierarchical society is traditionally reserved for men and she wants to be treated like a man. For this reason, she often shows to consider feelings as something exclusively feminine to reject. This side of her identity cracks when Oscar’s expectations and desires as a woman and those as a soldier clash with each other, such as when she falls in love with Fersen and for the first time in her life she dresses as a woman for him or when her father wants to push her to retire from the army and marry Girodelle. This would force her in each case to give up an important part of her life and identity. Only at the end does she understand, after André dies and she stays by his side instead of returning immediately to the battlefield, in the scene that I find the most touching in the manga, that her feelings do not make her a “woman”, but human.

[Oscar crying over André’s death in volume 8, much better than that crap of episode 39]

I want to close by saying that this is a manga and a character that I love very much also and especially for its shortcomings and very human imperfections. It is these gaps that push her to mature beyond the boundaries of her golden cage and to break down the social and personal barriers that prevent her from living her life not simply as a man or a woman but as herself.

It is by navigating her complex and difficult feelings, touching firsthand the despair of ordinary people and gaining the respect of her rebellious subordinates that she understands that she is only a small cog in the great wheel of History and thus comes to choose which side of it she really wants to be on.

[sgiandubh]

Good morning to you...as always, this person is very indignant and enraged.

https://www.tumblr.com/maximumwobblerbanditdonut/748583730081333248/the-unexpected-guests?source=share

Dear (returning) Mythomaniac Anon,

Sorry for the delay and see below why. Well, then: how was that, at their end of the rope, across the street?

I know, I am quoting BIF (that petty, nasty, condescending woman), their Main Intellectual Luminary (LOL for years), but see how easy it is to boomerang anything?

And I will even suit myself and quote her some more, lookie here:

I am not even sorry. Karma is a bitch, like that and it seems to have backfired badly on BIF's comadre, 'Max'. You see, I can immediately tell when people who have NO idea about what LAW really is, start talking about it. They will always be oh so damn literal and oh so damn mechanical in their 'reasonings'. I mean, if law were to be read as is, why would we even bother going to law school, right? Why not have AI sort it out, literally and mechanically, too (and boy does 'Max' sound like an android when she starts droning her maximum wobbling bullshit)? You see, in law, it's never enough to copy/paste something, because this is about people, money and interests, being those individual or collective. Timelines are important (and indispensable in any legal approach), but never enough: what makes the difference is always the particular context and the interpretation of facts - that is, by the way, called jurisprudence, when it becomes a legally binding precedent (not our modest case, here), in common law system countries (the UK, the US) or a complementary source of law, like in Roman/Civil law systems, such as the French and Romanian ones, which I know best. There is a technical distinction between those two concepts (legally binding precedent and complementary source of law) and I once passed a whole year written exam in Public French Law with honors, picking this exact topic, but I won't bother you with it, Anon. In a nutshell, tread carefully when you open that droning mouth and leave no stone unturned, if possible. Otherwise, you'd make a fool out of yourself, with bullshit like this:

There is no Midhope Distillery Company Ltd, you fool. There once was the Midhope Castle Distillery Ltd, as I have abundantly shown in not one, but two posts. It did not 'change its name' in 2023, it was dissolved by voluntary write-off (third time might be a charm, across the street, maybe the coin would drop?). And one more time, for you Mordor people in the back: there is no way to know who the shareholders of a given company are, based on the Company House records, nor the amount of their participation. This is confidential information, as shown also in the Planning Proposal - once more, I repost the screenshot:

' The Business Plan, submitted (...) under Private and Confidential cover, provides background information on the applicant'. Including, but not limited to, the existing investors/shareholders - it is essential to show the local authorities your business project is not a whim or a dream.

She also writes confidently stuff like:

That is simply not true. As I have also shown in my last post, Outlander is explicitly mentioned in both the first and the revised Planning Proposals, as a strong argument for the entire business project. It may serve to remember that one of the elements justifying it was to provide the 20k seasonal visitors of the Midhope Castle Grounds an opportunity to access the (vastly) improved interior of the castle, along with a whisky related experience/discovery activity, accommodation and high-end dining opportunity. Again, I repost the screenshot, because those people are mendacious by nature and it is perhaps the only way to show them some facts (not useless factoids):

That being said, we can speculate and deduct a simple correlation between a company actively looking for investors to support their now vastly revised, ten-year project and an actor-cum-entrepreneur who might be interested/already involved in that project. Unless he'd make a formal announcement himself, at some point in time, there is no way to confirm. 'Max' should perhaps learn to water down her confident tone, sometimes, especially when it is obvious she did not look at the documents herself, used only Google in the arrogant and foolish hope 'those tinhat shippers are stupid' and has 0 (zero) legal expertise.

This whole thing might be pending approval, but let's not forget the first Planning Statement was approved back in 2020 (which is a good starting point), that they have secured a business partnership with the owner of the land, Lord Hope (the 4th Marquess of Linlithgow) and that as far as I could read during those past two days, all the reports seem ok, at least up until this point in time. I see no reason why they wouldn't meet and talk about it: on which planet is that such a big deal and on which planet could that be construed as 'conflict of interest' (another one of 'Max's' arguments), given the organic link between OL and Midhope, since 2013?

