#but I'm keen to discuss anyway

[telesodalite]

Every now and then, I stumble across that "Fulcrum was Pivot" theory/headcanon post again, and I have a thought about it, not exactly a theory at this point, obviously, and not backed up by any evidence whatsoever, but a funny headcanon/au that relates to it

What if Pivot and Fulcrum were twins? More specifically, identical twins.

Separated at birth, from one of the last Cybertronian hotspots, as the planet began to steadily decline, and resources continued to run out, one was taken away by the Decepticons, off to further and help build the future of the Decepticon Empire, and the other brought into the Autobots, learning and helping to further science and their continued survival. Neither one ever knowing about the other, or what happened at the hotspot they both came from.

We don't know much about Pivot, other than that he was lucky enough to find love in the shape of Chromedome, which uh... makes the "lucky" part a bit debatable, seeing as the next fact we know about him is that he's dead, and that Chromedome erased his memory of him, and that Brainstorm is the one that carries the burden of those forgotten memories.

But what if Pivot had one hell of a chin, and a coppery orange face, with bright warm golden optics, and little winged finials over his audials, maybe he smiled real wide too, maybe he had a big laugh in contrast to his leaner frame, maybe he had a terrible taste in comedy, maybe he was smart, another bright mind in the dark halls of the New Institute, and he fell in love, and he was loyal, and he committed, and maybe he was brave, too brave, and he messed up, or ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or he ran towards danger, and then he was gone, and Chromedome forgot him, but Brainstorm didn't.

(And somewhere, far far away, Fulcrum feels an odd pang in his spark, unfamiliar and strange, almost like a rip or a tear, a sudden separation, which is probably concerning, but then it's nothing compared to the damning shadow of an Autobot dreadnought breaking through the atmosphere above him as he steps out onto freshly cyberformed ground, and it's background noise compared to the cold sinking feeling in his tank, and the sharp jittery urge to run as far away as he can as gunfire erupts and voices scream and shout around him, and he forgets it as his pump hammers a panicked doomed beat in his audials as he's dragged back home to face his commanders and his people as a coward and a failure.)

Years and years and years pass, and its been a long time since they've chatted in person, old contacts, subpar wartime spies, a handler and his insider at the bar, on a victory lap, and isn't it funny how the universe brings you together? But Brainstorm can't focus as Misfire chatters on, because that mech in his group is nagging at his processor. Because there's something so terribly, painful familiar about that face, those optics, even the chin?! But he can't place it. Somethings too different. The frame, the mannerisms, the voice. But maybe Misfire notices the wandering look, he waves, and Fulcrum turns, and it hits Brainstorm when he recognizes that look, that smile, that fond exasperated crinkle of warm golden optics, directed towards the mech beside him, because this has happened before, and suddenly, for a moment, he's back in the New Institute, with Chromedome at his side, and it's Pivot sitting across the room smiling at them.

Cue Brainstorm desperately trying to figure out how and why Fulcrum looks so much like Pivot.

Did Pivot somehow live?? Did the Decepticons kidnap him, then brainwash him, and then turn him into a bomb?! Is this just an imposter!?! Who's... not really good at being an imposter... Did Chromedome and Pivot secretly create an evil Pivot clone in the labs without including him or letting him know!?!?!?!

Shenanigans ensue

[rottenbologna]

Even with all the noise

Pairings ~ Fridolina Rolfö x Reader

Genre ~ fluff

Warnings ~ reader is painfully shy and awkward.

"She's doesn't say much, does she?" Frido couldn't respond to the comment she overheard as her teammates discussed the new signing during their water break, not that she wanted to anyway because she felt the observation was wrong.

The Swede felt like the new signing..Y/n did speak, but being a team of spirited individuals, frido knew they just couldn't hear it. Everything Y/n had to say wasn't vocal, but frido felt a fair understanding of what the girl was feeling and sometimes what she needed, then went out of her way to provide it if she could.

Like right now, it was painfully obvious under your stoicism that you were dying from the heat of the barcelona sun not yet use to the shift in weather compared to Norway but yet you refused to join the rest for a water break in favor of juggling the ball with your feet. The older woman rolled her eyes at this, grabbing your water bottle and making her way over.

"Hey y/n," frido was hoping not to startle you, but you still tense breaking out of the little world you were in before turning to face the older woman towering over her already tall frame in confusion. Wordlessly, she handed the bottle over with a rasied eyebrow daring you to refuse. You took it with shaky hands, drinking gazes never once leaving each other.

Frido's eyes trailed a drop of water that managed to escape your mouth and run down your neck, getting lost in your training shirt, clearing her throat the Swede focus back on your eyes that were now looking at her with curiosity.

"We have water breaks for a reason, you know." Frido's voice is teasing but firm, and y/n can't help but chuckle nervously while casting a one-off glance at her teammates that were conversing freely with a hit of longing in her eyes.

"I um, i don't think I fit." Your heavy Norwegian accent brings a sense of familiarity and sadness cause frido felt a bit of what you do when she made the move from Wolfsburg. To be new, in a different country with different languages, cultures, weather and a team with such celebrated players but the difference was she had ingrid and your docile self had nothing that was familiar.

"I know this is a big transition for you, and I know it can be a bit overwhelming being." Frido brought you down with her to sit on the grass with no hesitation, her tone gentle but firm. Y/n nodded, looking straight ahead, unable to speak. You always remain respectful of your teammates and not get in their way, so to now know that frido saw your anxiety despite your distance is a bit shocking.

The lack of response doesn't defer the older woman as she continues. "I was the same when I first joined a new country, new teammates... but I can promise you you're not alone. We're a team, and we look out for each other."

For the first time in the month she's been at barça, y/n felt like she could breathe, and she bit her lip to avoid in fear her emotions would get the better of her. Frido then stood up, offering a hand. "How about we have lunch together? The rowdy bunch will be in the cafeteria, but I'm sure we can find somewhere quite."

Y/n hesitated the feeling of being a burden creeping up, but one look at Frido's challenging rasied eyebrow has her sitting at a distant table with frido as the older woman chatted away lightly not asking to many questions or forcing you to speak more than your were comfortable with. She simply existed besides you offering a calming presence.

Over time, frido would make small gestures that helped you settle into the new environment. You both would have lunch together while she chatted away with the occasional hum or nod from you. She'd ask about your life in Norway and pay keen attention when you finally talked about your interests no matter how trivial.

Fridolina's efforts didn't go unnoticed, and you thanked your lucky stars for her every day as you begin to feel like less of an outsider. With some encouragement to both you and the team, to slowly begin to mingle with the rest, finding familiarity in ingrid and light conversations with the others.

One evening after a game, y/n had reverted back into her shell simply because she was tired. The older woman allowed the Norwegian to rest on her shoulder, cracking a joke that pulled a rare laugh from the younger woman, warming Frido's heart.

"Thank you, frido. For everything."

"I hear you despite the noise älskling."

[thissying]

Max Verstappen is starting a Formula 1 season in which he has to mind his words. The FIA ​​has tightened the screws with sky-high fines for swearing. "I'm not going to say very much anymore, that's for sure."

Rally driver Adrien Fourmaux was the first victim of the stricter rules. The Hyundai driver said "We fucked up", during the Swedish Rally, in a live interview on TV. The result was a 30,000 euro fine, although 20,000 euros of that was eventually made conditional.

Verstappen got into trouble with the FIA ​​last year because he used a similar term in the press conference for the Singapore Grand Prix. He had read the statement about Fourmaux.

"When you see what it says and what that rally driver said, I think you better keep your mouth shut from now on. But then there won't be many interviews anymore, that's true," Verstappen predicted on Tuesday in the run-up to the F175 event in London.

"You have to be very careful what you say, that much is clear," Verstappen replied when asked if he can still be himself. "And you can give your opinion, but you have to be careful with that too. Then you can also get a penalty, because it can be insulting," he said about the rules tightened by FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem.

It is of course a topic of discussion among the drivers' guild. Drivers' union GPDA already issued a statement last year. "People are now looking at what we can do about this," Verstappen explained.

Although a number of drivers stated in London on Tuesday that they understand that swearing is being restricted here and there, according to Verstappen the drivers are on the same page; his page.

