#but if a person like her said ‘I’ve been playing men this whole time’ to me irl i would. idk.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Ginger Rogers (Swing Time, Top Hat)—Look I’ll level with you, I’ve never seen her in a musical and I know that she’s an amazing dancer and she’ll be even hotter when I finally watch Top Hat but I’m not submitting her as a dancer I’m submitting her as an ACTRESS. Her comic timing is impeccable!!!!! She’s full to bursting with life and in every role she seems to be having FUN, you can practically feel the twinkle in her eye. With her natural warmth it’s like she’s letting you in on the joke, y’all get to have this fun together! Making me laugh is hot!!! [If you'd like to see Ginger dance, videos below the cut]

Dorothy Lamour (The Jungle Princess, Road to… movies)—Ok, to be honest, I get if no one wants to vote for her--she's kind of like my ~problematic fave~ because she started in the Road (Singapore, Bali, Hong Kong, etc) movies with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, which are full of all sorts of exoticism tropes and usually have her playing very side-eye type roles..island princesses and things...yeah. also she banged J. Edgar Hoover. not very hot. but your honor i still think she's pretty despite all that she's pretty please look at her and tell me she's prettyyy

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Dorothy Lamour propaganda:

She started in jungle and South Seas movies and became famous in the Road series. She learned quickly to improvise when facing Bob and Bing. Road to Bali almost has her character marrying both of theirs, since she's island royalty and nobody had a problem with it - a nearly poly relationship, an epiphany for a viewer who didn't even know that that could happen! She was a popular pinup girl during World War 2, and was the first singer for the popular standard "It Could Happen to You". She sang often in her movies and has a lovely voice!

Ginger Rogers propaganda:

She needs no introduction! An undeniable powerhouse on the dancefloor, and no less talented an actress. I once watched a compilation of cinema's greatest dance scenes and one of her and Fred Astaire's dances was featured, and one of the talking heads said he pitied her for 'having to keep up with him' - or something to that effect. Bullshit, I cry. Ginger Rogers was his absolute equal, and underplaying her incredible skill is downright criminal. I want the 'Cheek to Cheek' sequence from Top Hat to be permanently burned into my memory.

"Backwards in high heels", as the saying goes (though the pedant in me must point out that she in fact spent her fair share of time leading or dancing side-by-side). One of the earliest twinkle-toed ladies of the silver screen, and in terms of acting/persona, her balance of wide-eyed cuteness and movie-star glamour has never quite been replicated.

we all know her beloved string of musicals with fred but ginger also has an extensive and varied non-fred filmography that she's great in! a few ginger moments that are important 2 me personally ginger singing “we’re in the money” in gold diggers of 1933, complete with a verse in pig latin bc this whole movie is kinda mocking the concept of anyone actually being in the money in 1933; ginger and una merkel singing a verse of “shuffle off to buffalo” in 42nd street, providing some statler & waldorf-esque commentary on newlyweds from the upper berth of a railway car (interesting that belly was apparently a risque word in 1933 - maybe its bc the lyric is innuendo-ing about out of wedlock pregnancies - and that panties was a term for men’s underthings!); a favorite fred & ginger number

Ginger Rogers could do everything! She could sing, dance and act. She was hilarious in comedies, moving in dramatic roles (she won an Oscar for Kitty Foyle in 1940) and absolutely gorgeous!

Listen, no shade to Fred Astaire at all, but she both kept up with him step for step and then later went on to WIN AN OSCAR FOR ACTING. (which he did not.) truly a double threat!!!

One of the best dancers in Hollywood! Her work with Fred Astaire is just incredible.

ONE LINE: "Everything Fred did, Ginger did backwards and in heels" AND THEYRE RIGHT! Rogers was a total dance badass, and a lot of movie buffs know the story, but the Never Gonna Dance number from Swing Time took almost 50 takes, and allegedly by the end of filming it her white shoes had been stained pink because her feet were bleeding. As a note, she looks crazy gorgeous in this number. Watching these two dance is insane. They match up to each other in a way my mom describes as "divine" and she's right. DANCE NUMBERS!

Let's Call The Whole Thing Off (Shall We Dance, 1937, dancing starts at 3:14, they're in ROLLERSKATES)

(Ginger Rogers is the hottest woman ever to live in this number. seeing this as a teenager altered my brain chemistry)

(also watch her feet and how she moves opposite Astaire in this one. We all know our boy Freddie had that precision demon but jesus christ Miss Rogers, let a girl live!)

Pick Yourself Up, Swing Time 1936 (Everyone's seen this one but by god you are going to see it AGAIN!)

Shall We Dance, 1937 (duet begins at 2:34)

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Roberta 1935 (There's just something about Ginger Rogers in a slick black dress man)

The Continental, The Gay Divorcee 1934 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjv6nmF7wdk God she's MAGIC in this one.

Gay Divorcee's Ending Montage 1934The infamous table and chairs spin happens at about 0:49. Pay CLOSE attention to her in this bc it looks like witchcraft and I feel lightheaded whenever I watch this movie bc shes THAT awesome.

She is a miracle to watch. Sorry for the sheer amount of clips. My entire family is like madly in love with Ginger Rogers.

[theshiniestgemstone]

thinking about reader finding out they’re pregnant and trying to figure out a good/special way to tell gideon, so they enlist the help of amber to try and figure it out (idk i was playing the sims when i thought of this)

-🌷

love, love love

The diner buzzed with the steady clinking of silverware against plates and the low murmur of conversations blending into a comforting hum. Waitresses weaved between tables, balancing trays piled high with steaming coffee cups and greasy burgers, while the scent of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee filled the air. The occasional burst of laughter or a bell dinging from the kitchen added rhythm to the bustling midday scene.

"Amber."

She hummed, turning to look at you. "Yeah?"

"Can I tell you a secret that no one else knows?"

Amber paused, her expression softening instantly at your tone. She set down the folded napkin in her hand and gave you her full attention, head tilting slightly. “Of course you can,” she said gently, like she already knew whatever you were about to say was heavy.

You looked around once, just to be sure. Then you leaned in, voice quiet but clear. "I'm pregnant."

Amber’s brows lifted, just slightly, surprise flickering across her face before something warmer settled in behind her eyes. A bright smile formed on her lips. “You’re pregnant?” she repeated, her voice low and deliberate, like she was locking the words in a vault.

You nodded, suddenly blinking faster than before. “I haven’t even told Gideon yet. I just… I needed someone to know first. Someone who wouldn’t freak out.”

Amber let out a quiet laugh, soft and breathy. “Well, baby, I am freaking out. Just a little. But in a good way.”

You let out a shaky breath, some of the tension in your shoulders loosening.

Amber reached across the table and took your hand. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” you said honestly. “I mean, I’m terrified. But also… kind of excited?”

Amber squeezed your hand. “That’s normal. And you told the right person. You know why?”

You shook your head.

“Because I’ve been exactly where you are. Scared and not sure how to say it out loud. But you’re gonna be okay. You’ve got Gideon, and you’ve got us. And now you’ve got me knowing before Jesse, which I am going to lord over him for the rest of our lives.”

You laughed, tears stinging your eyes. "How did you say it out loud, like to Jesse?"

Amber gave your hand another reassuring squeeze, her eyes twinkling with the glow of memory. “I told him the first time through the stall door of our high school,” she said, shaking her head with a chuckle. “I was crying, all blotchy and panicked, and he thought I’d gotten in a fight or something. I couldn’t even say the word. I just held the test results from the doctor through the crack in the door. And you know what that idiot said?”

You blinked, waiting.

“He goes, ‘Oh shit, Amber! You passed! I thought you hated science.’” She snorted. “Bless his dumb little heart. Took him a full minute to realize what kind of test it was.”

You covered your mouth to stifle a laugh, tears still brimming in your eyes but edged now with something lighter.

Amber smiled fondly. “With Pontius, we were at this beautiful little restaurant. Candlelight, white tablecloths, all that. I’d planned this whole speech. I was gonna slip the sonogram into the dessert menu or something cheesy like that. But then he kept going on about the rising price of brisket and how nobody respected pastors anymore, and I just blurted it out. Loud. Whole table next to us heard.”

She paused, eyes distant, full of affection. “He dropped his fork and started crying. Right there. Cried into his sweet tea for like ten minutes.”

You felt yourself grinning through your nerves. “And Abraham?”

Amber rolled her eyes, laughing again. “Abraham, I mentioned it to him over breakfast while I was buttering toast. He gave me a high five. Said ‘good job’ like I’d won a radio contest.” She leaned in a little. “And then he took a bite of his eggs like it was any other Tuesday. Men.”

Amber was still laughing softly when you reached into your bag, fingers fumbling just a little as you pulled out the folded envelope. The edges were a little creased from how many times you'd looked at it, how many times you'd picked it up and put it back down again, waiting for the right moment. You slid it across the table, tapping the top with your nail like it was nothing more than a receipt.

Amber opened it slowly, carefully, her lips parting when she saw the black and white images inside. Her eyes flicked to you, wide and already misty.

“I can’t believe he hasn’t figured it out yet,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady under the weight of it all. “I start every morning hunched over the bathroom sink, dry heaving like I’ve been poisoned. And he just knocks on the door like, ‘you good in there, babe?’ Like this is just how I start my days now.”

Amber burst into laughter, covering her mouth as she looked back at the sonogram. “He really hasn’t noticed?”

“No!” you said, exasperated but smiling. “He offered me a sausage biscuit last week and I nearly threw it at him.”

“Oh honey,” Amber wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, shaking her head. “He’s gonna lose his mind.”

You nodded, heart thudding. “Yeah. I know. That’s what I’m scared of.”

She reached across the table again, her hand warm over yours. “Then I’ll be right here when you tell him. And if he passes out, I’ll make Jesse catch him.”

You grimaced. "I love you guys, but I don't think I can have y'all there. I want him to think he found out first. Like a prize for being the one to knock me up." You took a sip of your milkshake.

Amber laughed, loud and delighted, leaning back in the booth like you’d just told her the best joke she’d heard all week. “Oh my God, you sound like Judy.”

You rolled your eyes. “Low blow.”

“I mean it in the best way,” she said, grinning as she stirred her iced tea. “That kind of chaos takes skill. So what’s the plan, then? Gonna tape the sonogram to the fridge and wait for him to notice?”