I also have made a hasty mistake, in my previous post, when dealing with Ken Robertson's participation to the project. He continued to be involved, as my penned timeline shows, in both Hopetoun Estate Distillery Ltd and Hopetoun Estate Whiskies Ltd, as a Director, continuously from May 2017 until their dissolution, in December 2022. Again, it's all on the timeline - see what I just did, here? LOL for a century and a half.

And for Marple's 'Sorry' clip, I have the perfect reply. Especially the chorus, of course - ignore the rest, it's about some Seventies playboy, quite an Alternate Universe from hers:

I will stop now, Anon. With the MPC Gala just round the corner, all the eyes will be on that one. This drama will probably draw to a fizzled denouement, as they always do, in this fandom. But I will follow that business project and report from time to time. I bet the farm we'll have news, rather sooner than later.

[driverlando]

First of all… HAPPY 2K!! 🥹🩷 SENDING SO SO SO MUCH LOVE 🫶

I’d love to get a 💍 if I can! 😋

I think describing myself would be the hardest part… but here we go! I love listening to music, my playlists usually consist of Lana Del Rey, ABBA, along with some other mixes of artists as long as I like the song.

I’m very expressive, passionate about my interests, and sometimes a bit of a perfectionist. My friends say I’m smart (I don’t believe it lol), caring, but a bit unhinged at times. Flaws of me, I’d say that I get really petty sometimes and sassy. Also a embarrassingly big gossip lover…

I LOVE HISTORY 🗣️ !! (IT’S OVER-HATED 😔😔) If you were to ask me anything about the World Wars, Cold War, Revolutionary, French, Royal Families, etc, etc, I might be able to answer no problem. I love creative writing, classic literature, anything with meaning behind it! Even won a award and got put in a writing contest and it got put into a book for Best Young Writers (one of my proudest moments 💪 )

I love sports and grew up with football/soccer! As for getting into F1… I ordered a turtleneck and accidently got sent a McLaren shirt and became a fan ever since 😭

Not the best with this stuff… but i hope you get the gist of it! AGAIN, CONGRATS FOR THE 2K LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! 🩷🩷

THANK YOU BBY, LOVE YOUUU 🥹💘💘

I’d say lando 100% you two just FIT!! I feel like his vibrant personality would match yours (he’d basically match your freak is what I’m trying to say) he’d be the type to always compliment you and remind you that you are SO clever. you could both be that unhinged happy couple that stay together forever because your vibes are so similar that you click. he’d ask you questions related to history and you’d explain it all to him and then he’d ask some more because he can’t get enough of your voice and loves listening to you talk about something you’re SO passionate about. you could both go to football games together and have a blast too, ah it’s just perfect 💘💘

ALSO THATS SO CUTE LMAO. you were blessed with McLaren merch basically 😂

[frankiistein]

now that breadavota is back heres my long analysis of jacques and how his literally-dead-dollkin identity and monsterfucking relates to his being schizoid and stuffs

theres alot of neat stuff in the new "further reading" panel tho i like the reveal that jacques sent media alot of blank letters when he was younger bcuz he couldnt see

the "blank" letter in the website actually have invisible text tho and its in passrynian (which accdg to the wiki is just intentionally shitty french with different pronouns)

google translated:

Hello, Mr. Media. I can't read or write, so I'm devoid of this letter. You are said to be a medium, so read your feelings. It is difficult to express, so I have studied English for you. Please accept my transmission.

the pronouns makes it weird but i think its intention to be read my feelings and nor your feelings, based on the fact that jacques calls media a medium? like i think he expects media to be able to "read" his letters even if their blank bcuz medias psychic powers

idk if im right but this is what i thought of after thinking abt how its said in the story that media can "read" peoples thoughts except for jacques and that media seems neurotic thinking if he "really" knew how jacques thinks the novelty of their relationship would fade away and (supposedly) media would get sick/bored of jacques

but also. tbt to this one specific line from their first meeting in an archetype of a person from universes before

its kind of a throwaway line but in context of other parts of the comic where we see jacques getting frustrated that media cant understand his logic but that he never rly explains himself coherently (a1-3 and like a duck which not posted yet on the website especially show this) i think it has a deeper meaning

so like u kno how jacques obviously has his monsterfucking kink and how hes constantly disappointed that medias not a "real" monster to him

theres a physical part involved in his attraction no doubt abt it but considering that jacques cant even see what the "scary" monsters look like and also how in like a duck its explicitly stated part of his admiration for media is media as a non-living being is immune to living problems like petty emotions or flawed logic (things that jacques supposedly dislikes about himself? or at least that cause his social struggles)

altho the more obvious part of his paraphilia is the monsterfucking theres a wide scope of things he seems attached to and the things they all have in common is theyre the "opposite" of how the living are legally defined

- he has a thing for the dead and for inanimate objects

- he dislikes objects that become sentient

- the traits he fantasizes about media are specifically a lack of morals, a lack of emotion and ai computer logic

- and most of all his resistance for love and criticism for love as a legal concept in their society

ok so I HAVE A POINT HERE OK but first we also get this new excerpt of an essay jacques writes for the court

I wasn't quite angry, not on any meaningful level, over the prospect of people putting a sense of "value" and projecting a notion of "love" on something about myself that I had reserved neither for, from my inability to perceive it. I was angry that people had decided of their own accord that this was what I was angry about in the first place.