"I think that the majority of what I read, and not everyone responds of course, finds it abnormal, those kinds of fines," said Verstappen, who was keen to emphasise that despite a salary of millions, no one likes to pay tens of thousands of euros in fines. For Formula 1 drivers, the amounts can amount to 80,000 euros.

"You lose money anyway. It is of course never nice to pay. I have had it a few times, that I had to transfer those kinds of amounts. But I am not going to suddenly change because of that," he pointed out the lack of an effect.

"There is emotion and passion in it," he described his regular swearing over the radio. "Of course I understand that swearing is not okay. But if you use the example that young children are watching, then I think: what did you do yourself at school, or while gaming or when you played football on the street? Everyone does it."

"And of course you have to be careful at certain times, I understand all that too," he added. "But I don't think it has to be described so clearly. It can also be a bit of common sense."

At least that is not the case with the FIA. Violations of the swearing rules can ultimately lead to exclusion from races. It is theoretically possible that a driver misses races due to swearing penalties and therefore misses out on the title. "That would be something, yes," Verstappen stated.

The Limburger had a playful solution to the problem "Maybe I should just swear in Dutch, or in Limburgish. Almost nobody understands that." Verstappen has mastered his regional language quite well. "Although I don't speak it that often anymore." Which Limburgish swear word he would use, he kept to himself with a laugh. "Of course I'm not going to say that now."

Verstappen is therefore starting the Formula 1 season with the handbrake on his language use and fines hanging over his head. "It still depends a bit on what you say and who it is aimed at. But I'd rather spend that money on something else," he pointed out, referring to the pregnancy with girlfriend Kelly Piquet. "A nursery, for example, new paint."

- nu.nl

[eternitariant]

Lesson One: How to turn a Trick.

cw: stalking

the principal dragged you into his office and you saw a familiar mess of dirty, black hair that made you immediately aware of what was about to be discussed~

"Miss Y/L/N, have a seat please."

you glanced at Patrick who was smirking at you as you sat down and returned your eyes to the principal,

"Hockstetter is failing."

"i don't even get a Mister?" Patrick scoffed and the principal just ignored him,

"Failing what exactly?" you asked sheepishly,

"Everything."

your mouth fell open and you stared blankly for a few seconds before shaking your head like an etch-a-sketch in an attempt to return to reality,

"So, you want me to tutor him in all of his classes?"

"That's correct." The principal nodded curtly and you could feel Hockstetter's eyes burning through you,

"B-but Sir... I already have a full tutoring roster... I'm spending every night in the tutoring centre, i can't- "

"Slow down Miss Y/L/N," The principal said through a throaty chuckle, "Your other students have been reassigned. I need my best on this." he was buttering you up and you knew it but you couldn't exactly say no anyway so you just agreed.

Patrick followed you home from school that day. He didn't have to, you weren't meant to start tutoring him until next week but he always followed you home, you just didn't know it. Something else you didn't know was that he had specifically requested you during his meeting with The Principal.

He climbed his tree whilst you climbed your stairs and he perched up on a branch to watch you, like always.

Your routine was his.

The first thing you always did was tie your hair up & he'd stare at your neck... fantasising about touching it in any way he could, he wanted to trace it with his fingers, brush his lips against it, wrap his hand around it and sink his teeth into it.

Then you'd change, usually into something kinda skimpy because you didn't think anyone could see you & it was starting to get hotter outside. Typically afterwards you would sit yourself at your desk and do your homework like the studious angel you were... that's what he started calling you in his head anyway. Angel.

By the time the sun started setting, you'd be finished with your homework and you'd listen to a record, your music taste was good... that had surprised him at first but the more he watched you, the more it made sense. He'd been able to observe how good you were at pretending that your life was picture perfect, peachy keen. It was anything but.

You'd gotten good at hiding, even in your own home. Turns out, you'd had to. Your mom was a flake who treated your house like a drive thru convenience store & didn't care who she brought around her daughter. Most of them wanted a turn with you and if it were up to her, your mom would let them. So you started fleeing to the attic where you could lock yourself in whenever you heard anyone come home.

Patrick would kill anyone who hurt you. Anyone at all.

Monday rolled around and you were going to meet Patrick in the tutoring centre after 5th period but he intercepted you as you came out of English class ~

"Oh.. hi." you blinked up at him and he smiled,

"Hey Angel."

"M-my name is Y/N." you said innocently,

"i know that, it's called a nickname." he challenged, leaning into your personal space a bit more,

"oh." you nodded, looking at your feet, "well, we should go to the tutor-"

"let's go to your place instead." he suggested and you paled, shaking your head rapidly in panic- "it's okay, whatever big bad wolf hangs out there won't scare me off." he insisted, knowingly which kind of creeped you out.

"fine." you sighed, "it's kinda far, are those heavy?" you asked, pointing at his boots and he laughed,

"don't worry about me, sweets. let's just go."

He carefully kept a half pace behind you so he didn't make it obvious he already knew where you were going. You were chittering away about the lesson plan you had devised over the weekend and he smirked pridefully behind you, knowing you were thinking about him all weekend.

Finally, you made it to your house & you already knew your mom wasn't home which had you releasing a tense breath. Patrick saw your shoulders shuddering and couldn't help himself, he held them and applied a little pressure, helping your ground yourself.

"My, uh, my room is upstairs to the left. You want a soda?"

"Sure." he nodded, striding up the stairs to see your room up close.

It smelled like you. The whole space was just you. It consumed him & he loved it. So much that his skin was practically vibrating when you came upstairs. You had all your books and sodas in your arms so you kicked the door shut behind you and he rushed over to help you.

"Thanks." you blushed,

"course." he shrugged, "so this is your room, huh?"

"um, yes." you breezed, "so i was thinking that we start with, um..." you swallowed the lump in your throat and then straightened your posture, "you cutting the bullshit, Trick."

He quirked his head to the side and scowled, "huh?"

"you don't want to be tutored. you don't give a shit about school." you pressed, stepping closer to him,

"you just wanted to hang out with me, right?"

his eyes blew wide. just for a second though because if you got creeped out by him, he'd be so angry with himself.

"actually, i can't get held back another year."

"so drop out." you quipped, raising your eyebrow in a challenge, "c'mon... don't play it cool now. I see you out there," you tipped your head out towards the tree in your neighbours yard, "watching me... every night."

"y-you do?" he stammered,

"mhm" you nodded, slowly

his eyes raced over your face, looking for any semblance of fear or revolt but there was none there,

"why didn't you ever say anything?" he pressed, leaning slightly forward, expecting you to move back but you didn't. In fact, you stood on your tip toes and kissed him lightly before whispering,

"because i like it."

[lady-lazarus-13]

Me, @horrorfilmlesbian , and @tinyfaust had an impromptu watch of Far Beyond the Stars and we all cried as you do with one of the best episodes of TV ever. If you haven't watched it, even if you're not a Star Trek fan, you still should. It's even more important now than ever before.

We reacted and talked about a bunch of stuff, but one topic we touched on was Julius Eaton. Because he's a man of color too, but the episode doesn't really bring in more nuance about him. They let him have some reactions about the violence Benny experienced, but not any powerful statements. Or anything at all about his experiences.

In my opinion, it feels odd, but it does make sense because I can then assume Julius doesn't want to rock the boat. He might not have to use the "colored" side as often as other darker-skinned folk. Intentionally or not, he could be "exotic" and "light enough" to be allowed into whites-only spaces. Colorism at its finest. I can only make assumptions about that though since we don't get a lot about Julius.

BUT Julius would still experience racism. It would look different than Benny's experience but still very present.

Anyways, here's an interesting interview with Sid about Julian and race in Star Trek: https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-star-treks-alexander-siddig-celebrates-arab-american-heritage-month/

"I was quite keen on the fact that my character in Star Trek didn’t exhibit “ethnic” traits, that he wasn’t particularly anything, because I quite like taking human beings as themselves and not as their perceived tribe, perceived sexuality, or any other perceived diversity. I can’t wait for those to be historical artifacts that nobody talks about, and that includes race.

I had a tough time at school and in my teens because being not-white in the UK during the 70s was prickly and you had to sort of negotiate that. I tried to push it aside, my race and my heritage. I was in a 100% British environment. My mum is from West Cheshire and that made it very difficult. I would have had to go out of my way to be ethnic.