“I thought about that,” you said, chewing your straw for a second. “Or maybe hiding it in a book. Something dumb, like Parenting for Dummies."

Amber snorted, nearly spitting her tea. “Please do not put that in his Bible. I beg you.”

You raised your hands in surrender, smirking. “I was leaning more toward tucking it in the visor of his car, maybe. He’s always flipping it down to check his hair when he thinks I'm not looking.”

“Oh, that’ll do it,” she nodded, eyes sparkling with anticipation. “He’ll freak. He’ll think he’s hallucinating. You better record it.”

“Obviously.”

Amber leaned forward again, more serious now. “You sure you’re okay? Really okay?”

You hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Yeah. I mean… everything’s different now. But it feels like the right kind of different. Like a weird, freaky blessing.”

Amber squeezed your hand again, eyes warm. “Then it sounds just like a Gemstone baby to me.”

+++

"Baby, what's this?"

You popped the sucker out of your mouth with a soft click and looked up over the top of your magazine. Gideon was sitting across the couch, brows furrowed, holding up the pale yellow onesie between two fingers like it might disappear if he blinked. The little sun on the chest smiled up at him.

You paused, then slowly sat up straighter on the couch, heartbeat already in your throat. “Uh. That is… a baby onesie.”

Gideon blinked at you. “Yeah. I got that much.”

You hesitated, then added a little sheepishly, “Amber bought it. Said she was obligated to spoil this baby. Her words.”

He looked from the onesie to you, eyes widening. “This baby?”

You nodded slowly, lips pulling into a nervous, soft smile. “Yeah."

He stared for a beat. Silent. Processing. Then he blinked again. “Wait. What baby?”

You nodded again, heart thudding against your ribs. “Gid, the sonogram has been on the fridge for days now."

He ran a hand through his hair, tears glistening. "I thought that was a friend's or maybe inspiration. You've been attacking me day and night."

You couldn’t help it. You laughed, full and surprised, pressing your face into his shoulder as your cheeks went warm. “Attacking you?”

Gideon held the onesie to his chest like a peace offering, eyes wide and still glistening. “You have! I mean, not that I’m complaining, but baby, I thought we were just in, like… a really intense honeymoon phase!”

You pulled back just enough to give him a look. “You thought I was dry heaving every morning and still jumping your bones because of what? The new vitamins?”

He blinked. “...Kinda? They're women's vitamins and I thought- I should really take biology again, right?"

You groaned, dragging your hands down your face, laughing anyway. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I live with you, and I missed this?” he said, looking back at the fridge like the sonogram might jump out and slap him. “God, I’m such a dumbass.”

He made a breathy, stunned noise in his throat and scooted closer to you.

You tilted your head, smile widening. “I was gonna tell you. I just… figured I had a little more time before laundry day.”

He looked down at the tiny onesie in his lap, then up at you, completely dumbfounded and already misty-eyed. “You’re serious?”

You gave a slow nod and unwrapped your legs from beneath you, shifting over to wrap your arms around him,

“Two and a half months,” you whispered. “Give or take. That’s why I’ve been dry heaving every morning. Thought you would’ve caught on by now.”

“I thought it was the new vitamins!” he half-laughed, half-sobbed. “Jesus, baby, I’m gonna be a dad?”

You reached out and took his hand. “Yeah, you are.”

And just like that, he was wrapping his arms around you, pressing the onesie between your chests as he pulled you close. A muffled, awestruck laugh left his throat as he kissed your shoulder, cheek, and temple.

“I’m gonna frame this stupid little thing,” he said into your hair, voice thick. “I swear to God, I’m gonna hang it right in the living room."

You furrowed your brows. "Baby's gonna need that, y'know."

He chuckled softly, his breath warm against your skin. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But still, every time I look at it, I’m gonna remember this moment. Us. The start of all the love and sleepless nights."

You laughed, feeling the weight of it all settle between you like a promise. “Me too, Gid. Me too.”

[redflagshipwriter]

Halfa Cass Chapter 6 part 2/2

Masterpost

‘Ouch,’ Tim thought gleefully as Bruce got his constipated expression. Damian was definitely pretending he thought it was admirable to frighten hapless Justice League niceguys. Damian knew better now. Damian even liked Jon Kent, who was basically like a tiny Captain Marvel.

Bruce really should know that. Tim could see the calculations whirring in his mind, weighing the odds of Damian being genuine.

He knew that Damian was a lot better now. That Damian had promised not to stab anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. That Damian had made friends and was less hostile to outsiders.

Bruce wasn’t confident enough that Damian knew better. He gave in. “I will be careful with my tone around him,” Bruce said sullenly. He stabbed at his breakfast.

‘You just got played by a ten year old.’

“Thank you Daddy,” Cass chirped.

Ah well, that’s it then. Game, set, and match. Bruce lifted his face enough to aim his watery i love my kids eyes at her.

Tim left the table without comment. He quietly thanked Alfred on his way out and gave a nod to Cass. Bruce was still glaring at his eggs. He’d be at it for a while, churning through the current state of his children’s social development and the relative healthiness of his personal relationships with Justice League coworkers.

‘I wonder why Cass cares about Marvel,’ Tim wondered idly. He didn’t have the slightest hint of doubt in her assertion. If Cass said that Bruce was too harsh for Marvel, then it was true. Marvel must be sensitive. But that didn’t mean Cass would interfere to protect a grown man from her dad’s growly temper. Maybe she had a crush? Marvel was pretty good-looking, if you were sick enough to be into hunky men with perfect teeth who were never rude to anyone and appeared to have no dark past. Sort of like crushing on that one cartoon surfer in the juice ads…

It was a minor puzzle piece that Tim tucked away for another time. 

He hung out in his room until it was time to get ready. Then Tim jogged down the stairs to the Batcave, humming under his breath.

Jason of all the people was already there, scowling at the screen. 

“Why are you up?” Tim asked. Didn’t he usually, sleep off half the day after a long patrol? Jason had been on the long shift last night.

Tim got a massively shitty expression from Jason  in return. “Patrol ended hours ago, dipstick. I’ve already slept.”

‘Those under eye circles say otherwise,’ Tim thought judgmentally. But he just shrugged. “Fair enough.” He breezed past to open up his equipment locker. 

“What are you doing?” Jason spun his chair around to watch. “Are you meeting Cass?”

Tim blinked. “No?” He unhooked his undersuit and pulled his t-shirt off over his head. He went to toss it in and then thought better of it. Tim conscientiously folded it so that there were no asshole comments from the peanut gallery. “Why do you ask?”

Jason thumbed at the cameras. “Because she’s leaving. Just got her green jacket from the living room.” He jutted his lower lip out. “I don’t know of anything on her schedule today.”

Huh. Tim stopped mid-motion. “There wasn’t anything on the master calendar,” he said slowly. He gave Jason a sideways look. “What are the odds of you following her?”

Jason looked tempted. “She’ll be mad if she notices me.”

“Yeah,” Tim agreed. It was just the truth. “But she’ll know you’re doing it because you’re worried about it, so she can’t get too mad. She got electrocuted yesterday. I’m not really sure she should be out unsupervised.”

Jason’s whole face twitched. “Yeah.”

‘Ah,’ Tim realized. ‘He already read her report. That’s probably why he came in.’

“You’re going to Amity.” Jason said it like it was an order, not a question. Tim nodded anyway and shucked his sweatpants. He started pulling on the sweat-wicking undersuit. “Yeah, alright.” Jason stood up with a scrape of the chair. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“You’re the best there’s ever been,” Tim lied earnestly. “I really appreciate it. I know that everyone else would say-”

“You’re a dick,” Jason said, and left the batcave quickly before Tim could say anything else nice to him.

Tim felt a lot better about leaving Gotham after that conversation. Jason was a huge angry clucking mother hen. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Cass. And Tim could be useful at the source of the problem without his attention split in worrying.

He clicked on his comms and switched to the YJ frequency. “Red Robin is on.”

The line clicked. “Wondergirl is here,” Cassie said happily. “You’re welcome, peons. I’m in the air already.”

“We’ll owe you forever, princess,” Kon snarked. “When can we kiss your boots?”

“You can kiss my a-”

“No chatter on the comms.” Tim typed up the mission start and sent it to the right file, marking that he was taking the jet. “I’ll see you in Amity.”

[blakerights]

revelation

Summary:  Emily Prentiss x GN!Reader. Spencer helps you come to the realisation that maybe you've been looking in the wrong place for happy ever after all this time, and the person of your dreams is right in front of your eyes.

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: References to drinking alcohol, slight sexuality panic.

A/N: hi it's been a year and a half since i posted anything but i read a half finished fic and suddenly got inspiration?! anyway i've missed you all and i hope you enjoy <3 (my one emily gif because i've lost all my gifs :D i want to cry!!)

How were you meant to know? Sure, you’d watched the movies and heard the songs just like everyone else, but no one had explained to you what it felt like. 

Plus, it wasn’t as if the movies were great demonstrations. They were always so dramatic, with tears and rain and running through airports. 

Spencer was the one, out of everyone, to point it out in the end. 

The whole team was gathered in JJ’s garden, a family event to mark the beginning of summer. Will and Hotch were grilling food on the BBQ, while JJ handed out alcohol that Rossi consumed generously, the kids were playing on Henry’s swing set, and Penelope, Derek, and Emily all spoke boisterously, their voices and laughter filling the garden. 

You stood to the side with Spencer, watching in bemusement. You had no idea what they were saying as they shouted excitedly at each other, but Emily was grinning, her cheeks flushed, and looking more carefree than you had seen her in a long time.  She was wearing a gorgeous blue vest top and jeans. You loved the top on her, it made her glow, complementing her skin and hair in a way that you couldn’t put accurately into words.  

Your heart stuttered, something that had been happening with increasing frequency recently, but you hadn’t given it much thought.

“Can I ask you something?” Spencer said abruptly as his fingers drummed against the side of the cider bottle in his hand. 

You turned slightly to look at him, your brows furrowed at his thoughtful expression. You nodded, “Of course.” 

“Why—" He hesitates. You smile reassuringly at him and he takes a breath before continuing, “It’s not really my business, but I’ve watched the two of you and I guess I'm just confused as to why you’re not dating.” 

Your eyes widen in surprise but he continues. 