jacques spent his life before moving to the court having his feelings constantly assumed (implied to be for ableist reasons) and it rly makes it clearer why in present day he gets triggered so easily abt media trying to get him to explain himself, bcuz even tho jacques is aware his own sense of logic and emotion is twisted and abnormal he thinks trying to get people to understand it is frustrating and useless, because its never worked before

he thinks the living are so used to their culture being the "reality" of things and so the living can never understand him, so he both finds comfort in and sees his own self/identity in the terms of the "non-living" (whether the dead, the inanimate or the immortal) as theyre all things that

- cant feel anything at all

- cant have their feelings misunderstood by others on account of having no feelings

ALRIGHT SO BACK TO THE LETTER AND THE LINE IN AN ARCHETYPE

jacques is obviously disillusioned w/ media but the emphasis on media just "looking like a human" feels like jacques trying to dismiss the depth of his feelings on the matter

i think jacques initial "crush" on media wasnt just bcuz media was a scary hot monster but specifically that he was a medium

his first letter to media points out medias reputation as a psychic instead of media being a marginal/monster/other species and since media and jacques talked multiple times over the phone before they met irl jacques had alot of opportunities to pry for medias physical form but he never asked until they met irl in the first time

imo jacques pointing out that he believed media would be able to understand him instead of just judging him (like everyone else does) was bcuz jacques was obsessed with this fantasy that media was someone/something who could not only understand him but would be able to understand him w/o jacques needing to do anything to make himself understood

and idk if jacques knows hes the only exception to medias mindreading but if he does that must make him feel worse. like if media wasnt psychic all along it would be bad enough but if jacques is the exception it emphasizes his isolation further

like idk i do think jacques genuinely feels a sense of attachment/connection to media but that the relationship they can have irl will always have the issues that "fantasy media" doesnt. jacques initial attraction to media was completely a parasocial relationship to an enigmatic other species and now that theyre together "for real" he hates the reality that real life media is Just Some Guy who is actively trying to be even more of a Just Some Guy bcuz what he wanted from media was never a real "living" relationship but the fantasy relationship of being effortlessly understood by somebody with no "real" needs or expectations

[world-cinema-research]

The 400 Blows/Les Cuatre Cents Coups (1959)

By Cris Nyne

The directorial debut of pioneering French filmmaker, François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, left a lasting imprint on the timeline of international cinema. To know Truffaut’s history before becoming director makes the film even more of a remarkable achievement. His life began as a troubled youth, engaging in petty crimes and was well on his way to a path of self-destruction. It was in his late teenage years when recognized film critic André Bazin would take Truffaut under his wing and give him a job as critic for the film magazine Cahiers du cinéma. During this time, Truffaut would become recognized as a brutal critic of French films. His infamy stretched to Festival de Cannes, where he would be denied accreditation in 1958. The following year in 1959, Truffaut would get his revenge by being crowned Best Director for The 400 Blows at Cannes. This all by the age of 27. Truffaut would continue to turn the film industry on its head and help pave the way for what today is known as French New Wave.

“If the New Wave marks the dividing point between classic and modern cinema (and many think it does), then Truffaut is likely the most beloved of modern directors -- the one whose films resonated with the deepest, richest love of moviemaking.” -Roger Ebert August 8, 1999

The 400 Blows is a semi-autobiographical tale that follows the young star Jean-Pierre Léaud as the mischievous Antoine Doinel. Antoine is humiliated by his teacher, skips school, steals, and smokes cigarettes while contemplating a better life A life away from his father’s failures and his mother’s affairs. Both parents find themselves exhausted of all options for their son (or the lack of attention they care to provide) and send him off to a school for troubled children. From the beginning of the film, his parents seem to have other priorities in filling the hole in their marriage, and Antoine is essentially a victim of having too much unsupervised time on his hands. By the end of the film, Antoine is contemplating his life outside of the observation center for delinquent youth. He makes a dash for it.

Source: Blu-ray.com

“The movie is full of actual incidents from Truffaut’s childhood, including his fabricating his mother’s death as an excuse for truancy. Few movies have been so personal.” -J.Hoberman, The New York Times September 21, 2022

The movie was well received by audiences and critics alike. He won Best Director at Cannes in 1959, as well as a nominee for the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at Cannes. The French regional newspaper Nice-Matin claimed The 400 Blows to be “A Masterpiece”. The chemistry between Léaud and Truffaut was strong. They would go on to make three more feature films with Léaud revising his role as Antoine Doinel, Stolen Kisses (1968), Bed and Board (1970), and Love on the Run (1979). Currently, Rotten Tomatoes lists The 400 Blows with a rating of 94%.

Original Movie Release Poster

The film is in black and white and is shot in a very personal manner. There are lots of close-space encounters that make you feel as if you are squeezing into the room with them. The house that Antoine lives with his mother and father is very small. During one scene as Antoine is sleeping, his mother, Gilberte Doinel (played by Claire Maurier), comes home after a long night and cannot open the door all the way as it is stopped by the mattress that Antoine sleeps on. There are many fun street scenes shot from different angles- subterranean, street-level, and roof tops, that portray Antoine and his friends plotting and scheming around the streets of Paris. There are a few scenes that follow the main character along a stretch of blocks, and I found myself thinking about how smooth the camerawork was.

