#doesn't mean they're GOOD they're criminally bad and you deserve better but you do in fact still benefit from imperialism

[lgbtlunaverse]

I think a lot of people's perception of "US centrism" on this site is "americans assuming us-specific problems are universal" but i've found it just as often if not more often manifests as the opposite. Usamericans thinking a problem people deal with worldwide (food deserts, late stage capitalism, bigotry) or a problem that did start primarily in the US but has been exported worldwide via cultural imperialism (this particular example is not the us but canada, but I sure did looooove having trucker protests in my country after they got 'inspired' by those in north america /s) are things only they have to deal with. I regularly get tags on this post that say something like 'blame the puritans for ruining american society' or will straight up go '#usa #fuck this country #i bet the rest of the world doesn't have this problem' I am from the Netherlands and have never set foot on the american continent.

[darlingbabyboo]

Hiii! To begin with I just wanna say that I love ur work and the way you write, it's literally the highlight of my day! <3 Can I request fluffy headcanons about the kawata twins? ( because we all know those two babies are super underrated and it's such a mood-killer to not be able to find any good fics about them ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ ) Seriously, the amount of fics about them is SO limited that I'm desperate at this point :') Thank you in advance! ❤️

Fluffy Headcanons w/ Souya and Nahoya Kawata!

It's so true, these two are criminally underrated and they're such good characters and I love them with all my heart my god. Thank you so much <3 for the compliments and sorry that I'm doing this so late. I already did something similar with Angry, so his section might be a little shorter than Smiley!

Nahoya Kawata (Smiley)

Okay I know you want fluff but Smiley was ranked number 3 from Top Worst Boyfriends 😭😭😭

He was ranked number 2 from the Best Runners and that's bcs he's so good at running away from his problems

He is a little bitch and a menace to society

You want attention?

He wants to go the mall and pretend you don't exist

You want affection?

Well he wants to go to bed leave him alone :/

You want a cutesy petname?

Isn't babe good enough for you?

He has a whole lotta issues okay and he is not the best at giving you the attention that you deserve

He's also a little mean tbh

Just because you think your sweater is cute doesn't mean he does 🤨

He's also shitty with comforting you

He sees you crying and he just stares at you 😐

This sounds really bad so far but the thing about Smiley is that when he commits to someone he fucking commits

He knows that he's not the best (Angry loves reminding him that everyday) but he really fucking tries

Yeah he's jackshit at comforting you at first but when he realizes that you're obsessed he'll do his best to make you feel better

Homemade food to make you feel better, saying sweet words to you or just staying by your side so you know that he won't leave your side

He's your ride and die

He knows that he might be harsh too and balances with sweetness

He might not like sweater but ig you guys can go to the mall and you can get whatever you want or smth, you want a manicure sure whatever you want, of course you can get that shirt you look great in it whatever it's no big deal 🙄

He loves you okay he's not the best at expressing all the time but you're everything to him ❤️

Souya Kawata (Angry)

Boyfriend goals 😍

He's a worshipper okay, you're not just his partner you are his god

He will do anything for you

Hungry?

Five course homemade meal already made

Tired

Lay down, the bed's made, the pillow's cold and the blankets are fluffy

Are you stressed for your test?

All day study buddy right here, doesn't even care if he doesn't understand what you're studying, he's gonna do the best he can to support you

If you wear makeup I 100% believe Angry would be the type of person to help remove your makeup after a long day

He's also the type to ask a million questions while you're doing makeup it can be a bit irritating but it's coming from a sweet place

Loves stuffed animals and is willing to share the love

Gifts you stuffies all the time (his favourite is the conger eel, that's so cute I love him too much ❤️❤️❤️)

You two would have dates where you bring your favourite stuffies or where you chill on each other's bed with your stuffies 🤗🤗🤗

His brother makes fun of him for how whipped he is and while he's a little embarrassed, he is not ashamed of you

Why would he be embarrassed you're perfect, who wouldn't worship you 🥰

[stellar-constellations]

See ion condone murder in the slightest but when I say Rose and ren need to be offed I mean THEY NEED TO GOOOO

Please babes I’m begging for a teeny weeny spoiler on if we ever get too yk make them hit the hay permanently OR better if reader and Andrew do it together

I too do not condone murder in the slightest; however, I portray fictional murders, stalking, and all other non-safe events in my series as something that you should NOT do in real life. I also do not write the events of real murders in non-educational views + twisting the true story in order to try and gain fame and fortune from another's unfortunate reality (looking at the questionable TV shows like Jeffery Dahmer and such...)