So when it came to Star Trek I was very happy not to be ‘the Arab’ Bashir even though the name is Arab, and I think we succeeded in that. Only really late into the series did my parents get introduced, and they weren’t introduced on an ethnic basis. I mean they obviously looked ethnic, but they were introduced as people who had somehow tampered with me and that was much more important than race."

He also has a really really good episode with the SyFy Sistas that I can't recommend enough where he discusses this more. (They're all so cute!)

Anyways, with that all in mind, I can see why the episode doesn't focus on the difficulties the other brown-skinned man in the room might be experiencing from racism.

They never brought it up about Julian Bashir at all in the show. Julian was English and that's that. But being a brown Englishman in the 2330s is very veeeeery different from being a brown Englishman in 1950s.

So I'm not sure if the writers knew they could or even wanted to bring it up. They changed his AU's last name to Eaton so it wouldn't be Arabic anymore.

I do appreciate they wanted to focus solely on Benny since he was unambiguously the Black man in the room. But... there was Julius sitting behind his desk in the corner and it's intriguing in hindsight how it wasn't touched on.

[ghouljams]

hi ghoul :) i remember seeing that you have a degree in gender studies and i’m taking a class in that right now so i just wanted to ask if you had some book recommendations about gender! fictional or nonfictional! if not then that’s totally fine and thank u anyway <3

"The Essential Feminist Reader" collected by Estelle B Freedman is a great collection of feminist and proto-feminist essays that I truly believe everyone should read in their first gender studies class. It's going to show you where the movement started and how long people have been fighting for gender equality. Also it's always fun to read Mary Wollstonecraft, an icon. It's also a good showing of the men who participated in proto-feminism, because I think we forget that not every man opposed gender equality (even waaaaay back) and it's fun to see them talk about how great women are and how they should be treated like goddesses lmao

"Assata" by Assata Shakur is a really fantastic memoir about being a black woman during the height of the Black Panther movement. It's also a really gripping look inside the revolutionary groups that were gaining traction during the 60s/70s and the way the US government attempted to sabotage, infiltrate, and eventually dismantle both Black and White led groups. I found Assata's voice to be refreshing and also incredibly unapologetic in the way she addresses both her alleged crime as well as the crimes that were committed against her. This one focuses more less on gender and more on race, but there's definitely a lot of intersection going on.

"Stone Butch Blues" by Leslie Feinberg is an essential read if you want to look at the intersection of sexuality and gender. It's a fantastic look at the way we present ourselves as well as the way we are perceived, especially by people who are supposed to be our allies. There's a really great discussion in this one about how sex is used to define gender for certain marginalized groups and how queer spaces both embrace and reject the "other" within them. I think every queer woman should read this book (not assigning you any labels, just a general recommendation) because it picks apart so much of what it means to be a woman who is also queer.

Literally anything by bell hooks, but that's a given. I like "Feminist Theory from Margin to Center" a lot because she's incredibly frank with her look at the feminist movement and some of the exclusionary politics that go on within it. She has two books exploring masculinity that are from the early 2000s which have been on my list for ages as well. Love bell hooks.

I'll try to think up more but I always enjoy looking back at second wave feminist books. They're less afraid to address the elephants in the room and call out full stop the racism and trans/homophobia that is latent in the movement of the time. I am also of a belief that learning the history of a movement is the only way to truly progress forwards within it. So much of what we see in fringe/conservative "feminism" is failing to address (and often direction contradicting) many of the issues that people were fighting to push past in the 80s. I think about my mom and how she asked me "I was fighting against 'defining' womanhood, why are people so keen to define it again?" and idk I carry that with me often.

Anyway I'm a gender abolitionist because of my degree so like... take my opinion with a grain of salt.

[thelordfool]

*Did* Tabitha kill Wayne?

Survey says... maybe?

I'm basing this off of a single line of dialogue from chapter 3. Spoilers for the entirety of Scarlet Hollow below. Content warnings are also below the cut, because I don't want to spoil things through those alone.

Who exactly is Tabitha apologizing to here?

CW for grotesque discussion of head injury; parental death; car crashes; gun injuries/death by gun; mind control

It is widely hypothesized in the SH community that Wayne was killed either by Pearlanne or Tabitha. There's little I've seen on it, but one hypothesis was that he was either shot in the head or otherwise sustained a head injury that killed him. This game has a small running theme of traumatic head injuries. Between Charlie having his head caved in by Edwardine, Stella's parents getting their heads guillotined in the accident, and Duke getting his head shot by his own gun if you choose not to (or can't) save him.

I would totally believe that Wayne was killed in a similar fashion to Charlie. It's a Scarlet family tradition: bashin' unwelcome lovers over the head. Why Wayne may have been unwelcome is a bit nebulous still. Because he was a miner, and therefore, 'below' Tabitha? Who knows, really, but I'd love to hear what people think on that.

There's also the whole thing with The Witch/Sybil and the tea. It's been known to have amnesic/mind controlling effects upon whoever drinks it. We see this most obviously with Kaneeka, and her so-called 'cold' on night 3/day 4. Mystical, Street Smart, and Keen Eye traits emphasize this (I haven't paid enough attention with Book Smart to see if you also notice it with that, but you DO note that she keeps poisonous plants and this helps lead you to pinning down what's been poisoning Reese).

So why am I bringing up this one line of dialogue? It doesn't seem... like Tabitha to apologize for something that A) she didn't do and B) to someone she doesn't give a single fuck about. It also doesn't track that she's apologizing to you, either. What could she be possibly apologizing to you for? For getting sick in here? That's a possibility, but she recovers very quickly and does not bring it up.

I think she's apologizing to Wayne.

She probably doesn't even realize it. Tabitha was faced with a memory so strikingly like one of her own that she might have felt like she was reliving it - the memory of her being made to kill Samuel Wayne by Pearlanne (for reasons and methods currently unknown). She doesn't remember killing him, outright denies it, but refuses to address the issue of Wayne at all. She dismisses it, says it was bad, and that's because that's all she remembers.

Pearlanne probably gave her tea from Sybil so she - or Sybil - could 'control' Tabitha to do something in a state of mind where she wouldn't or couldn't remember what she was doing.

OR!

She does remember! Edwardine was conflicted when she killed Charles. But she did it anyway. Because she was made to. Because she *had* to.

THOUGHTS! (aka the part where you can stop because i'm about ready to fall asleep)

I am a little torn about it because of course we have... not so much information to go off of. Many people will tell me I'm going off the goddamn deep end and I should stop overthinking things and it was definitely Pearlanne who killed Wayne. I'm having fun leave me alone :( Others will agree she's apologizing for getting sick. Tabitha needs to save face here, after all, and none of the traits bring up this line of apology either. However, I'm a real life human person who likes reading between the lines! You should see my copy of House of Leaves! It's got lines read-between out the wazoo! That sentence didn't make any sense sorry I'm very tired. And to the few who agree with me...

What do you think pushed her to do it? Was it by some force of control?

And Sybil... what was her part to play in it? Do you think she knew what was happening? If she did, is that why she helps Wayne? Out of some sense of guilt over it all?

Time will only tell. And, after all, that's just a theory. A G- *SHOT*

[gardenwalrus]

The Beatles & Noël Coward

The songwriting ambitions of Wooler and the Lennon-McCartney team provided a rich topic of conversation. "I used to discuss this chiefly with Paul," said Wooler. "I did discuss songs with John, but he wasn't interested in my kind of songs. Whereas Paul McCartney was interested in what I had to say about songs, and Noël Coward, for instance. I talked to him about Noël Coward and how clever and how witty he was. And this is what I miss about rock'n'roll songs, the absence of wit. There's so very few of them have any wit about them. Which is very sad. They're all rather long-suffering, these songs. And all this pall rather appalled me. 'When I'm Sixty-Four' is really, I think, the only witty Beatles song, which is essentially a McCartney number. When I used to announce Paul at the Cavern, occasionally I'd say, 'Now Paul's going to sing a song of his own he's written; he's the Noël Coward of rock'n'roll!' I think he liked that appellation, that description."