“I thought maybe you two were just keeping it a secret from the team, but it’s been years and neither of you have said anything, plus Emily gets this sad look in her eyes sometimes and I think if you were together she wouldn’t, and—”

“Me and Emily?” You stammer, “Why would you think…Emily and I-” 

Spencer’s brows shoot up. 

“She’s one of my closest friends. I don’t…I’m not…”

Your heart beat speeds up and you tug on the collar of your shirt to cool yourself down. 

You didn’t understand, Emily was your best friend. You knew she was a lesbian but you weren’t. You liked men. 

“But you don’t look at the rest of us the way you look at Emily.” Spencer says softly. “You look at her like she’s the sun. Like the world turns because of her.” 

You shake your head. 

No. 

“You love her.” 

No. No. No.

You didn’t. You’d know if you were in love, and okay, so maybe you’d never been in love before but loving a woman had never once crossed your mind. It’s not like you were against it, you'd just never thought about it. Why would you? You dated men. 

…you dated men and felt very little. Your relationships have always been short, and when the men would finally leave you’d feel nothing but relief as if the relationships were draining the happiness out of you. 

But you’d know if you’d like women, surely? Sure, Emily made your heart clench and your stomach swirl. Sure, every time you saw her you’d smile wider and maybe you thought about her often but that’s what friendship was, right? 

You gulp.

Spencer and Penelope were also your close friends, and you did think of them often and enjoy their company but it was different. 

You’d set Penelope up on a date with your friend just like week, but last month there’d been a detective flirting with Emily and you’d been in a terrible mood the entire time. The team had smirked and you hadn’t understood, only thought how unprofessional the detective was being and oh, oh. 

oh.

You loved her.

You didn’t know. 

You really didn’t know. 

No one had told you that this is what it felt like. You hadn’t known. 

A hand on your arm jolts you, and brings Emily’s concerned face into focus. “Hey, are you okay?” She asks, brows drawn together.

A couple of tears had made their way down your cheeks without your permission. Embarrassment burns through you and all that comes out of your mouth is an urgent, “I didn’t know.”

Her frown only depends, rightfully confused, and you don’t know what to say. Too many thoughts rushing through your brain all at once. 

Spencer and Derek stand together a few steps away, whispering hurriedly to each other. You catch your name and Spencer’s worried, “I didn’t think this would be the reaction.” Emily is only focused on you, and doesn’t seem to notice their conversation. 

“What do you need?” She asks, hand still touching your arm and it’s all too much. 

You shake your head, stepping away from the hand that burns your skin. “I just need a minute.” You say, already walking away and into the house where the world is a little bit quieter and there are no watchful eyes. 

You wipe away the tears and take deep steadying breaths as your heart beat slows down. 

You find a glass and fill it with water with shaky hands. You had no idea what happened to your cider. 

You lift the glass to your lips and take a couple of sips, feeling yourself steady even more as you focus on simple actions. You sense when Emily enters the room, able to pinpoint the tread of her boots against the others with ease, and really how had this ever come as a surprise to you?

How had you failed to notice something so glaringly obvious? Emily Prentiss. How many years have you wasted failing to notice her? Going on dates with meaningless men, running yourself in circles and feeling guilty for not feeling enough when that woman makes you feel everything. 

And you weren’t going to waste another minute. 

Your shoulders set as you come to your decision and you place the empty glass of water down on the counter. Emily, equally as tuned to you, notices the change in your stance and from the other side of the room asks, “Ready to talk about what happened outside?” 

You turn around to face her, and your breath catches in your throat slightly. Wow. 

The sun shining in through the window is lighting up half her face, making her dark eyes sparkle more than normal, and bringing out the silver tones in her raven hair. 

“Y/N?” She prompts, brows drawing back together in concern as she approaches you. 

You shake your head, dispelling the thoughts. “We can talk about what happened outside another time. I actually have something else I need to ask you.” 

Emily’s head tilts slightly, confusion masking her expression. “Okay?” 

You blow out a breath, and gathering all your confidence, ask, “How would you like to go out to dinner with me Friday night?” 

“Oh,” Emily smiles, shrugging, clearly still confused. “Yeah, of course, did you want to finally try that new sushi place?” 

You sigh, “No Emily. For a date.”

Her eyes widen, “Oh, oh, uh.” There’s silence for a moment and then “Yes,” As a massive smile spreads across her face and a laugh ripples from her mouth. “What? Are you serious?” 

You can’t help but laugh too, your cheeks warming. “Yes. I’d love to take you out for dinner, if you’re agreeable.”

Her eyes turn soft as her hand reaches out and squeezes your arm, causing butterflies in your stomach. “I would love that more than anything.” 

“It’s a date then.” You smile, eyes dropping down briefly to her lips. 

“It’s a date.” She agrees. 

It may be only five days away but god you would do anything to bend time and move it closer. You’ve waited years, what’s another five days…

taglist: @ry-kills-jemily @sapphic-stress @xrainydazeteax @mckennamayfairgoode @dalexandriag16 @enduringalexblake @augustvandyne @themoontaxi @prentissology @alexbllake @alexblakeswife @quinnharkness @ssa-sapphic @storiesofsvu @strongsassysexysloane (i have you all listed as being on my taglist but i know its been over a year so if you wanna be removed pls just message me/fill out the form linked on my masterlist and i can take you off <3)

[theegemini92]

The currency of prythian is Power.

So today I had a small back and forth with what kind of female will best be suited for Tamlin and I will always stand by what I’ve been saying. Picking up and sword and training means nothing especially in the world of prythian. Feyre is the only one who embraced this lifestyle. As a matter of fact Nesta was forced into it. Thus personally I don’t think Tamlin needs another warrior female because he is also a warrior.

Even OP did agree that Tamlin didn’t need another warrior female as his mate. Let me say this. Tamlin has been trained to be a weapon.

Again TAMLIN HAS BEEN TRAINED TO BE A WEAPON. Mostly because his abilities started showing quickly.

Tamlin is not a warrior at heart. He’s an artist at heart. He loves music and poetry. That’s the kind of mate he would attract. A mate that would enjoy dancing to his fiddle, would encourage his dream of being in a dance troop. She would be the balance. A mate that is his equal.

This particular commenter is going on about how he and feyres relationship was. Basically if he didn’t let feyre train (which isn’t true. We all know he would’ve let her do that if hybern wasn’t knocking, he’s offered to help her read etc.) like she’s basically saying he wasn’t adequate because he “failed” Feyre

She says Tamlin won’t have to worry about her. Tamlin said to feyre that his family were faster and stronger. They were easily killed by Rhys who has a lethal ability. So even if she trained to be a “samurai” she can still die and no relationship is without fear. So this particular commenter made no sense to me.

No shade to her (wait shade cus she’s a bit iffy in other enemy pages when it comes to tam 😂)

Anyway feyre was sorted after TO BE BRED because she’s female with so much power to pass on to sons. Mor, when she first bled the ground shook and she was shipped off to be bred. We see the happy go lucky loving gaze of Feyre and you automatically think you can just go about hitting your mate and high lord ? Even Feyre FEARS Rhysand. (I’ve made a post about this)

Remember how Tamlin has been purposely hiding his glow? Lucien does the same thing. A typical example was when he stopped cassian using his POWER, his CURRENCY. Cassian maybe a warrior but he doesn’t have MAGIC powerful enough.

I really hope I’m making sense here?

We women have read so many fantasy books and seen all pick up swords and fight in wars, female rage and think that’s it? Men have erased out history for we were the ones kings sorted wisdom form, we have crumpled empires and ruled many without needing to know how to fight.

So in my opinion: If Tamlin needs a mate, she should be dainty but witty. She should be older, wiser and well versed and knowledgeable of the fae and how dynamics work. She should be a highly good schemer lol she should be the one who plays in the court of whispers. A very good diplomat where Tamlin is a very very bad one lol. Emotionally: She should also be the calm before his storm. She should be emotionally intelligent. Hopefully not riddled with so much trauma (it gets exhausting) and above all she should be very very powerful.

Like this was another issue I had. What do you mean her being a warrior would bring them together emotionally? I won’t date a doctor because I am also a doctor?

🤣 a soilders bond? What? Tamlin is still a character people see as a tempramental warrior when in ACOTAR he’s showed time and time again how down to earth he is when there’s no wars and good people around him. Yes he’s too good to a fault but stop using the same old arguments of him having a temper to define him.

Again the world of prythian is not the same and this is why we are all here debating especially the fact that it doesn’t favor females especially feyre who has the illusion of freedom.

Prythian runs on the currency of power and high magics. Amarantha used it to ensalve the hls, king of hybern uses it to start a whole war… rhysand collecting all these powerful people into his IC. So it doesn’t matter if Tamlins partner picks up a sword if she’s not powerful it won’t matter how much he protects her or how much she trains. Tragedies would happen. Even feyre can be killed.

[thetriplets3]

Hi I have a request! In Taylor's new song there's lyrics "in the world of boys, he's a gentleman" could you do something about matt or chris with it??

❝𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧❞

matt was the first person to show me what love looked like. i had only been in one relationship that lasted 5 months then he “got bored” and started seeing someone before he even broke up with me.

i had my fair share of blind dates my friends insisted on setting me up with but none of them left me feeling loved. i always felt like an afterthought on these dates. they walk in the restaurant and head to a table leaving me trailing behind like a lost puppy. they’d spend the whole night talking themselves and finding a way to make it about them barely letting me get a word in, and they’d always ask for separate bills. those were the better of the dates. some of them would text me all day telling me how excited they were to see me and as soon as it came time for our date i was met with radio silence. i sat at countless tables repeatedly telling the server “he should be here soon”. i was embarrassed to be in this situation, especially since it isn’t the first time it’s happened.

there were plenty of times guys showed they were really just boys.

the last date i was on the guy wanted to take me to a fancy restaurant, saying i deserved to be given the best treatment. that was a lie. i’d been waiting in this high end restaurant alone for nearly an hour waiting. all my texts to him asking where he was got left on read. i was feeling self conscious, suddenly aware of everyone giving me pitiful looks, i don’t belong here i stand out like a sore thumb and it’s very obvious i’ve been stood up. my phone buzzed, causing me to immediately pick up my phone hoping he’d finally texted me back. a sigh escapes my lips when i see it’s a text from nick checking in on me.

nick

sooo how’s mr fancy treating you??

me

he ain’t shit. i’ve been waiting for him for almost an hour i feel like an animal at the zoo being stared at this is fucking embarrassing

nick

wtfff that’s horrible i’m so sorry. men suck

me

correction boys suck

nick

i say give him 20 minutes, if he doesn’t show up by then, leave

✿

~third person pov~

what she didn’t know is that nick had mentioned her situation to his brothers and without hesitation, matt headed to his room and changed into nicer clothes. nick and chris weren’t shocked when they saw matt all dressed up and heading out the door without a word. they know their brother would do anything for that girl, which is why he told her to wait, knowing matt would be there in minutes.

she has been by their side since grade 4. her and matt have always been closer than she was with the other boys. they were the perfect pair, they were meant for each other, just too shy to say anything. they didn’t need to admit anything though, their feelings showed through their actions.

matt pulled up to the restaurant and quickly made his way in scanning the dimly lit room for her beautiful face. within seconds his eyes meet her heartbroken face. he practically sprinted towards her, out of breath and ready with a fake excuse as to why he’s late.

hearing heavy quick steps in her direction, the girl whips head up only to be met with the person she really wanted to show up. a smile replaces her frown as she gets up, shimmying the hem off her dress down, and meets matt’s open arms.