HOWEVER, everything in Star Patient is fictional, and is supposed to be written and viewed as grotesque, something that should not be replicated in real life, and is meant to unsettle you for a nice thrill or at least cope with fantasies in a very safe way that shouldn't mingle with real life.

With that being said, allow me to get on with the spoilers. Please note, chapter 8 is still being written so everything may not be the final draft. Please be aware, the following content below will possibly be split in different chapters, so this is spoilers for all future Star Patient chapters as of July 27, 2024.

These spoilers will be solely bits of dialogue. I will not directly give out who said what, and I also will not provide any clues as to what's happening as to not destroy any shock value or plot twists in future chapters. You can try and figure out the story yourselves; however, I don't want to directly ruin the emotional impact of the story, so my lips are sealed for any specific events! I do accept questions of the characters, future series ideas (non-spoilers), and any other fun questions.

THE CONTENT BELOW IS NOT FINAL, FUTURE SPOILERS FOR ANDREW GRAVES X READER: STAR PATIENT SERIES!

"Sometimes, it still feels like I'm trapped inside that room; except this time, I'm the one that put myself in it."

"What? You're not going to help me change?"

"She wasn't innocent! Everyone knows that she killed that boy and his mother!"

"Whatever excuse I try to put it, it's my fault in the end."

"I got you some chocolates and flowers! If you're allergic to coco or milk, I have this replica of hot chocolate powder that tastes like hot chocolate, but doesn't have any milk or coco! People are so smart nowadays! Oh, and don't worry, I checked with the missus first, so she won't be mad at me!"

"It's too risky to just leave her like that, especially because I'm unsure if I left any evidence or not..."

"Oh, how cute! My little angel is into the occult now! She's so pure!"

"It’s different if a woman kills someone! She does it to love and protect, men do it to destroy."

"Do you ever wonder why we do this? I mean... right now someone else could die, so the people we saved are suddenly unimportant... because we couldn't save them all..."

"He's a city boy, do you really expect him to be able to support you if he can't even support his own legs?!"

"Everyone in this hospital is either freaks or criminals."

"Was there really no other way?"

"At the end of the day, it's you. Do what makes you survive."

"Ah, perfume. A woman's beauty kills another."

"Do you think saving me is going to make me forget that you're the one who did this to me?"

"She gives great hugs..."

"I said I don't want to see you!"

"I had a nightmare, and I don't want to be alone."

"You need to eat, god damn it!"

"The water is freezing, but what it promises makes me feel warm..."

"You don't choose if the inheritor is good or bad, because they're the inheritor. They get it, whether they deserve it or not. Sometimes, they do bad things with that sort of power, and it can lead them down the wrong path."

"You don't expect your son to be a bad person until he is."

"How about we make a deal?"

"I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation right now, after all, I know what you did."

“She’s so kind, accepting strays like you.”

"What do you mean they're dead?"

"Can you forgive me for doing bad things, even if it was to protect myself?"

"What are you doing with a former patient? Having any sort of connection outside of the hospital is strictly frowned upon and can cause in termination!"

"Is this to pay for my sins?"

"Why can't you just leave!"

"Whoever invented AirTags probably made them to stalk his wife. Or husband. No judgement."

“Who is to say that you’re not next?”

"Perhaps, a happy ending was never written for me or you."

[flowersforchoso]

Intro dialogues w/ mk1 male characters

background: fei is an oc and a chloromancer which means, she's a practitioner of plant magic. these are intro dialogues with the men of mortal kombat 1. ranging from friendly, flirty, subtextual romance to animosity.

sub-zero: you're as delicate as a rose

fei: wait till you see my deadly thorns

sub-zero: i do not wish to fight you

fei: are you conceding defeat already?

fei: i have immense respect for you but i wont stand down

sub-zero: a fatal mistake

fei: you have something against me. what is it?

smoke: i- well...

fei: you find me alluring?

smoke: your powers are

smoke: you'd fit right in with the shirai-ryu

fei: a compliment, but i doubt it

fei: for the last time johnny, its a no.