- Gillian G. Gaar, 'I AM THE DJ: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CAVERN'S BOB WOOLER', Goldmine (8 November 1996)

John and Paul meet Noël Coward at Alma Cogan's party at her London apartment, 1-3 June 1964.*

[Coward] found them 'pleasant young men, quite well behaved and with an amusing way of speaking'. [...] Though [Coward's] background was not so very different from the Beatles' - his father was an impoverished piano salesman - he swiftly assimilated into high society, readily adopting the mannerisms and accents of the English upper classes. Small wonder, then, that the current rise of working-class culture held so little appeal for him. [...] Coward made the mistake of relaying his encounter with John and Paul, in derogatory terms, to David Lewin of the Daily Mail. It never occurred to him that Lewin would quote him in print complaining that the Beatles were 'totally devoid of talent. There is a great deal of noise. In my day, the young were taught to be seen but not heard - which is no bad thing.'

- Craig Brown, One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time (2020)

(*Craig Brown dates this meeting as 6 June, however the Beatles - minus Ringo - were in Amsterdam on this date, and the party was in London. Lewin's article is published on Friday 5 June 1964 and refers to Coward's 'last day' of his visit to Britain 'this week' - therefore more likely 1-3 June.)

A year later, Coward sees the Beatles in concert at the Teatro Adriano in Rome, 27 June 1965, and afterwards goes to meet them at their hotel.

PAUL: Brian came and said, 'Noel Coward would like to meet you boys.' We all said, 'Oh, fucking hell, no! No, no, no. I'm going to bed.' Nobody was really keen, we were better just casually interacting with people. Once you actually had to meet them, it became a bit official and our black humour would kick in and we'd try and counteract the fact that four of us were going to have to line up to meet the great man, so piss-takes would come fairly readily. No one was going to go, and Brian said, 'You can't, you just can't!' So I went down and met him. But then he said some not too pleasant things about us after that, so fuck him anyway.

- Paul in Barry Miles, Many Years From Now (1997)

...I was told that the Beatles refused to see me because that ass David Lewin had quoted me saying unflattering things about them months ago. I thought this graceless in the extreme, but decided to play it with firmness and dignity. I asked Wendy [Hanson, the Beatles' publicist] to go and fetch one of them and she finally reappeared with Paul McCartney and I explained gently but firmly that one did not pay much attention to the statements of newspaper reporters. The poor boy was quite amiable and I sent messages of congratulation to his colleagues, although the message I would have liked to send them was that they were bad-mannered little shits.

- Noël Coward's diary entry for 4 July 1965, referring to 27 June. (x)

[justheretobreakthings]

As an aroace who frequently feels frustrated by the inability to escape romance and sex whereever you turn, it's easy to become very cynical about the state of media and the uphill battle. So it's definitely really encouraging to see that there's a viable market for aroace-friendly content, one that's significant enough that perhaps in the near future we'll get to see more big media companies catering to that market. And that's in addition to the fact that today's younger generation is a lot more aware of queer identities and diversity than those who have been the big players in media creation for so long now, which means it's very likely that soon we'll get to see more creators who are willing to break away from the narrow standards of character relationships that writers often stick to now.

This article is from October 2023, so it's pretty up-to-date, even though being accustomed to Internet Time makes me feel like I'm super late to this. Anyway, have an excerpt from the article for some highlights:

Teens in the US are wondering why they don’t see more platonic relationships on screen. And that’s just one of many key takeaways from the second-annual Teens & Screens report released today by the Center for Scholars and Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA. [...] When it comes to the types of relationships shown on screen, teens are tired of love triangles and “will they or won’t they” storylines. A majority of respondents (55%) expressed a desire to see more focus on friendships in film and TV.  “While some storytellers use sex and romance as a shortcut to character connection, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that adolescents want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships,” noted Uhls. More than half (51.8%) of all teens surveyed also said sexual content was not necessary in most series and films. Another indicator of what CSS calls a “nomance” trend is the fact that 38% of the teen sample said they are particularly keen to see more aromantic/asexual characters.  On average, all of the respondents ranked romantic clichés among their five least favorite fictional stereotypes. (And that’s quite a shift from when love triangles reigned supreme in fairly recent teen-skewing film franchises like To All the Boys and Twilight.)

Here's a link to the report discussed in the article for those interested.

[hiskillingjar]

nobody else but you

Relationship: Strade/OC Rating: Explicit Contains: Forced Feminisation, Misgendering, Vaginal Sex, Choking Length: 1750+ words

another wonderful request from @snuffk1t for his OC, melvin, thanks so much again, spencer! <3

if you'd like a commission of your own, feel free to check out my post and shoot me a message!

"You haven't been keeping a close eye on your testosterone, have you?"

Melvin looked up from his space on the bed, as Strade lazily unbuttoned his overshirt, revealing inch after inch of hot, tan skin, warmed by the setting, summer sun outside the window. 

It has been a hard day of surviving for him, and he was in the mood to just live, if he could.

"Why do you say that?" Melvin asked, a pierced tongue idly running over his lips as Strade tossed aside his shirt, revealing a roll of hair-fuzzed fat that pooled over the waistband of his khakis, and planted his knee at the end of the bed.

He had a way of making him feel small, making him feel like prey, like the animals he used to torture and pull apart a lifetime ago.

He had the good sense that Strade would have liked to pull him apart, too, and he didn't hate that idea nearly as much as he should have.

"Ah, I'm just making an observation…” Strade replied with a shrug, before looking towards the younger man with a smile, casual and absent-minded as ever, always the innocent party when he so rarely actually was. “But, ah,” He cut himself off with a chuckle and shook his head, his casual smile broadening into one more teasing and malicious - a familiar expression on his handsome face. “You really haven't noticed anything new? Anything…changing? Anything developing?"

"Noticed...what? You're, heh,” Melvin laughed too, trying to be as casual as his captor (and rarely managing it), as Strade crawled towards him at the bed’s headboard, before placing a hand on his shoulder and forcing him down the mattress, pinning the younger man in place with the authority that he was used to. "You're kind of freaking me out, here..."

"Mm, don't worry. There's no reason to be freaked out!” Strade replied, looming over him and using his knees to nudge his legs apart, opening him up, ripe and ready for the taking (like an animal skin about to be stuffed with cotton and wire). “You've got me looking after you, after all, don't you, meine liebe?"

Melvin took in a slow inhale as Strade raised his knee and pressed it to the front of his shorts, torn between the desire to keen up against it and chase the forbidden pleasure, or shy away from it. 

He knew enough German to know what that meant. 

And while he might have known that pulling away was the smarter option of the two, especially when Strade was in one of his playful moods, he didn’t always make the smartest of decisions. 

At least, when those decisions concerned Strade, anyway.

"Ngh…” He groaned lowly, pale eyes fluttering with lust as Strade ground his knees against the warmth of his shorts, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “W-what have you done?"

"You know how easy it is to get your medication online?” Strade then asked, looking down at the younger man, speaking casually (always so fucking casual), as if he was discussing dinner plans that evening. “It's almost...concerning how easy it is, you know, when you have the right supplier, the right links, know who to talk to."

"Mmf..." Melvin bit his lip, covering his trembling lips with a tight fist and feeling heat gather in his cheeks, as Strade’s hands descended to the waistband of his shorts and tugged them down his legs. 

"Well, maybe not completely right.” He then added with another laugh, canting his head to the side, his golden eyes narrowing with amusement and poorly concealed lust, before he flung Melvin’s shorts to the side and forced his legs wider to accommodate his broad body. “After all, they slipped up so easily, didn't they?"

"D-Did they?" Melvin asked, his voice starting to stutter with nerves and arousal.

"Mmhmm.” Strade nodded with a shit-eating smirk, in on a joke that he would never share with anyone else. “I actually noticed it when it first came in. They sent six months of estrogen-”

Melvin’s hazy eyes immediately widened as Strade spoke, each word slurring until it was barely audible under the ringing in his ears.

“Instead of the six months of testosterone injections that I ordered.” Strade kept speaking, though his voice sounded as if it was underwater. 

Like Melvin was floundering, suffocating, drowning on dry land, and Strade was continuing to make conversation, like nothing was happening at all, like nothing was wrong.

“Easy mistake to make though, ja? It could happen to anyone, really…" 

"...What?" Melvin then said, after a beat of pregnant silence.

Strade grinned, showing off wet, cannibal teeth.