During its filming and release date, The 400 Blows took the idea of conventional filmmaking and shredded the blueprint. The director was only known as a stubborn critic and the main star of the film was completely unknown. The script was a unique story, one that, for the most part, Truffaut had lived and had made it through to tell the tale of a rebellious and delinquent child on a bad path. A child that by today’s standards would probably be diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder and prescribed medication. What was once an extremely unconventional approach to filmmaking has now become a standard in delivering a storyline. Truffaut’s confidence in leaping from critic to auteur has left a rippling effect that you can still see over 7 decades later.   

[chrisis-averted]

Eurovision 2023 Personal Opinions

Albania: not my thing but cute, it’s a whole family!

Armenia: first female rap in ESC history, love it!

Australia: fucking BANGER! I l love this!

Austria: ah, yes, this is going to be stuck in my head for several years

Azerbaijan: alright, I get it’s in Liverpool but these guys look and sound like a Beatles cover band

Belgium: could be a Gay Pride anthem but as a song it’s kind of lacking

Croatia: I hated it at first but it grew on me, I find the concept kind of hilarious

Cyprus: genuinely a good melody and voice, not a fan of the lyrics

Czechia: the opposite, I love the lyrics but I can’t bring myself to like the song, the music video creeps me a little

Denmark: why does Walmart Justin Bieber look like a very good looking lesbian?

Estonia: like the song but I feel like it was written for a different voice

Finland: weird enough to be enjoyable

France: it’s sure french, but it has a nice modern beat, feels like the soundtrack of a femme fatale

Georgia: still can’t decide whether I like this or not

Germany: about FUCKING TIME Germany sent a metal song! Can’t wait to see this live!

Greece: he is BABY but his voice doesn’t fit his face, great song tho

Iceland: kind of falls flat after the last couple of years

Ireland: nice pleasant song, but kind of lacks feeling, I’d listen to this in my car

Israel: most dramatic start of this contest, the music is great up the second chorus then it gets worse

Italy: very disappointed, there were much better and unique songs in the contest and the most generic ballad won; by no means a bad song, it’s just something I’ve heard before

Latvia: nice song, depressing lyrics, it reminds me of Death Stranding for some reason

Lithuania: not bad, I’d sing this

Malta: genuinely funny and enjoyable song, also MOOD

Moldova: glad to see the tradition of having an ethnic flute at eurovision isn’t going to break, a genuine ethnic bop

Netherlands: I can hear the Duncan Lawrence influence, nice song and meaning, the harmony is exceptional

Norway: YOU GO QUEEN

Poland: ...she can’t fucking sing and the whole music video is just shots of her ass and boobs, what is going on?

Portugal: ethnic and fun, I don’t think it will be popular but it should

Romania: I’m...not sure what this song wants to be

San Marino: after the last couple years, they kind of fall flat, especially in song meaning, down there with Poland, and they sound like they sing at birthday parties rather than at international competitions

Serbia: keep it weird, guys, I’m absolutely in love with his weird moans

Slovenia: another car trip song, but this one with a flavor of depressing meaning, wow my generation isn’t ok

Spain: I’m glad they tried something different, but it’s really not my thing

Sweden: I love Loreen, but I don’t understand how this is the favorite, it’s not that great a song

Switzerland: currently my favourite, both in melody and meaning, I don’t understand the bad feedback, are people really that petty?

Ukraine: not really my thing, I get they’re the winners but meh

United Kingdom: is the curse broken?? this is genuinely a good bop!

[dreamcrush]

Hello, I sure hope I'm doing this right it's my first time asking for a kin and it looks very nice 😭

May I get a kin for JJBA, KnY, JJBA and Genshin Impact please?

She/her

Gemini

Intp

5w4

Asexual/heteromantic

Chaotic Good

Appearance: 164cm. Brown wavy hair, dark Brown eyes. Curvy body I guess? I'm pale with visible beauty marks like on my lips. I wear glasses/sunglasses. I've been described as cute and a tease because I always bite my lips out of habit lol. I often have a tired/annoyed expression or a smile. I wear comfy clothes and even pj outside. Or cliché villain clothes, no in between. I try to wear gloves to stop myself from bitting my nails.

I appear as cold and very sarcastic. But I can be charismatic when I want. I'm always polite unless I dislike you (you'll know it because I become passive agressive). How I act depends on how you act with me, unless I'm in a bad mood. In that case I isolate to not break hearts too much. I act flirty around my friends and is known for sometimes playing with hearts (I'm oblivious to it). I'm petty and can go very far out of spite or vengeance. I curse a lot and will call you out on your bullshit with no issue no matter who you are.

I'm moody and not a morning person AT ALL. I'm brutally honest and it affected some friendships because people sometimes won't dare to approach me. I'm also socially obvious to a lot of things. I'm very curious and have a short attention spawn.