“i’m so sorry i’m late, chris hurt himself so i had to bring him to the hospital. i would have texted you but my phone died and i was too panicked to try and call you” he says loud enough for people around to hear, before pulling her chair back to let her sit and tucking it in before seating himself. “once they saw chris i left and came straight here. i really didn’t mean to leave you alone for so long. i’m sorry love” he says, eyes boring into hers with sincerity.

“that’s okay you’re here now. i’m glad you were there to help him” the girl said, playing along with his story.

after finally eating, he paid for their meals and led her to the exit of the building with a gentle hand on her lower back. before heading outside he took off his jacket and put it on the girl.

“it’s cold out” he softly started, before holding the door open for her as she walks out the door with a true smile and a growing blush on her cheeks.

“thank you matt you didn’t have to do that. i was perfectly okay with leaving and getting an uber” she said as she gave him a hug and placed a delicate kiss to his cheek.

“you might have been okay with doing that but i’m not. you don’t deserve to get stood up and you got all dolled up i’d be mad at myself if i didn’t come here and just let you sit there even longer looking all pretty with no one there to appreciate you. i’d do anything for you in a heart beat, you know that” he said before holding her warm face in his hands, his eyes searching hers for approval. with a subtle nod and a glimmer in her eyes he wastes no time placing a sweet and loving kiss to her lips.

✿

~reader’s pov~

it wasn’t long after that night when matt asked me to be his girlfriend. he makes sure to show me everyday what it’s like to truly be loved. it’s the little things; subtly switching sides with me if we’re about to pass a group of creepy men or drunk boys; he’ll reach his hand behind him if he’s in the middle of a conversation or busy with something to hold my hand, letting me know he hasn’t forgotten about me; he always has extras of things i use often with him either in his car, his room or his backpack he’s got it. if my hairs bothering me and i forgot a hair clip or hair tie, he’s got one clipped to his bag and a hair tie around his wrist. if i need lip balm he’s got about 3 with him at any point, and he gets a taste of the strawberry lip balm each kiss, he can’t complain; knowing how clumsy and spatially unaware i am, any time i bend down to get something his hand is right there to stop me from bumping my head on it. he’ll brush my hair and attempt to braid it which usually ends up with him just playing with my hair, knowing how relaxing i find it. he can read me like a book he knows me better than anyone else and he’s always one step ahead of me, going that extra mile.

he makes me feel seen like no one has done before. i am his never ending thought, never an afterthought, like every boy made me feel like i was. matt has shown me what it’s like to be loved, i don’t know why i put up with being treated poorly for so long.

he’s a gentleman in a world full of boys

(not the lyrics but close enough)

taglist:

@antisocialties @iluvmatt @dwntwn-strnlo @fake-coolbeans @opheliaofficial07 @angelcake-222 @oneirophobic @strniolo @lollibumblebee @ssturniolo @20nugs @abbie13sworld @strniolo @luvsturniolo

[majaloveschris]

For CE, they couldn’t accept AB and that’s why the whole racism and problematic friends came into play so quickly after they went public. IMHo, the fandom needed a reason to dislike her even though she is easily able to be disliked even without her dumb friends tweets. She has no talent, no charisma, seemingly no work ethic, and is an obvious clout chaser with a very bizarre Lolita obsession and a weird obsession with older men.//

Maja I know you try to cultivate a space where everyone feels safe to express their opinion but this is absolutely insane. The implication here by saying “the racism came into play because the fandom needed a reason to dislike her” is that no one actually cares about her documented history of racist and white supremacist behavior. That the fandom only uses it as an excuse to hate because if they weren’t looking to hate her it would have been such a non issue. Yall are so nasty. I’ve been here since end of 2021, and I never really liked him until the pandemic. People didn’t know about any of that until November/December after the pap walk because the fandom didn’t actually go digging until then. The bread crumbling and everything leading up to SMA was a back and forth with the fandom bc he acted single the entire time! And THEN She posted a naked video of herself on Instagram to deflect. And the fandom is just making shit up to hate???? This is a slap in the face to every WOC in this fandom or was in this fandom.

Also to their point about “if she was his age posting Lolita shit would it still be a problem???” YES. ARE YOU INSANE. Having such a public platform catering to an age regressor kink for men is BAD. No matter how you try to spin it. Now we know it was because she was literally catering to clients who pay for her exclusive content (thanks chaturbate copyright!!!) but it literally doesn’t matter how old you are. Using the Lolita/leon/coquette aesthetic to sell sex is always objectively BAD.

This is exactly why I wanted to answer that ask, to let that person know that what they think is not true. Most people don't like her because of her personality and her behavior; that's it, and that's the truth. As I said before, I'm not saying that even if she was the sweetest and kindest human being who was around Chris's age, there wouldn't be people who hated her just because, but I also don't like when people downplay the things they've said and done and say the fans made it up or overreacted it. 

The reason why I didn't mention the whole timeline thing you did is because at the very beginning, most people didn't think it was real, and they were already mad at them for trolling a lot. And not so long after the pap walk, people found those things, so everything kind of merged together at the time. But I do agree that the main reason most people don't like her is because of her personality and because of her friends, and it's really sad people downplay the seriousness of it. 

She can do whatever with her body, but she shouldn't act like this innocent little girl. If you want to sell your videos online, do it; who cares? But then please, own it. And I hate this whole Lolita shit. It is so toxic and disgusting. 

[kaylorstree]

TTPD Gaylor Lyric Analysis

Because there are so many songs, I’m only analysing the gayest ones.

SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO POST THIS!!!!!!

But Daddy I Love Him

Possibly Taylor’s gayest song EVER.

‘These people only raise you to cage you’

A lot of this is about her team, handlers and parents wanting her to stay closeted.

‘These people try to save you because they hate you’

This references judgemental religious people, to whom if she ever came out would want to save her, and pray for her, out of faux concern.

‘Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best’

Again, religious Bible names, but also could reference American conservatives.

‘Told my parents and they came around’

This has to be about being gay. I really doubt her parents wouldn’t have a HUGE problem or be able to influence her that much in terms of problematic men, since she has dated many previously, such as John Mayer and Jake Gylenhall.

‘Tell him to floor it through the fences’

This references Getaway Car, but I also think it references the YNTCD fences, and the other fence meme.

‘I’d rather burn my whole life down’ Dating a man would never ‘burn down’ her entire life.

Down Bad

‘Crying at the gym’

Taylor and Karlie went to the gym all the time. There is so much photographic evidence of this.

Side note (which I think I have previously posted about): I’ve always found it odd how they would be so dressed up for the gym, particularly Taylor. It makes me think they were having lunch or hanging out in secret, for some privacy from the paparazzi maybe?

‘Like I just lost my twin’

Do I really need to elaborate this line?

‘Fuck it if I can’t have him’

I genuinely see no way Taylor couldn’t date any man she really wanted. The only way she REALLY couldn’t have someone would have to be a HUGE reason.

‘Did you take all my old clothes, just to leave me here naked and alone?’

A man wouldn’t take a woman’s clothes, Also, Taylor and Karlie shared a load of clothes back in the day.

Guilty As Sin?

The religious undertones continue, along with the references to heaven and angels.

‘Written mine on my upper thigh, only in my mind’

‘What if the way you hold me, is the thing that’s holy’

‘Without touching his skin, how can I be guilty as sin’

Surely it isn’t a sin by any standards to THINK about having sex with a man? But a woman, YES.

‘I keep my longest locked, in lower case inside a vault’.

This was suggest she has repressed longings she needs to hide, but also suggests ‘loml’ and ‘iwannagetyouback’ are important to listen to and decipher.

Fresh Out The Slammer

‘Fresh out the slammer, I’m running back home to you’

This suggests being imprisoned or trapped. To consider a 6 year relationship as being a prison would be offensive to Joe, but would make sense if this was just another fake relationship she’s trapped in until she can finally be with the person she has been waiting for.

Clara Bow

‘You look like Stevie Nicks, in ‘75, the hair and lips’

At first I didn’t understand why this reference jumped out at me- I then realised that there was this tweet comparing Karlie to Steve Nicks’ ex, Linsday Buckingham.

‘You look like Clara Bow in this life, remarkable’

She sings about women and their features throughout this song.

‘Half moonshine, full eclipse’

Karlie is always referred to the sunshine, hiding the sun would be an eclipse.

Peter

‘In closets like cedar, preserved from when we were just kids’

‘You said you were gonna grow up, then you were gonna come find me’

This suggests waiting for someone when they can finally be together.

‘As the men masqueraded, I hope you’d return’

Men masquerading suggests acting or pretending, just as her beards have been until she can be in a real relationship with the person she actually wants to be with.

iwannagetyouback

‘Wait til you fix your face’

Only a girl would need to fix their face. This also aligns with The 1975 song ‘Girls’, the one that was playing when Taylor and Karlie famously kissed.

‘Curse you out, or pull you into the closet’

I mean, again, when does someone ever literally pull some into a closet? Only figuratively.

Chloe Or Sam Or Sophia Or Marcus

The premise of the song is talking about someone bisexual. It’s impossible to decipher it any other way.

So, she’s outing and implicating one of her previous boyfriends which would be EXTREMELY problematic.