"You reeeeally need to pay more attention to what you're doing, Melina~"

Melvin swallowed hard, feeling a sudden dryness in his throat that feltl like he was trying to swallow a golf ball.

"You're kidding. You're…heh…haha,” Melvin tried to laugh again, his giggles sounding almost hysterical (so typical of a woman, wasn't it?), trying to make Strade give up and admit the falsehood of the prank (knowing he wouldn’t). “Y-You're just pulling a sick joke on me, right? Aren't you?”

"I don't think so,” Strade replied, his grin shifting into his ever-casual smirk and his dark brows raised in a silent question, all while strong hands stroked up and down Melvin’s full hips and sides, and to his front. “I mean, haven't you noticed your body changing? You've gained more weight around your hips, your thighs…” His hands then forced the front of the younger man’s tank up to his stubbly chin, eliciting a short yelp from him. “Even your chest has filled out again. It's been pretty nice to watch, I have to admit." 

Strade then let out a bark of a laugh, before palming one of Melvin’s breasts roughly. 

“Who'd have known a greasy, little creepster like you would have a killer rack?!”

"N-No, that's not-” Melvin yelped again as Strade pinched a wide areola, rubbing the bud of his nipple to a perky point, all while grinding his knee down against his crotch, eliciting even more unwanted arousal. “That's just weight gain, it’s t-totally normal, NGH-!"

Melvin found his words cut short, as they so often were, though,. as Strade forced him against the bed, boxing in his wriggling body between solid biceps and thighs (made of pure, thick muscle), and pushing his crotch against his, so close that he could feel the swell of an erection through his khakis.

What wasn't this guy turned on by?

"Ah, it's a shame, isn’t it? You've undone aaaall your hard work, silly girl.” Strade drawled with another sick grin (clearly pleased by how much he was getting under the younger man’s skin), bringing his face down to Melvin’s, their bodies so close that Melvin could smell the sweat on his skin, (always so much thicker than his own, so much more masculine). “Yeah, it's a real shame. But there's nothing you can do about it now, is there? Best not to worry about it too much, hm?

"Ghhh, no, stop..." Melvin protested, taking in a shivering groan as Strade unbuckled his belt with one hand (he’d had plenty of practice, after all) and freed his erection from the confines of his trousers and boxers. “Stop, stop, stop, you can't be serious-”

"Who knows,” Strade continued, keening his hips forward and brushing the weeping head of his cock against Melvin’s cunt, the warmth of his length making the younger man instantly tremble and writhe, inadvertently causing more friction between them. “Maybe if you keep taking your meds like a good girl-”

Melvin felt his cheeks flush at Strade’s filthy words, his insides twisting with incredibly dubious pleasure.

“I'll finally be able to knock you up for real. That would be a lot of fun, wouldn't it?~"

"Nnnnooo, no, that wouldn't be fun, gh," Melvin grimaced with poorly concealed discomfort as he felt Strade’s cock breach the entrance of his cunt, shamed at the easy access the older man found in his unrelenting slick. “S-Stopppuh…”

"Ah, ah, ah, I think the lady doth protest too much! I mean, just look how wet you're getting over this. You like it!” 

Strade laughed, cruel and gloating (as a captor should be), one hand holding Melvin’s soft hip tightly (tight enough to cause bruises), as the other reached up and pushed his hair out of his flushed face, sweat from his forehead and temples making the fried, dyed strands curl and soften. 

“Come on, don't lie to me and say you wouldn't enjoy being my little housewife…” Strade took in a low groan through his teeth, easing into the younger man even deeper, feeling his body tighten fantastically around his hard cock as he began to thrust. “Taking care of things around the house while I provide for you…like a good husband should, ja?”

"Hhhh..." Melvin exhaled shakily, feeling his body sink into the mattress and succumb to each of Strade’s firm thrusts, soft flesh meeting flesh in brutal, wet slaps. “No…hh…yes…” Melvin’s lips parted with a high, keening moan, before his teeth sank into his bottom lip. “God, k-keep going…”

"Yeah, that's what I thought.” Strade mumbled with a smile, looking almost triumphant (like a hunter kneeling over his fresh kill), his hand trailing down Melvin’s cheek and to his gasping throat. 

He then wrapped a strong grip around it and pinned his head down to the mattress, giving himself a lax body to easily fuck into, like a sex toy, like a real wife. 

“I think you'd like it a lot, Melina. I think you’re really, really like it."

"Fffuhh..." Melvin’s dry throat constricted even tighter, making the heat in his flushed face feel even hotter. His eyes grew hazy and unfocused, drifting from Strade’s face and to the banging headboard as the older man fucked into him with even more rigour. 

"That's it.” Strade praised, putting a little more pressure on his throat, his own lip between his teeth and his thrusts becoming a little faster and harder. “Just stay nice and blissed out on my cock, like a good girl does, and I'll take care of everything."

“Mm,” Melvin moaned before a shaking hand reached up to the one around his throat, claws digging into the thick meat of Strade’s wrist, (knowing he wouldn’t be able to push him away). “I’m a…I’m a good girl, hhh…”

“That’s it. Just give up.”

Melvin’s thighs tightened around Strade’s hips then, as he ran out of air to speak or to protest.

“Just give up~”

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.208 Jolly ol' Saint Luca

After a day of thrills and chills, we crashed at the rental, happy and exhausted. We didn't wait for bedtime to arrive and headed straight upstairs. I enjoyed our family time in the snow and was glad Desiree had made us get out. In the morning, I poked around the house, looking in closets, hoping to find a Winterfest tree. I wanted Desi's first Winterfest to be extra special since we weren't at home. We hoped our vacation was magical enough for her, considering there wasn't much Sophia and I could do. But if you think we came all this way without presents, you are dead wrong. We may not be able to pull out all the stops, but we're sure gonna make it count. We also decided not to pressure ourselves to exchange gifts. All the time we're going to spend together is a gift. We wanted this Winterfest to be all about Desi because she is amazing, and we're both so grateful she came to be in our lives. Besides, Father Winter would hook us up, anyway. Or maybe he won't because I have been very bad lately, ha ha!

Our celebration of Desi began with a grand breakfast. We got up very early to make it together, but Sophia seemed keen on cheering me on rather than helping, and I shook my head at her.

"You and Desi are just alike."

I finished prep and cooking by myself and made a loud ruckus, calling everyone to the meal, just like my dad did every holiday.

In the absence of a tree, me and Sophia had to kick it up a bit to give the house a festive vibe. We sang all the holiday songs, and I think the kid determined we were crazy. She stared at me, emotionless, trying to figure out what in the world was going on, but I kept going. I can always count on Sophia to have my back with acting silly. Eventually, the child cracked and laughed at us. We did belly laughs and all that Winterfest stuff to share holiday cheer with Desi, but I knew the only element she'd really appreciate was the presents.

We didn't go crazy with the gifts because we did have to get everything back home. Now that we know she's into fitness and wellness, I picked up a few things extra things from vacation kiosk. She got a soccer ball, guitar, her very own yoga mat, and a fancy tablet. Winterfest isn't quite Winterfest for a kid without a gift that comes with a screen, heh.

Alessia called to tell us how the fur babies fared and how the nuggets were destroying the house while playing with their toys. I'm glad all the little sims in my life are happy today. I was very concerned about how Winterfest away from home would go, but Desi is so easygoing, just like Sophia. And me too, I guess. Her happiness is all that matters today.

After presents, Desi wanted to go back outside to play in the snow, so we all went. It didn't occur to me we hadn't discussed Father Winter with her until he arrived. We heard him come in, and we made a big deal about it and ushered her back inside. She didn't freak out or anything, but she seemed very skeptical about this fat old man in a weird coat and hat who somehow found his way into our house. Completely normal behavior, right? Ha!

He talked to Sophia first and gave her a gift. Desi never took her eyes off him. She was so curious, but never said a word. I suppose she figured if we were cool with him, he must be alright. Finally, after giving me a gift, he turned his attention to her and said she was an exceptional child. That disarmed her a little, and she took the gift slowly and opened it. When she saw the loot, all that skepticism went out the window.

Des wanted to play with her ball when he left, so I took that moment to workout and reflect. I thought for sure Sophia would tell her not to play in the house, but she encouraged it. Actually, she asked Desi for the ball so she could show her some moves.