Getting along with me is easy peasy. As long as you're not whiny or a hypocrite we will get along. Now getting to know me is....nearly impossible. No friend of mine has managed to make me spill my problems even thought they share theirs and I help them out. My trust issues and daddy issues are too important for that lol. I don't open up and bottle my feelings all the time till I shut down or explode. I isolate a lot when I have problems or I'm just thinking (I love daydreaming). I'm rebellious but also a smooth talker. My friends know I have good intentions and would never wrong an innocent person. I'm the smart but reckless friend cuz I'll always hype up bad ideas for fun. I can be a bit naive. Even thought I have morbid curiosity and shared dubious experimental ideas....morals ain't my Forte. I'm more logical than emotional. I'm ambitious and can't stand my own failure. But I'm also lazy and a procrastinator which is a terrible combo. I'm always willing to debate and learn new things because knowledge is very important to me. I'm creative and innovative, I know when to get to business. I'm very competitive and try to hide it. Yeah I have an ego, so what? if you don't have a solid argument with me, I'll destroy you.

Despite that, I joke a lot and never take anything seriously. It happens that I underestimate people (I beat them later sooo). I'm a big tease and love to rile up people and see them get angry. I subtly insult people when they piss me off or I'm in a bad mood. I'm morbidly curious.

Because of that, I get very lonely and I'm misunderstood. I don't recognize my own feelings and mask that pretty well as it fools everyone. i don't consider myself to be a good person for some reasons. I envy easily and get annoyed easily because I want to succeed above all lol. Oh and I love money.

I care by helping you out and giving you advices. If you are in the wrong I will tell you. I'm not good with emotions so don't count on me for emotional support I'll just give jokes. I have trust issues and never share my problems, I just bottle up everything and wear a mask or isolate. I like giving gifts to my friends

Hobbies: Reading (mystery, thriller, fantasy), true crime, video games, manga, drawing, baking, fighting sports (sparing and shooting), learning, daydreaming. I love space and mad scientists stories. My aesthetic is definitely related to those subjects as well as the sea and stars.

I'm insecure about my weight despite not being overweight.

I speak Arabic, French and English. I'm an only child. I study electronics and want to work in space related studies. I do have some....dubious....dreams related to the DNA that definitely stretches morality lol.

Thank you for your time. I hope you have a nice day!

wow! that was... a lot of information. um. anyways!

for jjba, dio brando and rohan kishibe.

for kny, tengen uzui.

for genshin, mona, fischl, and childe.

- 🪽

[warmhealerr]

18+ - Minors Do Not Interact.

Adult content sometimes. Even if it weren't the case I just don't want minors here. My Instagram is not my Tumblr.

I am Barnabas, though you can also call me Barney! I use he/they pronouns interchangeably.

I'm a hobbyist who writes and draws. I am currently deep in a DND phase kickstarted by BG3. I am fond of all things Gith- peoples, though Githyanki especially. I also love Deep Gnomes, and undead, go figure.

I am otherwise writing The City Of Dust aka TCOD (name to be changed) which I might post about from time to time. It has been my personal passion project for 7 years now.

If that information matters to you I am a French in France who stays awake at ungodly hours and wants out of here HAHA.

BOUNDARIES/"DNI"

I feel childish adding more to this section for some reason but it is necessary, so might as well get on with it.

I know how to curate my online experience like any other, and I also love dark media and kink, but I genuinely politely ask that you do not follow me (assuming you've read this) if you post or reblog fetish incestuous content. I like quickly checking and/or following people's blogs when it seems we've common interests! There's only so much curating I can do when someone with no specific warnings anywhere on their account does not tag it, which has been a more common occurrence than I'd prefer. This also goes for adult/minor fetish content. Please and thank you.

No gen AI.

I otherwise block whoever I please for reasons completely unrelated to former points. My blog history and bio might give you insight as to what. I also do not like people who revel in being the most shocking, mean spirited, judgemental and edgy in the room.

Finally, petty intercommunity validity discourse is the bane of my existence.

TAG INFO AND MORE UNDER THE CUT

NOTE 1

I suffer from serial social media liking disease. Apologies, I don't mean to spam/be obnoxious.

NOTE 2

I am ND and very mentally ill. My casual everyday (like you are reading right now) writing might be noticeably overcompensating, too cold, too warm, far too descriptive, or redundant alongside suffering at times from poor punctuation and vocabulary (though that is also on the fact English is not my first language). I am well aware though I'm trying to avoid awkwardness, sorry about that.

TUMBLR STUFF

ASKS

I welcome any ask no matter its content (that includes asks of an adult nature).

TAGS

I am God awful at tagging things even though I have been using Tumblr for at least 5 years now. I am especially forgetful when it comes to character or ship tags. This is an attempt at changing that.

#rambling for when I talk about... Nothing.

Feel free to request ship or character tags (as I usually forget them) in my ask inbox. My ship tag format usually goes #x/y.

I usually do not tag suggestive content (I just don't think about it, this blog is already 18+). I will tag explicit adult stuff with #nsft.

Content warning tags will use a single word, like #gore. This is to avoid typing gore cw instead of cw gore (for example) in case someone doesn't have that former tag iteration blocked.

I usually do not phobia tag (I might sometimes tag specific living beings like #bugs or #spiders. It is for archive navigation purposes but perhaps you could find it useful to hide them).

Feel free to request CW tags in my ask inbox.

MY TAGS

#myart for my visual art : from sketches to fully rendered, anything goes. I describe my rendered art for the visually impaired, and/or comprehensive visual clarity for an easier analysis. I usually do not describe sketches especially if posting a bunch of them.