johnny cage: wait. i just wanna ask for gardening tips

johnny cage: you could be the leading lady in a movie. just let me contact my agent

fei: i'm not interested in your proclivities

johnny cage: i've been thinking about going vegetarian

fei: this concerns me how?

havik: you're pathetic and weak

fei: a baseless assumption you'd soon come to regret

havik: chaos is order, beauty is oppression

fei: you gain converts by spouting such nonsense?

havik: when order has been replaced by chaos, you'll be by my side

fei: keep your delusions to yourself, havik

shang tsung: your powers would be beneficial

fei: i won't be subject to your sick experiments, sorcerer

shang tsung: when i say join me, i'm being diplomatic

fei: never! not even in my death

fei: how do you live with yourself?

shang tsung: *laughs* its all too easy

reptile: i've- i've never met someone like you

fei: is that a good thing or a bad thing?

fei: you bleed green?

reptile: does that terrify you?

reptile: have you ever heard of the kytinn?

fei: yes. they're truly... bizarre

fei: you're so different from your brother

kuai liang: sharing blood is where our similarities begin and end

fei: how is young hanzo doing?

kuai liang: very well.

kuai liang: you still trust bi-han? after everything he's done?

fei: not trust. more so, understand his perspective.

general shao: i'll trample upon your vines and thorns so scamper.

fei: if raiden can take you down, then i can

general shao: your kind should not be in battle

fei: care to explain further, general?

fei: i must admit, you're terrifying

general shao: *laughs* and you still choose to proceed, woman?

fei: crafting a world and maintaining it must be tedious

liu kang: a price for the greater good

liu kang: don't overwork yourself

fei: thanks. i'll try not to

liu kang: its regrettable. what we've become

fei: i'd rather not dwell on it

kung lao: you and lord liu kang were a thing?

fei: how- how did you know of this?

fei: your ego will soon be your demise

kung lao: doubt it. its one of my greatest assets

kung lao: i'm single y'know

fei: tell that to someone who cares

reiko: liu kang is not gonna save ya

fei: i'm more than capable of holding my own

fei: basking in the glory of war makes one inhuman

reiko: keep your sanctimonious drivel where the sun doesn't shine

fei: you're no soldier, you're a criminal

reiko: and what does that make you? a sheltered brat

fei: the way tarkat holds you hostage worries me

baraka: i do not need your pity

baraka: i'm sure my mere presence sickens you

fei: don't assume such baraka.

baraka: my ilk are treated worse than dogs

fei: its terrible. they deserve better

fei: you have alot of luck on your side with that amulet

raiden: *laughs* even without it, i'm formidable

fei: confidence is not pride. gladly wear it

raiden: i suppose. old habits do die hard

raiden: you're like mother nature herself

fei: *laughs* i'm nothing but a custodian

fei: how are you so bereft of principles despite being a high mage?

rain: don't speak on things you do not know of

fei: its comical that you run with a tail between your legs afterwards

rain: i'm not above seeking repentance

rain: my storm will wash away your plants

fei: water only fosters nature.

fei: i've never faced a blind swordsman

kenshi: it'll be your first and last encounter

fei: is it possible for others to control sento?

kenshi: try it. the anticipation is killing me

kenshi: i was in the yakuza once.

fei: so you admit to having blood on your hands

fei: what does the future hold for me?

geras: that, i cannot say

fei: being only a construct must be a terrible fate

geras: why do you presume so?

geras: just as the stars are infinite, so are the grains of sand

fei: proverbial. but where are you going with this?

[scarfacemarston]

J and E for arthur please! and maybe this is cheating but could i have a bonus how he’d get back together too bc i can’t have angst without a happy ending 🥹