Desi watched in amazement, and in that moment I felt... I don't quite know what to call it. What is that feeling you get when someone finally sees or understands something the way you do? That was me. I always thought Sophia was magical, and the way Desi's eyes twinkle when she watches her, I can tell she's feeling it, too.

[thecoffeelorian]

Chapter Title: Backlash

Word Count: 1,359.

Brief Description: Brief Description: Captain Howzer x Female Reader, Captain Howzer x Chandrilan Reader (Singular Love Interest). A reaction to betrayal, a threat of arrest, and a test of the potential bridegroom's intentions all converge at the Minola residence...

AO3: Link Here

Extra Notes: This sat in my Notes for upwards of 3 months before I dropped it in here...man, I'm slow and I suck at updates. Anyways, I hope people are still interested in this, as sporadic as I've been after all this time.

Previous Chapter: The Proposal

Chapter Masterlist: Link Here

The No-Pressure Tag List:

@crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf @cloneflo99 @vrycurious @gun-roswell @padawancat97

@littlefeatherr @yeehawhijack @knightprincess @masterjedilenawrites @skellymom and anybody else on the lookout for more Howzer fics.

“What. The kriff.”

Whatever happy bubble you might have been trapped in before has now popped…and with it, you’re not sure if you can feel anything else but betrayal.

“So this is why you came. Dear old Dad cried you a river, Briana joined in, and I’m the one who got put up for sale...”

Betrayal from whoever might have ratted you out at home, betrayal from yourself simply for agreeing to come back…oh, but most of all, betrayal from him.

“Now that’s not exactly true—“

“—It’s true enough to me.”

What right did he have, exactly, to sell you out like this?

“I should have known you’d just become Dad’s doormat in the end.”

Was it just some social side effect of the Republic treating his people like factory made machines, or had this been his idea all along?

“More like your own welcome mat, if you will accept me.”

“Don’t get cute with me, Captain. I don’t ‘accept’ anything!”

Either way, it doesn’t look as though “dear old Dad” is all that celebratory any more, because you’ve just succeeded in wiping that shit-eating grin right off his face.

“N-Now Katie, this-this is hardly the time for—”

“—Don’t. Call me. ‘Katie’.”

He’s looking somewhat scared of you this time, in fact, so much so that you start to get a little thrill out of it.

“I’m not your ‘Katie’, I’m not his ‘Katie’, and I’m definitely not going to—”

“—Y/N, please!”

Orinna, by contrast, is giving you the Look. The one you used to get as a kid when she caught you running too fast in the hallway, or else chasing Briana one time too many around the formal dish ware cabinet.

She’s not too keen on watching you do something dangerous today, especially not if she can help it.

“Zis is not ze time to begin a second war, all right? Ze Troopers and ze Separatists ‘ave all laid down zheir arms. Why can you not do ze same?”

“Rebels are meant to fight, and so am I.”

“Mothers are meant to worry, and so am I!”

“Whatever for?”

“Because I do not want ze authorities arresting you! Think upon zat!”

Her dark eyes are glaring into yours at this point, a sure sign that you’ve officially crossed one line too many with her. You’ve never really seen her this angry before, true—but given that this is such a rarity from her, it’s certainly making you think twice before going any further.

In fact…even though you’re still pretty pissed off at Dad and Howzer together, you’re also not thinking twice about raising your hands in surrender. You’ve messed with her head enough for one day, maybe, so perhaps now is the proper moment to back off and stand down.

“…All right. Fine. I’ll do that.”

“I certainly ‘ope so. Capitaine?”

She motions Howzer forward with one hand, but not without both of her lekku moving rather closely into the sign for “May spice salt your wounds”. Obviously, she won’t be that eager to deal with any more of your issues today.

“Feel free to escort Miss Minola inside, for I do not doubt zat you will ‘ave much to discuss.”

“So I am told…”

As for the good Captain, on the other hand, he’s decided to hang back until you were most likely to calm down and knuckle under. So far, he may have the calming down part of you already proposed and seconded.

“…Still, Y/N, if you will allow me to continue—”

“—Any Trooper will, if he doesn’t bore me first—”

“—You may not find me so boring as other men, for I ‘ad a few interesting teachers back on Kamino.”

“Why, what’s Kamino?”

“An oceanic planet.”

“If that is so, then feel free to go back. I’m sure they’re dying to see you.”

“So I am told. Come! We can go zere together!”

Howzer offers his arm to you, a sure mark of gentlemanly manners if this was any other meeting between you that your father didn’t preordain. Under normal circumstances, you might have happily considered this Captain as your escort back inside the manse.

Out here, however, you’re merely gathering your hands behind your back, one eyebrow raised in silent interrogation, and literally everyone—be they ranging from the scolding Orinna in front of you to Brainy Bri watching it all from her upstairs window—are now holding their collective breaths in anticipation for your next reaction.

“Oh? What makes you think I’m joining you?”

“I…don’t yet see a reason why you could not, Miss Minola.”

“Maybe I’d prefer to sit outside for a while.”

“Very well. I will be sure to join you.”

Howzer makes a small performance of lowering himself onto one of the two front benches; then patting the place beside him in hopes of having you as a partner. You certainly would have joined him willingly if it had been up to you alone, because then you would have had a modicum of freedom to do with as you wished.

Unfortunately, no thanks to Dad pushing this match as the main road to freeing up Briana…you’re instead eyeing one of the side tables, wondering if you should make your own show of sitting there instead…or worse.

“Actually…I think I’ve changed my mind, ‘Capitaine’. Perhaps I’ll go inside.”

“What, and miss the view of zis fine day?”

“Maybe it’s too bright a view for my sensitive eyes.”

“Very well, then…let me see you walk, if we cannot sit together.”

“Walk? Whatever for?”

“So I’ll know who to look for when the big day comes.”

“Oh? What makes you think I won’t be running out the door instead?”

“Please, Y/N, I am as good a gentleman as any other…”

They’re all watching you now, Orinna, Dad, Briana from the window and whomever else inside the house who have decided to stop work and peek at the proceedings. Apparently, you’ve gone from Little Miss Nobody to the talk of the entire household in a few short hours, beginning with your ill-fated disappearance.

“…That. I’ll. Try.”

However, now that the side table is within your reach and you’re more or less finished with being the pawn to your sister’s knight…it’s that single piece of wood that you’re not hesitating to use as your next weapon, because in a matter of seconds, you’re sending it flying at Howzer’s head, your only mission being to drive him off your property with or without the black eye that he may so richly deserve—

“Whoops.”

—And then, with about as much advance warning as you gave him, which at this point is pretty much none—he catches that piece of furniture in midair, executes a near-perfect twirl, and finally sends the table flying back to you, after which you’ve very little choice other than to catch it before it crashes.

“Oof!”

This you barely accomplish with all the grace of someone who never played any sports, for the impact alone all but knocks you onto your back while Howzer remains upright and unbruised. For what might be the first time ever, you’re left in a confused silence while the sting of catching a hard object with your bare hands wears off, because only then might you be able to get back onto your feet again with no further interruptions.

In the meantime, though…everyone’s looking on in a stunned silence, not knowing whether or not to panic as they wait to see what you do next. Judging from their past experiences, either you're going to run off in a huff, or else fall into an even bigger rage and throw another piece of furniture. Perhaps anything of the worst nature can happen from your end, as it's more or less the huge bad habit that you've let yourself fall into over time.

And yet...even as how Howzer's watching you cautiously, still figuring out whether or not he should protect himself and get out of here while he still can...that's when you end up surprising yourself as well as everyone else.

"Nice aim, Captain Howzer."

[To be continued in Chapter 6, "Revealed Truths".

Please like, comment, and reblog if you liked this chapter; and I'll see you in the next update! TYSM!]

[shadowqueenjude]

So a lot of Tamlin stans are coming into my comment section saying Tamlin is not a quitter and all that good stuff, so I will be discussing Tamlin as he has been written in canon. This is not anti-Tamlin in any capacity.

Tamlin does not have the ideal character traits of a ruler. This is not an insult at all. In fact, it is something he admits himself, book 1:

“I’d realized from an early age that fighting and killing were about the only things I was good at.”