#my writing for any kind of writing I put out. I don't write lots of polished stuff though. It's mostly summaries, script drafts and ideas I use to communicate with myself first, and then other people. It's hardly literature imo.

My individual OC tags go "#charactername tag" for easy navigation purposes.

"#Fist of the Comet" additional tag for Ta'rath post BG3 campaign

"#underdark siblings" for Joufos/Oulmat/Zilkon, their other family members and Oulmat's patron.

#TCOD for TCOD (until name changes).

I will add more tags here once relevant. Thank you.

[sonseulsoleil]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I was tagged by @hmslusitania! Thanks Hayley!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

110

2. What’s your total word count on AO3?

483,852

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Whatever I am obsessed with at the moment. The last stuff I was working on was Percy Jackson fic, before that Heartstopper (and I WILL get back to those wips eventually). Oh, and Newsies is also currently in the works! Basically I have ADHD and I am all over the place all of the time. I'll go back to wips I started 5 years ago and keep working on them. What I've written vs what I've actually managed to polish and post is a HUGE disparity lol

4. Top five fics by kudos

- All We Do Is Run

- Let the Whole World Melt Away

- never saw you coming (and I'll never be the same)

- sugar, butter, flour (what a mess I'm making)

- stay in my arms if you dare (or must I imagine you there)

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes, almost always. It takes me awhile sometimes, but I try to respond to every comment. I worry that if I don't respond, people will stop commenting.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I've written a couple Major Character Death fics, but they're not on AO3 because they were just drabbles so I only posted them on tumblr (also they're very old and bad)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

hmmm maybe All We Do Is Run, just compared to the source material lmao

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have a couple times. Mostly on fics where I've introduced OCs, which sucks.

9. Do you write smut?

Yes, sometimes. But I don't post it. I write it for myself and will maybe share it with friends if they're interested.

10. Craziest crossover?

I've never written a proper crossover. I'll write AUs where I take the characters of Property A and put them into the story of Property B, but I've never written a true crossover where characters of two properties interact.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope, but I've definitely had fic concepts stolen. Which sounds petty, but I've made posts about fics I'm working on and had people take them and write their own fics with the same details I mentioned and it's like. Not plagiarism exactly and it's impossible to own ideas, really, but it does rub me the wrong way.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

A couple times! It's very cool!

13. Have you ever Co-written a fic?

I tried once a long time ago and it went poorly. Turns out I am not a very good collaborator sometimes.

14. All time favourite ship?

I don't--you want me to pick ONE?! are you kidding lol

15. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have SO MANY. There's a Star Trek fic I've been working on off and on since Beyond came out. There's my mermaid!Buck 911 fic. There's my current Heartstopper fic. There's my PJO Anastasia fic. There's my angst canon divergence Psych fic. My google drive is a graveyard of partially written stories begging to see the light of day.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Finishing things, clearly.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Depends wildly. I've written this in some Heartstopper fics, because Nick speaks French. And I had a friend who is fluent in French help me get it right. I think when people take the time to find a fluent speaker to help them or are fluent themselves, it's fine and good. And when people are just using google translate, it shows. Also, obviously, being bilingual has to make sense for the character. I also especially have beef with the way people often write latine characters/Spanish specifically. I grew up surrounded by latinos and nobody talks like that. Stop it. You all know what I'm talking about.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

ABC's Castle. Say what you will about Nathan Fillion, but that show shaped me as a person.

20. Fave fics you’ve written?

All We Do Is Run (longest multi-chap I've ever written. this thing was years of my life.)

répète (the only one of my GMW/BMW fics I regularly go back to)

tin can telephones (it's all written in texts and dialogue and that was really fun)

I'm tagging @firstelevens @memequeme @galwithalibrarycard and anyone else who wants to do it!

[trans-elrond]

7, 8, 14, 24 for the choose violence asks 😈

thanks for your contribution to the unending torments <3

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

funny that this is the same answer as the last question........ but H*lbrand in ROP. I mean, it's not hate hate, I think he's an interesting character and i have read fic with him that i liked, but the next person to go omg daddy sexy slut s*uron i want him to spank me or whatever? u get the KNIFE. develop some shame!

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

I think there are ... lots but it is sometimes annoying when people didn't want characters to die and it's like, okay, but that's the point of the story?

(saying this as i'm guilty of not wanting abner krill or bialar crais to die, but like, i can recognize i wouldn't have loved the stories as much if they had avoided their fates.)

14. that one thing you see in fics all the time

this is petty English major of me, but people use the wrong fucking words all the time, especially in the sort of... flowery sensual archaism tone that is so popular among younger fanfic writers. just so many misused words. i will close a fic and also if the mistake is funny enough make fun of it to my friends. (I like words a lot! but not blatant misuse. idk, use a dictionary.)

(this is not to shame second language English learners, who are often way more careful with words anyway? i'm talking about regular old first-language English speakers who are trying to make their prose better and accidentally make it worse.)