For have a second I thought you said Arthur cheating and I would have been like, nooo. This is a longer one because you gave me three prompts.These have also been added to the Charthur tag by request. Please let me know if there is another ship that should be added. Prompt here for everyone! J: Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they're jealous?) - Given that he has low confidence and how humble he is when it comes to love, I feel like it's more of a "Oh, of course she found someone, they are younger/more attractive/more well off/etc than me." However, that doesn't mean he doesn't feel it. He tends to be a bit more weary in camp or saloons. Camp because it's something he's picked up from others and it makes sense that people know that you two are in a relationship. At a saloon, he's thinking of potential "low lives". However, places like the nicer parts of St. Denis can trigger him as well because he feels like he can't give the reader what they deserve. He might say a self deprecating comment, or he may say a sarcastic comment to the person flirting and snake an arm around your waist. It depends on his mood. E - Ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?) I think it would only be if he was feeling insecure and thought they were better off with someone else. Maybe he sees reader having a good time with Sean, Sadie or Lenny and he feels as though he can't provide that for the reader, so it's best to let them go. Arthur is very tolerant so I don't see it as something that is small or a bad habit. He had a very complicated relationship with Mary and regardless of one's opinion of her, she did have a lot of power over him. I think with the reader, it would be the same and the reader would have to be careful not to take advantage of him. He's a people pleaser with more than just Dutch and Hosea and that would include the reader. I think if he started acting low honor-ish or at least engaging in more criminal behavior, he would think that you don't need to be dragged down by him. Then, the talks of "I'm too old. I have a lot of baggage. There are more honest men out there." etc. begins. Unless reader did something horrible, that's the only way I see Arthur ending it. To him, break ups are more likely a "him" problem, not a you problem. Bonus: Getting back together: I really don't see him actually pursuing that on his own. He'd have to get a lot of hints about it first from you. He's not "going to make a fool" of himself again. Hosea, Charles, Lenny or Abigail would have to talk sense into him or the reader would have to make it clear that they want him. It's not the gushy answer you may want, but meta wise, it's the realistic answer. I like to combine the two. It would be awkward at first, quiet conversations that are pretty surface level until he blurts something out about what he feels when the tension becomes too much, or if he says some unexpectedly funny comment. Once that first step is taken, he's still apprehensive, but gains his confidence back from there. Again, reader has to be VERY communicative and clear with him. From there, it would be going out on rides together, just the two of you, or exploring a new place he found. Maybe he'd take you hunting, or to town if you really wanted to. It would be slow, but if you/reader loved Arthur, it would be worth it.

[imbecominggayer]

How To Write Trauma Like The Lego Batman Movie

Using Batman from The Lego Batman Movie as my example. I will give you dissertation on how to write trauma whether that trauma is related to orphan shenanigans or not!

STEP NUMBER ONE: TRAUMA AIN'T COOL

This is the biggest thing that The Lego Batman Movie gets spot on! Batman, throughout the movie, behaves more like an emotionally-stunted comical manchild then the suave self-insert straight power fantasy we're used to seeing.

Not only is this more realistic then the countless power fantasy stories that romanticize traumatic experiences and shitty coping mechanisms but it serves the narrative.

And the movie is all the better for this since it's this character development which serves as the necessary emotional core for the movie. If Batman was the perfectly suave badboy then him learning to have a family wouldn't be emotionally groundbreaking.

STEP NUMBER TWO: Have The Trauma Impact EVERYTHING and do it uniquely pwease

From Batman's child-esque tendency to throw tantrums to his higly performative playboy appearance which seems more like movie then man to his edgy sensibilities, everything has been grown from Batman's infamous backstory of orphanry.

His childish and immature attitude give the sentiment that Batman has reverted back into the maturity of a child which is a common coping mechanism as it allows someone to return back to the good old days.

His playboy "stoic"/edgy mean sensibilities (when in public and as Batman) are designed to keep people away as his greatest fear is having a family only to lose them again.

I enjoy the mention of "reverting back into childhood memories" as a coping mechanism because it's a coping mechanism that's not widely explored because society tends to denigrate dependency as "weakness that doesn't deserve to be explored".

Most of the time it's just stoicism which is portrayed as cool and sleeping around which is portrayed as bad not because it's hurting the person but bad because of our puritanical values

Final Lesson: Flaws Are Only Flaws If They're Treated As Flaws

Alot of writers know they need to write flaws connected to a character's trauma because they read writing advice blogs (hey) but they don't want to write actual flaws.

So what is a guy(gender-neutral) meant to do?

Write fake flaws!

This tends to be what Batman as a legacy falls into. Batman is a sleazy capitalistic megalomaniac with control issues who has an obsessive relationship with criminals and every single emotionally unattached woman (and Joker) he can get his hands on.