“I claimed Lucien as my own—named him emissary, since he’d already made many friends across the courts and had always been good at talking to people, while I … can find it difficult. He’s been here ever since.”

This doesn't make him less than; there's nothing wrong with wanting to live a simple life. But, Tamlin was chosen to become High Lord. And he didn't quit- he did the best he could with what he'd been given, despite all the courtiers not having any faith in him. For someone woefully unprepared for the job, he did a great job, at least until ACOWAR, but he would've had a lot more difficulties had Lucien not showed up. Tamlin had very little courtier training, and he wasn't very good at that shit anyway.

In ACOSF, Tamlin is extremely depressed. His court is in shambles around him, and he has pretty much given up on his own life.

“They say a beast prowls these lands now. A beast with keen green eyes and golden fur. Some people think the beast has forgotten his other shape, so long has he spent in his monstrous form. And though he roams these lands, he does not see or care for the neglect he passes, the lawlessness, the vulnerability. Even his manor has fallen into disrepair, half-eaten by thorns, though rumors fly that he himself destroyed it.”

“You’ve been trying to bring Tamlin back for a while. But he isn’t getting better, is he?”

You're welcome to have your own interpretation on this, but from what I'm reading, it really feels like Tamlin has no interest in ruling over Spring anymore. While he's not generally a quitter, his life has become so shitty that he has given up on himself. I am not sure that SJM will keep Tamlin as the ruler of Spring; he might be killed off, but my personal belief is that she will have him abdicate the throne somehow. I know people will claim this is a retcon, but I don't think the possibility of abdication has ever actually been discussed within the scope of the books, so it wouldn't be a retcon.

[sessakag]

Now all I can think about is Prey!Papa-Naruto because it would be the wildest funniest thing ever! Poor Hinata is probably trying to make sure her kids grow up to be good morally upstanding people and Naruto is just….Yeah 😬. Funnily enough this Naruto probably wouldn’t have as much of a contentious relationship with Boruto because there’s no way he’s putting work above spending time how he wants 😭. And as a Kawaki hater I’m pleased to say I don’t see this Naruto being altruistic enough to take in some random abused kid so really we’ve got my ideal version of the Uzumaki family 🫢. Anyway, I bet parent-teacher conferences and kiddy playdates and birthday parties are gonna be fun times 🤣. Speaking of bday parties happy early birthday! I hope it’ll be a fun one.

Daddy Prey!Naruto is the funniest thing ever, lol.

For sure, Naruto would spend time with his little mini-me. Who would stop him?

I feel like Boruto would be very aware that his father is a homicidal nutjob and spend his time trying to keep innocents out of harms way, but he does it in ways that are just as bad as his father, because of course, the apple doesn't fall that far from the tree, and that he has this huge blind spot to when his own inner crazy is starting to show, lol. And of course, mess with his mom or baby sister, well then, you'll have a hard time telling Naruto and Boruto apart at all🤭he'd justify his violence and the bodies in his closet because Prey!Narupapa taught him that delusion is just another way to say correct, and there's nothing wrong with customizing your own reality when it's convenient. He'd also spend so much time trying to undo Hima's worst tendencies their dad is teaching her in an effort to help his mom out, but ends up making it worse by teaching her "alternative" tendencies that are just as bad but much more slicker than his father's open bluntness, which ultimately, makes Hinata's job harder, lol. Poor lady, I can see her trying to explain the situation to her crazy husband. Hinata: I'm trying to make sure the kids have a moral compass, Naruto Naruto: The fuck they need that for?

I'll be honest, I really don't know all that much about Kawaki since I don't watch the show, but his design is very cool, and the clips I've seen of him on youtube I vibe with🤭but Naruto being altruistic and adopting a poor orphan? Not fuckin likely at all, lol. Prey!Naruto wouldn't care about any kids but his own🤷🏽‍♀️so you're all set for sure, lol.

Parent-teacher conferences would be lit af😂imagine Naruto's big buff tatted up self sitting in one of those itty bitty chairs at a table lower than his knees while the teacher tries to get him to understand that it's not a good thing that his little girl is drawing her classmates with their heads somewhere other than on their shoulders🤣he would be so insulted and have a very scary diatribe about why Hima's work is "art" not a "red flag". The teacher would resign the next day by the time he was done. Omg birthdays🙈One word: Pinata. Take that as you will, lmao!

And omg, I wanna write Prey!Naruto at a PTA meeting, lmao! And you'd think Hinata was the one that dragged him to it, but NO, he'd go on his own because he's a super paranoid bastard that needs to know what is going on in his orbit and that includes his hellspawns, and if he doesn't like what he hears he'll have to retire a few folks to ensure things are being run for the benefit of his offspring😂

Hima's not doing a kiddy playdate, study date, pretend date, any date. Over somebody else's dead body would Naruto allow his baby girl to do any sorta dating🤣hell naw, and don't @ him about it. End of discussion. Why? Because Naruto knows how guys are, and considering the things he does to Hima's mother on a regular basis, he's dead set on not letting any guy near his daughter until she's at least 80 years old, if she's lucky. Teen!Hima good luck trying to date or get a boyfriend😅especially since big brother's not gonna be too keen on the idea either, lol. And thank you for the early birthday wishes!!💕

I feel like this SOL Prey!Naruto family is set in stone to be a thing at this point, lmao. I'm certainly sold on it. I won't say whether or not I plan on Hinata getting knocked up in Prey, ya'll will have to wait and find out but I definitely think this should be a full SOL fic at this point, lol. It's just too good to pass up🤭

[twisted-wonderland-shenanigans]

Hi, I read your monster au posts and they are amazing. Though I was wondering what would Rollo be and how would he handle there being a magicless human given his attitude in canon, as well as how would GloMas go down with Yuu and Mini!Yuu in that au?

So, I’d been holding off on answering this for Rollo until I had a better grasp on his personality and behavior, as deciding the monster/cryptid species that fits best is important. But since the Glorious Masquerade is coming to the ENG servers tomorrow (I’m not ready!!!), it feels like the right time to introduce him into the Monster!AU!

Also, as for whether or not RSA has seen Yuu/mini!Yuu, I think at least Che'nya and Neige and the dwarves have seen them yes! Outside of those, I leave that up to you/whatever direction the game takes us down next! And thank you so much, I'm glad everyone loves the AU's ;;v;;

To answer the question, I decided to base him off the French (and coincidentally Louisiana) cryptid “feu follet”, otherwise known as a Will-o’-the-wisp. Why did I choose this versus creatures like the “Beast of Gévaudan” or the “Gaueco” which will make him a fluffy canine monster? Well, while I think both would be interesting concepts to work with, neither of them really seem to fit the vibe I got from him as he’s portrayed in the beginning (…well, before chaos as usual hits the fan of course). Plus, it was also an interesting excuse to delve into more of the non-animal based ones besides Ortho being a golem!

WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD AND MENTION OF DEATH BASED ON THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE FEU FOLLET/WILL-O’-THE-WISP!

Anyway, I picture him being more of a feu follet/Will-o’-the-wisp as a call to his UM “Dark Fire” and his last name Flamme, which translates to “flame” in French. Hence, as a “ghost light”, it seemed more fitting! Feu follets are said to come in various shades of blue, yellow, red, and even green—now imagine him changing color based on his emotions and having to control that side in public! His poker face means nothing behind that handkerchief if he turns colors! 😂 (Especially if you keep in mind color theory!)

While they’re also generally harmless, however, if you’re familiar with the legend of Will-‘o-the-wisps (which has multiple different variations and stories across the world!), following one at night thinking it’s a fellow traveler can lead to one’s death in a marsh, bog, swamp, etc. Typically, they’re seen in a graveyard or one of the above-mentioned areas. Since no one knew how dangerous Rollo was until it was too late, it seemed fitting for him to be one!

By the way, he can be corporeal to handle things or be hugged by someone. He can also phase through things he wants to avoid…now imagine his hat getting caught between the fence bars! 🤣🤣🤣

With that out of the way, let’s discuss his reaction to Yuu and mini!Yuu!