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

where do i begin. so much rancid discourse on this website! any kind of petty ship wars or fandom wars and... uh-oh girls i feel a thought coming on

okay i'm going to attempt to say this next bit in a way that doesn't set the snipers on me, or alienate the people i know and love who enjoy them critically, because i have obviously watched m*rvel and t*p gun myself and read & enjoyed fic for them. but like: while there are obvious exceptions and there are plenty of fans reclaiming & reworking these fandoms, i think it can be a sign of immaturity to latch onto those giant blockbusters with obvious pro-imperialism pro-cop themes and not be able to take constructive criticism about your media diet. (see: "it's just escapism", "it's my comfort show", "it's just fiction it doesn't mean anything" etc.)

if pro-cop pro-imperialism media is a significant part of your media diet, you maybe need to consider branching out and watching stuff that isn't spoon-fed propaganda. and you need to be able to say, these are things within these films/shows that do not align with my own worldview; i enjoy it for these other reasons. ALL THAT TO SAY watch what you want whatever i ain't a cop but please do so with brain cells and also there is a wonderful world of non-cop/CIA propaganda out there that you might find you enjoy if you watch something other than Generic Blockbuster #72 because it stars one of the Chrises you like.

basically i think people on tumblr need to touch grass. my absolute favorite film of 2022 was Athena, a French film about brothers and their different approaches to police brutality, that had about 0 marketing. i wouldn't have discovered it if i only watched giant studio films.

[thegirlwhowrites642]

"nerdy socially inept girls" lol someone doesn't like Hermione I feel 😆😆

OK, I wasn't talking about Hermione but let's discuss this. I'll keep it brief because it's definitely not a topic I enjoy.

I am a nerd, ok? This entire blog proves it. I'm a nerd, I'm a geek, I've never been in a class where I wasn't the best student, I didn't even go to an average high school, and I could go on like this for fifteen hours and sound even more obnoxious, but the point is: I have nothing against nerdy women.

I don't think I can call myself socially inept but I most certainly was in middle school. I barely used to sleep to fulfil all the commitments I had, I've always been a bit of a know-it-all but at that age I was unbearable. I used to attach all my value as a person to my academic achievements. I've also always worn glasses, I had braces, and oh my god my hair in middle school was a nightmare. So of course at that age, I thought I was morally superior to all the other girls because I read books, I didn't wear make-up, and had great marks. Been there, done that. It was a self-defence mechanism. But then I fucking grew up though. Because the truth is that if you are like that, life is really hard, and people can be cruel but it's your fault too. And if you don't grow up then it means you completely lack self-awareness and you really are an unbearable bitch, pardon my French.

Hermione's character is one that I have some issues with, and a good part of it fundamentally comes down to the fact that she was written by a woman who clearly didn't know what she was talking about. If in the first three books, Hermione seems written how I would write her now, with the awareness of someone who has been through a life with that personality and grew up and now can view the situation objectively, in the last four books she seems written by a petty angry twelve-year-old me. The narrative constantly refuses to deal with her flaws by not treating them as such or even sweeping them under the rug, and therefore there's no relevant growth. (Don't know what happened to JKR between PoA and GoF.)

If you want well-written female characters who show properly the consequences of attaching your value as a person to your academic achievements and having trouble making friends, then watch Gilmore Girls, because Rory Gilmore and Paris Geller are your women.

[coda-blue]

Update: Collab VNs

(This is a crosspost from my Patreon. To explore more, click here.)

**********************************************************

Belladonna's Flight — A demo is RELEASED! Belladonna’s Flight by Night Asobu is a poison-dealing fantasy romance, inspired by the historic case of an uncovered poisoner network in 17th century Paris, France. Made for both the Otome Jam and newly-formed sister jam, Josei Jam, Belladonna's Flight takes place in the fictional French city of Solroy, where you follow Catherine Auclair, a witch who makes her living selling lethal wares under the table. But once word lets out that the law is coming to execute every last one of her criminal ilk, Catherine has to call upon untrustworthy business rivals to try and work out a safe escape. Will her wit and wiles help her succeed, or will she get what's coming to her in a fateful betrayal?

I voice Marie Chaligault, a sharp-tongued fortune teller and potential love interest who keeps in the good graces of her noblesse clientele. I had a blast during the live sessions in bickering and boasting as Marie with my fellow voice talent, so I hope you enjoy it too! And hey: no matter who your favorite character is, Belladonna's Flight is continuing development! So be sure to keep up with Night Asobu, as you'll hear more from us moving forward! Until then, please play, rate, and share the demo!

Hello Counsel — Version 1 is RELEASED! Created by miseri accordion for Otome/Josei Jam, Hello Counsel is a short romcom visual novel that follows criminal sensation, Poise, who just got arrested! She's not talking to the cops unless her lawyer (and boyfriend) Salem is present, but when he swings by, can she keep herself from flirting too much and distracting him from giving good counsel?

I was the Character Artist for this visual novel! I was in love with the premise and the character refs presented in miseri's recruitment document, and I also I hadn't drawn character sprites for a published game in a good while. This ended up being a great opportunity for me to flex my ol' drawing muscles, in a more expressive and cartoonish style than my darker personal projects allow. I love the outrageous world and petty banter of this story, so this was honestly a breath of fresh air for me, style-wise. Please go play, rate, and share the game!