On the other hand, if she was singing about a bisexual woman, that would make sense. There is less stigma surrounding bisexual women compared to men, by some extent.

The Prophecy

‘Don’t want money, just someone who really loves me’

Again, this doesn’t make sense to attribute to a man. Why would she lose money by being in a relationship? Only if it was incredibly controversial, like a queer one.

Also, ‘The Prophecy’ suggests that this is the way things have to be, have been and will be. However, if she changes this it will not be expected for others in the future.

‘I got cursed like Eve got bitten’

‘Was it punishment?’

This alludes once again to sin and religious imagery, but also about how being LGBT can feel like a curse or something unwanted.

‘Looked to the sky’

This suggests God is responsible for the prophecy itself.

‘Pat around when I get home’ alludes to crime and accusations. Perhaps growing up her family were maybe onto her concerning where she’s been and who she’s been with.

Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?

‘You don’t get to tell me about sad’

‘You wouldn’t last a year in the asylum where they raised me’

As discussed online, Taylor didn’t grow up with any particular trauma or a bad childhood by any stretch of the imagination. However, the concept of her being closeted on a global scale, to constantly having to lie in order to keep her livelihood is pretty traumatic in my opinion.

A lot of people wouldn’t be able to survive that.

Please tell me what your interpretations are! 🌼🌈

[stellarspecter]

STWG Daily Prompt 12/5/24: Smash or Pass

wc: 871 | pairing: spicy six + chrissy | rating: T | divider by @adornedwithlight

read on ao3

“Smash or pass, uhhhh,” Robin says, wracking her brain to think of a good competitor. They’ve been at it for a while now, and she’s historically bad at coming up with questions. “Eddie.”

Eddie shoots up from where he was laying upside down from an armchair, nearly falling off in the process. “Me?!”

Robin nods with a mischievous grin. “You.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “That’s a stupid one, but go ahead, I guess. I suppose I’ll abstain from voting for this round.”

Robin looks expectantly at their friends gathered around the circle. “Well?”

Argyle is the first one to respond, thinking about it for a moment and then giving it a shrug. “Smash.”

Eddie’s eyes widen, but he acts cool about it. Or at least tries to. “Woah, really man?”

“Why not, brochacho? I feel like it’d be a good time.” Argyle doesn’t seem pressed about it, so Eddie tries to follow suit.

“Smash.” Jonathan is the next to join in, sitting next to Argyle, eyes red.

That one, Eddie’s surprised by. “Really, Jonny-boy? I thought you were more into strong independent women.”

Jonathan blushes a little. “Well, like Argyle said, why not?”

Eddie blinks. “Guess so.” He looks to the next person in the circle — the strong independent woman in question. “Nance?”

She hums thoughtfully. “Hmm. Smash.”

“Wh— you?” Eddie looks down at himself in shock. 

Nancy just smiles. “I’ve heard good things about guitarists and their fingers.”

Oh. Well, that makes a little more sense. He waggles his eyebrows at her. “They’re not wrong.”

Nancy laughs and looks expectantly at the next person: Chrissy. She blushes — she’s been blushing this whole game, but especially now that the person they’re talking about is right there — and gives him a small smile. “Um, smash.”

“Chrissy Cunningham!” Eddie gasps, pressing a hand to his chest in astonishment. “A nice young lady with a bad boy like me, imagine how they’d talk!”

She giggles. She’s always amused by his dramatics. “Well, sorry for thinking you’re cute!”

Now, that gives Eddie pause. That sounds real. “Cute?”

“I mean, yeah,” she says, playing with a loose strand of hair. “You’ve got those big eyes, and your hair is nice, and I like the way you talk.”

Eddie doesn’t know what to say. “Oh.”

“Okay, last one!” Robin says, rescuing either of them from having to say anything else. They break eye contact, both of their cheeks flushed. 

“Wait, you’re not gonna go?” Eddie asks.

Robin mimes retching. “You’re asking the lesbian that? Pass, Munson.” Eddie laughs. He shouldn’t have expected anything less. “Last one Steve, come on!” She says, hitting Steve in the arm where she’s sitting next to him.

Steve startles, blinking awake from where he had been zoned out. “Oh, it’s me already?”

Robin rolls her eyes. “Yes, dingus. Now, Eddie, smash or pass?”

“Oh, easy,” Steve starts, and Eddie relaxes. This one’s a gimme. There’s no way Ladies’ Man Harrington is going to say — “Smash.”

Eddie gapes. “What.”

Steve snorts. “You can’t tell me you’re surprised, dude, you’ve seen yourself.”

Eddie looks down at himself, just to double-check that he hasn’t been bodyswapped with someone else in the last ten minutes. “Apparently not the way that you see me.”

“If it helps, I don’t see it either,” Robin tells him. “You look like a wet rat.”

Eddie laughs. “I guess everyone here just likes their men pathetic, then.”

And it’s weird to acknowledge out loud that all of his friends would fuck him if given the opportunity.

…Should he give them the opportunity?

He lounges back in the armchair, spreading his legs a little wider. “So, you all want a ride on the Munson Mobile, huh?”

Nancy wrinkles her nose. “Only if you never call it that again.”

Eddie laughs. “An easy bargain, milady. Deal.” He does a fake little bow, which is hard when sitting down.

“It’s kinda funny that we all have the same taste,” Steve says. “What are the odds?”

“What are the odds, indeed?” Eddie muses. He sits up a little straighter and looks around the circle. “You know, all you had to do was ask.”

“Wait, are you serious?” Jonathan asks. 

Eddie shrugs, trying to look nonchalant. “Yeah, man. You’re all hot. Who am I to turn down an opportunity this good? I’m already lucky enough that you all like this ugly mug, but to have you all in the same place, admitting it?” He shakes his head. “I gotta say, kinda feels like this might be a dream.”

Steve knee-walks over to his chair and steps between his legs, putting his hands on his knees. Jesus Christ, these people are gonna kill him. “It’s not a dream,” he tells him. “It’s real. And we’d be lucky to have a chance with you too.”

“You have one,” Eddie breathes, and before he knows it he’s leaning down to kiss Steve.

He vaguely hears catcalling in the background, but he’s too distracted by Steve’s lips to pay it much thought. When they finally break away, he looks over to find the rest of his friends avidly watching. 

Steve is the one who smiles and says, “Who’s going next?”

Suffice it to say, Eddie’s never had a better night.

[yzy-dragon]

I absolutely ADORED S2E9 "Three Stories" of Link Click and was a bit surprised to see the discontent here on Tumblr, and I totally understand the reasons why people didn't like it, especially in the context of the pacing of the rest of S2 (which I also have some opinions on but I won't talk about that here), but I also felt the need to just get my heart out why I love it so much. A bit of background, I'm Chinese American but have lived in and visited China numerous times.

Music and theater. As a western classical musician and an amateur Chinese opera singer enthusiast (I saw someone else post about the possible inspo this episode got from Chinese opera), I VIBED with the artistic direction of this episode SO much. The three-part structure was almost like a sonata/symphony (and remember that one scene where Qian Jin was air-conducting in a previous episode!!) or scene changes in a Chinese opera. Nothing needs to be said about the animation style that hasn't been said already, but I like how scenes from the three individual "stories" were interwoven and reused like leitmotifs. Especially that crazy, tortured laughter. Idk if any of the parallels were intentional on the part of the director, but it's what I got from it due to my personal experiences. I know that's a highly subjective takeaway though, which brings me to my next point....

Qian Jin's "tragic" backstory. I know a lot of people were upset that the extent of Qian Jin's tragic backstory was "oh his wife cheated on him", but I think the "basicness" of his struggles was the whole point (by the way, this segment displayed various attitudes towards work, family, marriage, individual pride, and life in mainland China so subtly but so well!). I also don't think sympathy was the main thing we were supposed to feel for him, although of course there is some. The whole "tragicomedy" aspect of Qian Jin's story is that it's not some horrible, terrible, rare thing that happened to him, but a common problem faced by so many hardworking but busy married men trying to provide for their families: infidelity. But Qian Jin sees himself as the main character of an elaborate play that rivals the great dramatic classics (which, funnily enough, often depicted very DRAMATIZED versions of a rather basic series of events). And his viewpoint is validated when....

Qian Jin meets the twins. That segment is still largely from Qian Jin's perspective, because we still don't really know how LTC and LTX even feel about him. But for Qian Jin, it's a stroke of fate and fortune that could only possibly happen in theater. He's very far removed from reality at this point. Reality is that a cop whose job it is to investigate violent crime comes across two kids who are the victims of a violent crime. Again, nothing particularly special or even coincidential. It's comical like that.

The fairy tale section.  Unlike the first two, I think this segment is from Xixi’s perspective, which not only justifies the cartoony artstyle but also makes it heartbreaking, due to her childlike innocence.  Like Qian Jin, she also perceives her reality as something it’s not, but unlike him, she doesn’t have delusions of grandeur of being a tragic protagonist.  It’s just a little fox trying to survive in a forest full of predators and hunters.  

All that tortured laughter. I’ve actually noticed in a lot of Chinese media that they like to use laughter as a way of signifying a person’s complete mental breakdown due to the tragedies they’ve suffered.  It’s a very internal thing that has people on the outside going, “WTF?”  In this episode we have a lot of characters crazily laughing together at the same time and it seems like they’re relating to each other, but in reality they’re all trapped in their own nightmarish hells and motivated by selfish purposes. 

Back to the topic of Qian Jin, even though he (innaccurately) may see himself as the hero of his own story, it's not enough for him. He wants to use Cheng Xiaoshi to change the past. He wants to become the director of the play.

I know a lot of people were disappointed this episode didn't advance the plot, especially in regard to Cheng Xioashi and Lu Guang's storylines, but I was actually prepared for a backstory episode and couldn't have been more satisfied. Again, I have other opinions on the rest of S2 but at least standalone, I think this episode was nearly perfect. And I really wasn't expecting this, but it's really elevated Qian Jin to one of my top characters.