Given that he’s more comfortable with non-magic users, he’d be fascinated and charmed at the thought of humans—creatures of historic legend and cryptic bedtime stories—being non-magic. A world where magic doesn’t exist and no one will be consumed by blot or harmed by spells gone awry? He’d likely want to know more, but he wouldn’t want to get too close—after all, he’s not exactly keen on making friends or showing a vulnerable side. Yuu is gonna have their work cut out for them if they want to give him pets and scritches! Their best bet is in private where he’s less likely to react so strongly (though if he learns that getting the majority of Yuu’s attention is enough to annoy Malleus and the others, I can see him being smug about it and letting them praise him 😌).

As for mini!Yuu though…

Mini!Yuu: *toddling around the room, giggling as they support the large puffy cap on their head*

Azul: “Where did you get that, little one?”

Mini!Yuu: “Mr. Rollo dropped it and let me wear it!” *adjusts the cap with one hand to try and look up at them before bumping into Deuce’s leg* “Oof!”

Deuce: “Oop! Careful, Yuu!”

Riddle: “I’m surprised he allowed you to wear it given his position as Student Council President.”

/Meanwhile/

Vice President: “Uh…President Rollo? Where is your cap?”

Rollo: *holding handkerchief to his mouth* “Yuu wanted to know how heavy it was.”

Vice President: “Y-you’ve never let yourself be out of uniform!” *gets emotional* “But you’re allowing the human child to wear it…that is so precious!”

Rollo: *scowls, his wisp body turning reddish-pink in embarrassment*

///////////

Pfft…I just couldn’t resist a bit of cuteness~! UvU/)

As for how the whole event would go down…well, I can imagine that Rollo would believe he’s doing the right thing, so him possibly trying to separate Yuu from the others using the flowers would be even more terrifying! For mini!Yuu, the whole situation would be absolutely terrifying for the toddler since I doubt the others would have let them come with them to stop Rollo. So, the boys would likely leave them with Grandpa Trein for safety until the whole situation is done and over with.

Once all is said and done, it’s really up to Yuu to decide how they see Rollo after the fact. As for mini!Yuu? Whether they find out it was started because of him or the boys kept it under wraps just like everyone else in NBC being ignorant of what happened, they might just be happy to see he’s okay. Now imagine him dancing with mini!Yuu at the end of the event like Charlotte with Prince Naveen’s younger brother from Princess and the Frog!

[gasolinerainbowpuddles]

okay, this is a genuine attempt to engage, i promise! i'm just too cowardly to go off anonymous. personally, i don't disagree with the core things these people are getting at, even though i really disagree with how they go about it.

it's true the creator of TLOU has drawn from the real-world conflict in gaza. he's on record framing it as like "desperate, conflicted people on both sides" narrative, which i think is fucked up when the reality is there is one side of that conflict that endures greater suffering due to power imbalances, racism, etc. i think that is true. it is my opinion (and obviously does not have to be yours!) that TLOU is deeply flawed in framing a real-world conflict with this “both sides” narrative. and i do agree media like this doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it shapes how people understand real-world power, violence, and oppression. i do wish the fandom made more space to discuss how that potentially reinforces the problem, but they're so incapable of doing it without descending into personal drama. they make it about them and not about wanting to actually talk about this because well... this is tumblr so obviously it's curated af and they can't escape their own egos. anyway, i'm not trying to preach here but i'm genuinely curious like, does that not kind of reframe why some people are like, "this is torture porn?!" perspective?

i think the way those two particular blogs that have been named already are going about this is so immature. they made posts on their blogs calling out behavior rather than directly engage with you because theoretically, even if you were calling them out specifically in your original post, i had no idea that was what was happening until they created a narrative saying so and until they perpetuated the drama with their attention-seeking behavior. like publishing that shit on their blogs and claiming they're trying to have a conversation... anyway... i guess i would like to TRY to have a normal convo about this.

i dont know any of the people who are i guess making sub posts about me. again, ive not been tagged in anything, and i dont go seeking out hate posts about myself so lmao. they can continue to circlejerk.

tell ya what. im going to talk about the CONTEXT and TIMEFRAME of Neil Druckmann's actions bc these things matter and are routinely glossed over by people who would rather water things down so they're easier to digest. In depth, complex discussions that acknowledge grey areas aren't as easy as just screaming "ZIONIST!" at anybody who enjoys TLOU, but here's the former:

most of what I see people parroting is an opinion piece from 2020

here is an article from April of this year that does a decent job at condensing Neil Druckman's comments about Israel and Gaza and TLOU

here is an excerpt I think is worth sharing:

The impetus for Ellie’s trajectory in Part II came from Druckmann seeing footage as a teenager of Israeli soldiers being lynched in the West Bank. He couldn’t shake the fact that there were cheers after such violence. “It was the cheering that was really chilling to me,” Druckmann told the Washington Post in 2020. “In my mind, I thought ‘Oh, man, if I could just push a button and kill all these people that committed this horrible act, I would make them feel the same pain that they inflicted on these people.’” Once that anger subsided, Druckmann said he felt disgusted over his own fury. But that made him think about how humanity processes hatred. “I landed on this emotional idea of, can we, over the course of the game, make you feel this intense hate that is universal in the same way that unconditional love is universal?” 

In a 2023 interview with Haaretz, Druckmann was keen to note that being inspired by something and basing a game on something are two different things. “It was inspired by, not based on,” Druckmann said of The Last of Us Part II and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “That’s a really important nuance, because my inspiration is like my feeling towards a cycle of violence that I’ve experienced as a child growing up in Israel, growing up in the West Bank specifically, coming to the United States and observing it then from the outside, vs. being in it.” “This game deals a lot with tribalism,” Druckmann continued. “Sometimes tribalism on a very large scale, between two groups that are fighting for land—and again, that has obvious similarities to stuff that happens in the West Bank—but sometimes it’s tribalism within its own group…a sense of a group that feels righteous. And when you’re righteous, it’s very easy to diminish another group and say, ‘They are less than me, and I’m correct and they’re wrong, and therefore that gives me permission to inflict violence upon them.” 

It's possible to acknowledge Neil Druckmann's personal experience influencing themes throughout the story without oversimplifying it and deeming the entirety of it as Zionist propaganda. Him leaning into the worst parts of himself/humanity, being disgusted with his ability to lean so easily into that, and wanting to creatively explore it isn't Zionist propaganda. I think where people fail to make the connection in many of these statements is TLOU (both games and first season) was created prior to the events of Oct 7.

(IMPORTANT TO NOTE: this current conflict is another facet of an extensive history of conflict between Israel and Palestine. It's an incredibly chaotic, messy, and violent history that cannot possibly be summed up in this post alone. There is also the history of politics in Palestine itself that I recommend you read about.)

Neil Druckmann was born in 1978, decades into what we now acknowledge as the ongoing conflict. His first real exposure to the violence from the ongoing conflict would most likely be when he was a teen, which is what he references in that "kneejerk reaction" comment. The comments about being inspired by and not basing material on something were in April of 2023.

Now, let's talk about his actions after Oct 7. A few hours after the news broke, he posted an Israeli flag on IG with the caption Israel forever written in Hebrew. A few days after that he posted to twitter about a donation to an Israeli based charity Zaka, who purport themselves to be volunteer rescue and paramedics.

Let's take a minute to talk about Zaka. They have a weird history with questionable actions/leaders across the spectrum. Sometime in the mid 2010s they were given some privileges with United Nations. Zaka immediately started fundraising after Oct 7. A few months later a report came out that exposed the shadiness, purposeful misinformation, and mismanagement of funds by the organization.

Sometime in mid October, Druckmann tweeted about a donation to a Middle Eastern Red Cross humanitarian charity that isn't directly affiliated with any entity involved in the current conflict. The tweet highlighted that Playstation matched his donation, and he was thanking them. This tweet included both the Israeli flag as well as the Palestinian flag.

all this to say....

Surprise, surprise: a guy who spent some of his formative years in Israel has a complicated and oftentimes questionable-leaning-ugly conduct about Palestine.

Water is wet. Demanding that he retroactively apply current circumstances to his past self is not only impossible but also derails legitimate discussion and warranted critique; however, his trajectory is not one I'd readily align with a Zionist.

And bc I know some of you ignorant bitches lack media literacy, I'll make it easy for you:

Fuck Israel and their military state. The Palestinian people deserve freedom and peace, and yes even at times from their own presiding political groups.

catch ya later, Puddles