My Reflections

I push myself in my roles if it means in the end, I produce something that I am proud of. But as I don't constantly produce a specific style of product, I tend to overestimate how much work I can get done in, say, an hour. It's interesting to me because these are specialty skills that have taken years for me to train and cultivate, so what I personally can get done in an hour has all that history behind it, compared to someone else who may be much earlier in their own journey. Yet still I feel... slow. But I'm not sure if I'm "slow" so much as I'm underestimating my average output for a work I deliberately intend to look, read, or sound a certain level of polished. At the end of the day, I need to have more realistic—or perhaps, forgiving—expectations for myself. I also need to permit myself to be able to make certain executive decisions in the creative process that speed up the process because of my years of experience already informing my judgements. I trust myself to find that balance, and this latest jam experience has been a great help in reminding me of my strengths and points of which I ought to improve.

That's a Wrap

Thank you for reading! If you dig my stuff and where I'm headed, don't be afraid to show your support by sharing this post, interacting, or sending a tip my way.

[updownlately]

With the post you made with Spain i just wanted to give an example of a team that got rid of their coach recently with players boycotting. France. While the issues may have been different Frances captain Wendie Renard was the first to say she wasn’t playing until something was done, the next were three big names, followed by more big names who said they would sit out if nothing was done about the coach. Mind you this is a coach they had been complaining about and wanting to get rid of for a long time. Had they not stuck together had the TEAM CAPTAIN at the time not made the first move and show solidarity nothing probably would have been done. Alexia Putellas at the time was team captain but saying you stand with people who are striking and ACTUALLY doing and saying what they did is vastly different. I respected some of these Spain players but finding out that some of them decided to go back(while I understand) is just not something I can get behind and respect. And then to top it off you’re celebrating with the man you want gone and your new team captain is saying the federation is wonderful. Like maybe I’m petty, maybe I’m mean and bitter but if I had ever called them “my friends” we wouldn’t be friends anymore. Especially after I stuck my neck out to make a better environment for everyone and not just myself, especially if my career was threatened but I still stuck by my word because I knew my friends and future generations deserve better.

Barca to my understanding is getting hate because most of the players on the team are from Barca and are usually the subs from the players who sat out. Success unfortunately does not equal benefits and rewards if the people at the head of the table are also the ones who aren’t listening and know the problem but continue to support the problem. Saying the 15 didn’t or were never going to work is false it would have if the federation president weren’t also toxic. The 15 didn’t work because the federation already knew and they blatantly didn’t care and after watching the ceremony I know and see why. But if team captains don’t speak out or stand behind their players and teammates nothing and I mean nothing will likely happen. If you have a player who has attention and is like the higher ups “princess” maybe they’ll get something done for you but otherwise nope.

I’m with you on this while Spain did well and deserved the win for their performance im not going to celebrate it, and I don’t feel much will to support them either. I backed them during the strike and I was here for it but wow do i feel like a clown now for wanting to support them in getting better working conditions and a better coach. Like congrats Spain have a good day but um should you suddenly go on strike again and suddenly stick by what you say I’m only going to support the three that we’re doing it the whole time. Like sorry not sorry. Sorry for ranting it just went with what you were saying and I felt the need to point out how France went about it and something happened.

sorry for the late response- i was at work earlier and i wanted to give this my full attention! and please don't apologize for ranting! this was a really good insight imo! thanks for sending this in amigo!

i personally vibe with a lot of what you said :)

i'm not as familiar with the french situation so i've chosen not to comment on it but i have heard about their old coach being replaced, which like you said, is a great example! honestly it just shows how much can change if everyone works together! mad respect to the french team and all the players that worked together to make this happen!!

tbh i can't even find myself to say congrats to the spain team. i understand i may come off as petty, but i just can't cheer for someone i can't really respect. idk, maybe it's just me,

again, thanks for sending this in!

[shit-talk-turner]

I can’t understand Louise’s approach to her public image, in all innocent honesty. Her album is not bad at all, I like quite a few songs personally. I mean, it’s relatively short for a full-length record - only 10 songs - and they mostly feel like fillers, but it does feel like the minimum one would have to put out to call themselves an “artist with music out”. I know some talented local musicians (Eastern Europe) who put singles out every month, basically an album’s worth of music each year - solid lyrics, decent production and even (low-budget but not half-assed) videos. They also do concerts or club gigs, they are hustling! Now, one would argue around the lines of chicken-egg, quantity-quality, but my point is that for all these years, with all her instruments, (mostly Alex’s) money, resources and connections, she could have managed to put more music independently and make a name for herself. Sorry that I’m mentioning another artist I admire for a second time - Grimes (who is around the same age as Louise) - she managed to record and mix her 2012 album Visions for 3 weeks on GarageBand (on speed lol, but still!). We are often mocking Louise’s mediocre body of influencer work, and I’d understand her lack of motivation if she has to do it for some petty cash. However, I am finding myself feeling a bit silly talking about the potential a 35-year-old has for a music career. Not to mention, the music is a pleasant-sounding French heritage type of pop and not even some innovation shit that would polarise critics. If she does end up separating from Alex eventually, I’d say it would have been a pity she blew her opportunity to (ew, sorry) “be the Jane to his Serge”. On the other hand, looking at some photos of her promoting it, she looks so uncomfortable and somewhat sad, as if she doesn’t want to be there at all. Louise, if you read this, get your ass into the studio and don’t wait for a man to sustain you, when you could have some modest but earned legacy that’s entirely yours, no one could take that away from you… Alex could always end up falling for the next random skinny, vintage-clad chick, like the goofball he turns out to be.

^