[reinadelvudu]

As a Gambit fan, I’ve never been so salty about Romy in my life. (This is going to come across very anti Rogue, very sorry I know she’s your fav but I need this off my chest)

After their wedding you’d think things would get better but they never did, if anything it’s worse. He’s made to be comic relief and an overall joke for Rogue and that’s just not Gambit. He’s incompetent every time he’s with her and it’s gross. Over the last few Rogue and Gambit runs it’s clear as day she doesn’t love or respect him, she’s written like she hates him and that’s her husband? Nope. He needs to be free of her. He’s had so many fantastic relationships with people who genuinely like him, who are friends with him. Rogue and Gambit have only ever had sexual tension and pointless drama. They had their roll in the hay, tried the whole relationship for waaaaaay too long and it didn’t work. Romy is a toxic mess. Them being married hasn’t sloved it, nothing will. Gambit deserves better. She doesn’t love him and she never will. She doesn’t respect him or care about him unless he’s with someone else or in the ‘97 case, dead then she’s all about “her man”.

Gambit should be with someone who cares for him as a person not just as a sexy toy to parade around. He needs a healthy loving relationship and Rogue isn’t it. Not to mention all the mess with Mystique. When has Rogue ever defended him from her? Her mother has tried to kill him and has even sexually assaulted him yet that’s all in the past to play happy families for Rogue, Mystique still bitches and hates on him and now her wife does too and all we have from Rogue is “She’s my mama you have to trust her” YUCK! The trauma that man has been through for Rogue is horrendous. Roles reversed Gambit would be cancelled but Rogue’s a hot woman so fans think it’s cool to be abusive to your partner.

It feels like Romy fans are actually just Rogue fans because Remy is treated like dirt and that’s celebrated. They’re (not all of them, some ship and let ship and can appreciate the flaws in both characters and all of the writing) genuinely the worst comic fans in Marvel history, I think you’re the first Romy fan I haven’t blocked because you get his character. It’s so disheartening to see one of the best and most underrated characters used like a sex toy and a verbal punching bag. Justice for Remy because wheeew! Marvel won’t give it to him.

Rogue is my favorite female character BUT Gambit is above all, I would kill and die for him. So your verbal diarrhea is totally welcome. There's not much I can contribute because you've said it all and it's (sadly) true. But I will highlight two things: ''Roles reversed Gambit would be cancelled but Rogue's a hot woman so fans think it's cool to be abusive to your partner.'' ''It feels like Romy fans are actually just Rogue fans because Remy is treated like dirt and that's celebrated.'' Although writers/director are to blame for warping both characters every chance they get and not knowing how to write a mature couple, I too always felt that it's part of Rogue being a bitch to Gambit, it's something she can't seem to help. In the case of x men'97 I would like that from season 2 and until the definitive end of the series, they stay apart, just as teammates. I think it's the best and the fairest thing to do. As for the comics, I honestly can't think of anyone Remy could be in a serious relationship with. Well, not that he should be with anyone. I've been wanting to see him solo for a long time, just him on his own adventures, more of the guild, etc.

[honeydippedfiction]

Behind The Chaos

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Requested by @wrestlingbaby

Jon Moxley had long been an enigma to AEW fans. The rugged, unpredictable force in the ring, with his chaotic energy and blood-soaked intensity, often made it seem as though nothing could penetrate the hard shell he’d built around himself. But when he met Y/N, that shell began to crack in the most unexpected ways. 

Y/N wasn’t just another AEW wrestler—she was an unstoppable force of joy, with a contagious energy that seemed to light up every room she walked into. She had that rare ability to make people feel comfortable, to make them laugh even on their toughest days. It didn’t take long for her to catch Jon’s eye, but it took even less time for him to find himself drawn to her.  

At first, Jon was skeptical. He wasn’t exactly someone who gravitated toward TikTok stardom or prank videos. But when Y/N, with her infectious grin and mischievous sparkle in her eyes, asked him to join her in one of her ridiculous skits, he found himself agreeing—begrudgingly, of course.  

"Come on, Mox," she’d said, dragging him away from the locker room. "Just one video. It’ll be fun! I promise." 

Jon crossed his arms, giving her a side-eye that could have frozen lava. "I don’t do TikTok. I barely know what that even is. And no dances. I swear to God, if you try to make me do a dance challenge, we’re done." 

Y/N laughed, pulling out her phone and swiping through a list of viral pranks. "No dancing, I promise. Just... one little prank. That’s all I need. And then you can go back to your mysterious, brooding thing. Deal?" 

Jon hesitated. He could already feel himself getting roped in by her energy, despite his better judgment. "Fine. But I swear, if this goes south, I’m leaving you in the ring next time. Alone." 

"Deal," she said, her eyes practically sparkling. "You're gonna love it." 

--- 

I had no idea how this was going to go, but I knew it was going to be hilarious. Jon Moxley—the guy who could make grown men quake in their boots with just a glare—was going to help me prank some unsuspecting AEW talent. And, maybe, if I played my cards right, I’d be able to make a TikTok that’d go viral. I had the whole scenario planned out in my head. 

"Okay, here’s the deal," I told Jon as we slipped backstage to where the cameras were hidden, "I’m gonna pretend to be super mad at you, but I need you to look really, really upset. Like, you're about to go full-on angry Moxley mode. Can you do that?" 

He raised an eyebrow, his face a perfect mask of indifference. "Mad? At me? For what?" 

I shrugged dramatically, trying to keep a straight face. "Who cares? We’ll make it up as we go. Just... look mad at me. Real mad. You can’t break character, okay?" 

Jon let out a dry chuckle. "Yeah, I’ve got the ‘mad’ part down. Trust me." 

As I started the camera, I stormed up to him, face twisted in mock indignation. "Moxley! I’ve had enough of you acting like you're the only one who knows how to do this job! Seriously, do you even take me seriously? You’ve been walking around like the locker room’s your personal punching bag! What the hell is wrong with you?" 

He stood there for a moment, dead silent, his arms crossed over his chest. I could see the little smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, but he wasn’t giving me the satisfaction of breaking character.  

"What the hell is this about?" he asked flatly, completely unaffected by my dramatic outburst. 

I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. "I swear, Moxley, you’ve got to get it together. You’re impossible to work with!" 

Jon didn’t respond. He just stared at me, his expression stone-cold. 

I was barely holding it together. It was so hard to keep the prank going when his deadpan reactions were so perfect. Finally, I burst out laughing, dropping my angry persona entirely. "Gotcha! It was a joke. You should see your face right now!" 

Jon blinked, then, as if on cue, cracked the faintest smile—just enough to make the fans behind the camera lose it. 

"You’re unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head.  

"Yeah," I said with a grin, "but you love it." 

He didn’t answer. But when I checked the footage, I knew I had something gold. His expression had been perfect, like a stone wall, and when it cracked, it was only for the briefest moment. That was Jon Moxley: tough as nails, but you could never fully break him, not even with the silliest prank.  

--- 

Despite his initial reluctance, Jon found himself getting caught up in Y/N's world. The pranks, the playful banter, the ridiculous TikToks—it became a regular part of their lives. Jon didn’t talk much about it to anyone else, but when the cameras were on, and Y/N was coaxing him into another video, he couldn’t help but give in. There was something about the way she lit up whenever he played along that made it hard to resist.  

One day, Y/N had an idea for a viral dance trend—one that was way outside Jon’s comfort zone. It was a simple two-step with an exaggerated hip wiggle. She was all in, excited to get it perfect, but Jon was... less than enthusiastic.  

"Y/N," Jon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as she played the music in the background. "You do realize I’ve never danced in my life, right?" 

She tilted her head, giving him a sly smile. "You’re a natural, Mox. Just follow my lead. Trust me. We’re gonna make history." 

Jon narrowed his eyes, clearly skeptical. "I’m pretty sure history doesn’t need me looking like a damn fool." 

But when the beat dropped, and Y/N flashed him that mischievous grin, Jon found himself... moving. Reluctantly at first. Then, in spite of himself, he caught the rhythm. Y/N was right—he had that natural swagger, even if it was a little stiff at first. And the more they danced, the more he let go, until, for a fleeting moment, he wasn’t “Jon Moxley, the unbreakable wrestler.” He was just a guy in a goofy TikTok, dancing with his girlfriend.  

"See?" Y/N teased, twirling with a laugh. "Told you you had it in you." 

Jon gave her an exaggerated glare, his trademark smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "You’ve got one more chance to pull this crap again, and I’m leaving you on the ring apron." 

"Uh-huh, sure," she said with a wink. "You love it." 

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, trying to suppress his own grin as she filmed the final part of the dance. "But don’t expect me to do it again." 

As the video went live, it exploded across the internet. Fans couldn’t get enough of the big, tough Jon Moxley breaking down his tough-guy persona just enough to show a different side of himself—the one that let himself have a little fun, especially with Y/N.  

--- 

The thing with Jon is, he’s not just this tough, brooding guy who will stare you down and make you nervous. He’s also the guy who will help me prank a whole locker room, let me drag him into my latest TikTok idea, and get so invested in it that, by the end of it, he’s the one laughing. Sure, he pretends to hate it sometimes—he’ll claim he’s not cut out for it, that dancing and pranking aren’t his thing—but deep down, I know he loves the moments we get to just be ourselves, goofy and ridiculous.  

I can’t help but feel like we’ve created our own little world, a place where we balance out each other’s extremes. He brings that edge, that calm in the chaos, and I bring the chaos. And together, we’re unstoppable.  

So, yeah, Jon Moxley may never admit it, but he’s my partner in crime—and that’s a role he’s going to be stuck with forever. 

--- 

Despite Jon’s usual resistance to the chaos of social media, the TikTok videos continued to roll in, gaining more and more traction each time. The fans adored it. The sight of Jon Moxley, AEW’s resident wild man, doing a goofy dance or playing along with Y/N’s ridiculous pranks, was a breath of fresh air. It wasn’t just that people found it entertaining; there was something about seeing the tough guy loosen up, his walls coming down, that made the whole thing even more endearing. 

On any given day, backstage at AEW, Y/N could be seen with her phone in hand, buzzing with excitement, trying to convince Jon to join her for the next big video. And though he grumbled and acted like he couldn’t possibly be bothered, she knew better. Deep down, she knew he was just as hooked on their little world as she was. Their relationship—unconventional, unpredictable, and full of laughter—had grown to become something they both cherished. 

--- 

Somehow, I had totally underestimated how much fun Jon and I would have together. I mean, yeah, I knew he was funny in his own way—his dry, sarcastic humor was a hit with me—but I hadn’t anticipated him actually getting into the whole TikTok thing. Like, seriously, if you told me a year ago that Jon Moxley would be filming a goofy skit with me in the AEW locker room, I would've laughed in your face. 

This morning, though, I could see the wheels turning in his head. He was actually considering one of my latest ideas—a "prank wars" challenge, where we filmed ourselves pranking one another for a full week, and the loser had to do a ridiculous dare. He’d been quiet all morning, nursing his coffee, staring at me over the top of his cup like I was about to present the worst idea in history.  

I could feel the tension before I even opened my mouth.  

“Come on, Jon,” I pleaded, leaning on the table where he was sitting. "Think about it. We could totally make it hilarious! You’d get to prank me back, which I know you’ve been dying to do." 

Jon just gave me a look—one of those “Are you serious?” looks that made me laugh even harder. "I’m not gonna prank you, Y/N. You’re the one with all the tricks. I’m just here to watch you embarrass yourself." 

I pouted, crossing my arms. “You know you want to. How about this: If I win, you have to post a solo dance video. No excuses." 

His eyes narrowed at the suggestion. "Dance video? With me?" 

"Yep!" I said, completely unfazed. "You’ll have to do a challenge, just you. No ‘helping’ you, no ‘I’m too tired,’ none of that. It’s a solo gig. I’ll even help you pick the song!" 

Jon stared at me for a moment, the skepticism on his face so apparent that I nearly cracked. "You’re gonna regret that. The second I beat you, you’re gonna have to do two dares, and they’re gonna be worse than anything you can think of." 

I grinned, already plotting my revenge. "Deal. And if you lose, I get to pick your dare. And trust me, it’ll be something epic." 

Jon let out a low sigh, like he’d been suckered into something he couldn't back out of now. "Fine. But if you prank me with something ridiculous again, you’re dead to me." 

"You say that now," I teased, tapping the top of his head as I stood up. "But we both know you secretly love it." 

--- 

The pranks escalated over the next few days, each one more outlandish than the last. Y/N had a gift for finding the little things that made Jon tick—his dislike for cold water, his intolerance for spicy food, and his general preference for not being bothered. Each time, he played along, his gruff exterior hiding the amusement in his eyes. 

The pranks became a playful battleground. On the fourth day, Jon retaliated with his own bit of sabotage. Y/N was about to film a harmless dance challenge when she realized the music was gone. In its place was an audio clip—of her own voice, mocking herself, playing on a loop. 

“Wait—what the hell?” she exclaimed, looking around the room for Jon. 

Jon’s laugh rang out from the corner, where he was pretending to be busy with a phone call. “Thought you might like my remix,” he said, his smirk wide and unapologetic. “It’s a work in progress.” 

"You—" Y/N started, but she couldn’t hold it in. The laughter bubbled up uncontrollably as she lunged for him. "I swear to God, Mox, this is war. I’m picking the next prank. And you're gonna regret it." 

Jon just shook his head, feigning exhaustion. "I’ll be sleeping with one eye open, then." 

--- 

Jon had definitely upped his game with that prank, but I wasn’t going to let it slide. No way. I had a new idea in mind, something that would blow him out of the water. The thing was, Jon was relentless when it came to these pranks. He never seemed to tire of them, which only made me want to try harder. But as we approached the final day of our challenge, something shifted. 

We were getting ready for a big AEW show, and I noticed Jon looking unusually... calm. He wasn’t as excited to pull pranks anymore, and for a second, I wondered if maybe I’d pushed him too hard.  

“Hey,” I said, sliding into the seat next to him as he laced up his boots. “You okay? You seem... off today.” 

Jon glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "I’m fine. Just... focused." 

But that didn’t sound like the Jon I knew. Usually, he was all jokes, all laughs. Something was bothering him. “Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything, right?” 

He shrugged, still not looking at me. "I know. Just thinking about the match tonight. That’s all." 

I frowned, leaning forward a little, my voice softening. "You know, you don’t have to hide behind that... ‘tough guy’ persona all the time. You don’t have to be all business, Jon. Not with me. We can take a break from the wrestling world, just for a minute. Let’s enjoy this. Let’s enjoy us." 

Jon’s gaze softened when he looked at me, and I could tell he appreciated my words, even if he didn’t say it out loud. "I know. I’m just... trying to keep my head in the game, you know? I can’t turn it off when I need to." 

I smiled gently, brushing my fingers against his. "You don’t have to be perfect all the time. You’re already more than enough." 

His hand tightened around mine, his eyes locking with mine. There was a sincerity there, something raw and genuine that I didn’t see too often. “You really think so?” 

I nodded. “Yeah. You’re perfect to me.” 

He let out a breath, as if he’d been holding it in for too long, and for a moment, the tough exterior cracked—just for a second, but enough for me to see that underneath it all, he was just as vulnerable as anyone else. And that, I realized, was what made him so special.  

Jon Moxley might have been a warrior in the ring, but in my world, he was just Jon. And that was enough for both of us. 

[introvertedandscared]

i was recently given a writing prompt simply titled 'blue' on an online forum i use, and wanted to try my hand at doing something for it.

i'm actually really proud of it- i dont know if its my best work, it always feels that way after i make something new, but it was really therapeutic to write and hey, practice makes perfect. ill never be any good if i dont work towards it.

this piece is an expression of my gender and identity, told through a narrative perspective. most of these events are either heavily fictionalised or not actual events in my life, and i'm unsure if the main character is actually me or not, but it is heavily related to my personal thoughts, feelings, and history.

its about 959 words, a short read, enjoy! and keep an eye out for more writing on this blog if you liked this ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊

Blue

My favourite shirt is blue. Not a bright, attention-catching blue, but a soft one. Like blue hydrangeas. That’s not why it’s my favourite—I don’t even like the colour blue all that much—but it’s what everyone notices about it. When my mother comes into my room and asks for the laundry, she’ll point out ‘the blue one that you wear all the time’. When my friends and I are coordinating our Halloween plans, they ask to borrow my blue shirt for their costume. My brother will tell me that my blue shirt has somehow ended up in his closet. I’ve come to think of it more as a title than anything else. My Blue Shirt. All words capitalised, because they are important.

The reason it’s my favourite shirt is because it’s mine. I bought it with my own money—I had a whole 15 bucks I’d earned from babysitting—at the small thrift store on the corner after school on a Tuesday. It had been the first thing I’d picked up off the rack, not even checking the price or size. I had a curfew, and I knew that if I didn’t buy something that afternoon, I never would. I was 12, and the shirt I grabbed was 3 sizes too large, but I didn't care. I wanted it.

I still remember the woman behind the counter that day. She was probably middle-aged. At the time, I was transfixed by strands of her greying hair. She seemed radiant and wise. Untouchable. She was beautiful.

When I laid the shirt out in front of her, she looked directly at me for the first time since I’d entered the store, an amused expression playing across her face.

“You know this is for a man, right?” She asked, taking in my short stature, my girlish pigtails and sport shorts. My t-shirt that had recently started clinging to all the wrong places on me. I hated my clothes; my mother bought them all. She asked me for my opinion, sometimes, but I was only ever given the option to choose between the lesser of two evils. This shirt or that one. Those skirts or these jeans. Lately, I’d just let her take over completely, letting my eyes wander through the aisles while she shopped. No matter what store we were in, my gaze would always land on the men's section. I always let it linger for a second too long.

“It’s… for my brother. Last minute costume change for his, um, dance team. He needs something blue,” I mumbled through my excuse, terrified the woman would question me more, but she’d already started ringing my purchase up. The bubble of hope that had been growing in my chest ever since I’d ridden my bike out of the school gates that afternoon finally burst, into something bright and fiery and right. Something completely new. 

Later, at home, I tried the shirt on in front of my mirror. It reached down to my knees and looked utterly ridiculous, but it also didn’t hug my torso and hips trying to accentuate not yet existent curves. It made my body little more than a formless mass of cloth.

Five minutes after I put it on, my brother walked by my bedroom door. He took one look at me and laughed, and I laughed with him. He said I looked ‘stupid as shit’—words I still found scandalous at that time—and I’d agreed, but once he left I couldn’t bring myself to reach my own eyes in my reflection. I was scared of what I’d see. 

It’s been four years, and I still have that shirt. I’m wearing it now, bent low over the bathroom sink, scissors clutched tightly in my left hand, watching my hair swirl down the drain. I feel bile rising up in my throat at the sight, but it’s not from… disgust or panic. It’s- fear. I am scared to see myself. I am scared to know, because once I do there is no going back. It may not seem like it, but I am not one to dwell on the past. I live in the now. The now where I have just sheared away all of my hair at 3 AM, in the house my great-grandparents built with their own two hands. I wonder if they would be disappointed in me.

I don’t know if my mother will be mad—it’s hard to tell with her—maybe she’ll scold me, or laugh and schedule an appointment to get the mess I’ve made fixed, or maybe she’ll reach out, eyes soft. Maybe she’ll finally see me.

But I need to see myself first. I have been blind for far too long.

I steel myself—taking a sharp, shuddering inhale of air—and look up into the face of the mirror before me. I look up, and it feels like the final piece slots into place. The final piece of a puzzle I’ve been trying to solve for four years. For my whole life. 

The face staring back at me is no longer a reflection but a reality; the burning feeling in the centre of me flaring to life, consuming everything I thought I was.

I press a gentle hand to my chest, pressing down the two masses of fat and connective tissue that have always seemed to burden me more than my peers. I let the folds of blue obscure them until it almost looks as though they are not there. I wish more than anything that they weren’t.

I take myself in, gaze reverent and disbelieving.

My blue shirt is my favourite shirt, because unlike all my others, it fits perfectly. Ever since I first bought it, it has fit perfectly.

[the5thcellar]

Hi, I recently stumbled upon your blog and I am so glad I did! While I’m very sorry for all the troll hate you’ve received, I like the sassy way you’re handling them. I’m trying to find the humor in why so many people are pressed and feel like they need to defend something that you haven’t even denied is real. And just because you have a different opinion, they cannot handle it. Reading your responses, and reading the responses of other people with whom I share similar sentiments, has made me laugh and feel better over the last week. I’ve been desperately trying to find other posts/people that have similar vibes because this whole… situation-ship has been a bit much. I also appreciate your reminder that “no matter how good a man seems, trying to justify anything they do is still a sure path to disappointment!” 

I was wondering if you had any thoughts about Luke’s social media lately? I’ve read some points about how messy his social media presence has been handled (or mishandled) over the past year+ and how it did not help with the way everything played out. Also, I feel like he’s either turned on notifs for Nic because he’s been very diligent about liking all her posts, or maybe, he’s finally gotten a team to handle it. I just feel like everyone is in crisis comms mode, trying to wrangle back control. Just genuinely curious because it’s what I’ve been pondering over for the last day or two. Thank you in advance for your time if you answer my ask!

I'm so sorry this took me awhile - I started replying it in the morning on the way to work but decided I needed to gather my thoughts more.

To the first part: I completely empathise with how the entire situation has just been so "much" - it really has. It seems so silly, but somehow, whether or not two people I DON'T KNOW are in love or not in love, are best friends or are not best friends - can affect so much of my mental and emotional wellbeing.

I know I'm being parasocial (it seems to be the internet buzzword of the moment). But let's be clear: almost EVERYONE online - everyone who has written in to my ask box, who has commented, who has liked - everyone on twitter and tiktok who has talked about this - they're all just as parasocial. Because we're all assuming and casting aspersions on people we do not personally know. No one online who engages in discourse has the moral or ethical high ground. We are ALL in the gutter together (that said - I believe the gutter has many levels 😂).

IN ANY CASE - I just want to assure you that what you're feeling is not some atypical affliction. It is normal to feel awful that something you believed in and something you felt happy about is untrue. It is normal to look for other people who feel the same because misery is always better with company. It is normal to feel disappointed even as you remind yourself that men have been useless since the dawn of time.

The best counter to all these sad, awful feelings is to remember that life is a cycle. That life is complex. And although I'm saying this for the millionth time - that life has many, many grey areas.

As a kid I thought Zanessa was everything. Then they broke up, and she got together with Austin whom I hated. For years I seethed at the very mention of them. And after almost a decade... they also broke up. And not even 2 years after that, she's married and with child.

For a long time I also thought Brangelina was everything - you can't imagine my devastation when they divorced and I found out Brad is a complete dirtbag. But at the same time that I felt this horrible upset - I'm sure TONS of other people were feeling vindicated because they were fans of Jen A.

There are just SO MANY other stories like that. I mean come on - JLo and Ben Affleck. On again, off again, finally made it to the altar ... and now they're headed for divorce.

Chris and Mariska - both married to other people for 27 bloody years (or maybe longer) - and still making it very clear they are each others soulmates - and NOT platonic ones btw.

Tony and Kerry - WHAT EVEN ARE THEY? Perhaps the only pair on the internet that has people rooting for cheating and affairs 😂

Lessons: don't let a long term boyfriend stop you from finding a husband. Don't let a husband stop you from finding your soulmate. Don't let your soulmate stop you from engaging in a late, great love affair.

All crazy, contradicting statements distilled from all the above real life stories.

It makes one thing very clear to me: I can believe what I want to believe about Luke and Nicola. Because no one fucking knows what is in the future. They could get together next month. Next year. When they're in their 70s. No one can tell me SHIT about what I believe - not when life is clearly full of incredible twists and turns.

So fuck it. Fuck the haters and the antis and the naysayers. I can ship them till the day I die and no one can tell me any different. Because how could they? They literally canNOT !

To the second part: this is an easy answer and there's no need to think too much into it. Luke's social media has simply undergone an extensive renovation by his agents and team in anticipation of him becoming a big star (whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen). All highly personal, "non-aesthetic" posts of his have been archived - his posts are all related to work and his coworkers. He has many posts with Nicola because he / his team knows those get the most engagement - and the more engagement he gets, the better the IG algorithm works in his favour to push his OTHER, non-Nicola or Bridgerton related posts to people's feeds. I don't think anyone is in crisis comms mode tbh. Maybe Nicola panicked a bit after she posted that tiktok that everyone took wildly out of context. But beyond that I don't think the wider audience gives af who he's dating - it seems like his personal life is very big news only because we keep searching about it and talking about it and so it feels like EVERYONE is. But if you step outside the online bridgerton fandom bubble ..... no one cares. There is a HEFTY portion of netflix viewers who watch bridgerton without EVER going online to read about the actors.

Long story short I think Nicola and Luke will become even MORE conscious about what they post - but I don't believe there was a crisis in the true sense of the word. And although Luke's team clearly handles his socials he obviously has access to it as well. Btw - all celebs have someone who handles their socials I'm sure Nic does too, just that she's also on her own account a lot. I don't know if Luke has his notifs on for Nicola's posts but even if he does I don't believe his consistent likes mean anything much. I mean...he also diligently likes all of Antonia's posts 😂

Social media isn't much of an indicator of honesty to me ... as someone whose work heavily involves it, everything is curated to a disgusting degree.

What I put more stock in is what we can see - and what we can see of them when they DON'T think about being seen - which is to say, all the unconscious, natural moments between Nicola and Luke - the vibe around them both, and the easy way they breathe and exist together.

That's what makes me such a big believer in their bond.

[sciencebecameouraddiction]

my own alastor headcanons…

warnings: discussion and mention of abuse, hell, killing, racism

note: i am also getting through my asks. i promise. ☺️

second note: these are just my own head canons. things i’ve noticed, how i write alastor, what plays into why i write al the way i do… etc. purely my own opinion.

- you know the whole thing hurt people, hurt people… at the core that’s who alastor is.

- he was a mommas boy and loved his mom so much

- his father was abusive, physically, mentally and emotionally

- his father would hit his mother and alastor

- many people turned a blind eye, this taught alastor to never trust anyone and that it’s just you for yourself at a very young age

- finally, alastor was tired of seeing his mother upset and hurt so while his father was asleep he killed him. alastor was 13-15 at the time.

- i believe that alastor’s mom is in heaven

- i also believe that she helped alastor hide the body of his father. in the same bayou that alastor used when he buried his victims

- his mom never knew there was anyone else alastor killed after his father.

- after killing his dad, he started down a slippery slope. he liked the power he felt when he had control over someone’s life or death. it was all in his hands

- but alastor has been said to have a unique moral code

- so i think he would kill any adult, but it was those that were distasteful

- the fathers who were abusive, the men who preyed upon women, the women who tore families apart just because, the mothers who were abusive

- he’s the equal opportunity killer and if you’re a shitty person you were on his radar.

- he got into voodoo to help his mom

- his mom got sick, nothing could cure her, he felt helpless, weak, so he turned to something that could help when praying didn’t. voodoo didn’t help either, but it was already too late… you know what they say about power corrupting you and when you make a deal… they stick

- ladies man, little fucking flirt, charming, suave, disarming. you’d want to take him to meet your momma

- he never married in his human life, chalked up to never finding the right girl.

- no one met his momma when he was alive. like girls just weren’t brought, people just weren’t brought to meet his momma. if you met her through alastor, you were very very special to him

- never happened though!

- he had the most gorgeous southern accent when he was a young man before getting into radio.

- he was told to loose it after the first broadcast. so he adopted the transatlantic accent we hear, to be more palatable to white listeners in the south. i mean, he was given an opportunity of a life time “especially for someone like him.”

- he went to church every sunday with his mom until she died. he’s very very knowledgeable about the bible

- just intelligent over all. likes reading, very meticulous, detail oriented, sharp and quick witted.

- he is deep deep deep down insecure. buried under years of acting like he’s the shit; pretending he’s amazing and the self assured confidence needed to be the radio host he was. this only became buried deeper when he went to hell.

- having someone who is supposed to protect you tear you down when you’re a kid does shit to you. (his dad)

[gor3sigil]

Hi ! I’m a 29 year old trans man from France, and I really like reading your blog. You write very eloquently and what you have to share is important. It’s bittersweet for me to finally encounter people talking about transandrophobia. I’ve been trying to talk about it for years. My heart breaks when I think about all the young trans men and transmasculine people who grow up hating themselves because of both the societal transphobia and the transandrophobia of queer spaces. I detransitioned for 4 years, partly because I felt so alienated. A woman I loved and looked up to, who calls herself a feminist, told me that after my first testosterone injection I could not talk about feminism anymore. She said I was now on the side of the oppressor. She stated that she would support me as an individual but that her fight was for women, cis or trans, and I had to stay quiet and let women speak. She, in fact, did not support me as an individual either. When I was an androgynous non binary person she would compliment me all the time. When I transitioned, she started to grow colder and patronizing with me. She blocked me after I made a general post to talk about my experiences and explain, in a very gentle way, how trans men experience misogyny in a lot of spaces, misandry in queer and feminist spaces, and transphobia everywhere, and how our fights are intertwined with feminist fights.

Another trans man from France hooray !! I'm very glad you shared your experience, partly because I relate to it a lot (idk if you've seen the post I made about how I detransitioned for a year and it was partly due to the mistreatment I've been getting because I was a trans dude), and also because it's so important to spread the word. I'm really sorry you went through that. I had the same type of shit from women that I considered my sisters before transitioning, who ditched me like crap when I started using he/him pronouns. Since you're french too, I'd like to point something that I noticed in the french trans community (maybe you'll disagree and that's totally fair), is that anti transmasculinity and radfem ideologies are VERY LOUD in queer spaces and that trans men often play a part in it. I saw 2 separate videos recently from two trans men youtuber (who I will not name publicly for obvious reasons but you can ask me in DMs if you want) who both made videos asking if "Men are trash" included trans men, and both I found... Well, wrong, in a lot of ways. Because the main argument is that trans men who medically transition, do so with the intent of being treated and perceived in society AS men (or if this wasn't the intent, this is what happens anyways), and so basically take the role of men in the patriarchy, so the role of the oppressor. The second video was a bit more nuanced with the idea that not all trans men do transition medically, some don't pass etc but still, I find it appalling to see that almost every transmasc creator I see, who makes content in french at least, talk about transmasculinity in a way that is almost exclusively "AFAB perisex person who wants to be a Neo Cis Man". Which is, at least from all the people I've talked to since coming out in 2017, not the case for a vast majority of people, and even when it IS the case, trans men don't, and I say that with my whole chest, they DON'T have cis men privileges and they ARE NOT in a position of power over women, ESPECIALLY cis women. Well, that's my way of seeing things anyways. I really hope our local activists will stick their heads out of their white, skinny, cis passing trans men asses and start taking a look at the actual experiences of the many more of us. It'd be a nice change of pace. Thank you for your comment and sorry for the rant lmao