But it's cool!!! Because it's philosophical, and hot, and power-fantasy worthy.

However, The Lego Batman Movie subverts this! Batman's fear of losing his family and his subsequent abandoning of Dick, Alfred, Barbara, and the Joker nearly lead Gotham to ruins.

It's only when he overcomes his flaws, he can succeed in his goal of protecting Gotham

TL;DR: Trauma isn't cool. Trauma causes a shit ton of issues that create so many different kinds of coping mechanisms from the admirablely unhealthy to the pathetically unhealthy. And the only time you should (cutely and sanely) ship Batman and Joker is in this movie universe.

[eww-y-tho]

A Ben Rant

[it get's real, sorry. also spoilers for the entire show so far.]

The reason I really can't understand Ben apologists is because, like Nick, I don't care about his issues. I am a raging bisexual in the throes of living with a very homophobic dad and a constant fear of being outed to him by my mother, and I wouldn't stoop to Ben's level in any way.

His behaviour is simply unjustifiable. That's why I love Darcy, she is also in a bleak situation, but tries to live her life authentically and without being a trash human being. A true foil so people can understand that perspective.

Truth is, just because Ben was in a bad environment doesn't mean that he has the justification to be a horrible person who abused Charlie. And let us not beat around the bush here, he sexually assaulted him. To be frank, the correct course of action would be a restaining order, being exposed for his crimes, a spot on his criminal record, and either serving some time (6 months-a year) or an astronomical amount of community service.

Sorry, you should have those consequences for your actions. It honestly gets me angry that Nick and Charlie didn't press charges and at least try to get him off that campus. I get it, they're young and really nice kids, but it's really sad that an acknowledged criminal walked off scot-free.

And honestly, when placed in that perspective, Ben's "apology" is even more insulting. That was just a last attempt at getting Charlie back, which is gross.

This hits too close to home in the form of my sister who went through a similar situation to Charlie. She has her Nick now, don't worry lol. I'm rewatching Heartstopper with her and I could tell it affected her.

When you or someone close to you has experienced a similar thing, I feel like it's easier to put it in perspective. But honestly, Ben shouldn't be given any sympathy whatsoever. He is a villain to his bones. And let's not even go into the mess that was Ben and Imogen.

Actually, let's do exactly that.

Imogen is proof that Ben did not learn his lesson and is just a sucky human being. He straight up used Imogen just to make Nick angry and rub it in his face. Imagine knowing the person who assaulted your boyfriend is dating one of your best friends. It's just gross.

And Ben's only motivations were his petty jealousy that Nick is a better boyfriend for Charlie than he ever was and that he wanted the control he had over Charlie back, as was pointed out by Nick and Charlie multiple times.

And let us also not forget that Ben is so far in his delusional mindset that he doesn't even recognize what he did wrong. A half-assed "I'm sorry, for everything," doesn't acknowledge what he did. How about you actually list everything you know you did wrong and apologize for every single one of them? That would show actual remorse.

That indicates that the only reason he's saying those things was to get Charlie in his good graces, not actually stating his remorse for those actions.

And I'm glad Charlie did not forgive him. It was a very powerful scene that went against the grain in similar plotlines where the perpetrator is forgiven for their deplorable actions.

Ben just wanted to have someone as his personal marionette, if that makes sense, and it really grosses me out, which is why people who defend Ben make me angry. You're defending a disgusting human being who deserved everything that came to him.

In the end, he pushed everyone around him away and he will continue to do so, and either learn to be better (which I find unlikely, based on the rainbow wave), or die alone.

This sentiment has been talked about a lot before, so I'm not expecting a revolutionary idea coming from this, but I just wanted to get this off my chest because I saw comments defending Ben and I wanted to rant for a second.

[calisources]

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016). all quotes have been taken from zack snyder's batman v superman: dawn of justice (2016) both the threatrical and ultimate cuts. change pronouns and names as you see fit.

We're criminals, Alfred. We've always been criminals. Nothing's changed.

Everything's changed. Men fall from the sky, the gods hurl thunderbolts, innocents die.

That's how it starts, sir. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men... cruel.

I bet your parents taught you that you mean something, that you're here for a reason. 

 My parents taught me a different lesson, dying in the gutter for no reason at all... They taught me the world only makes sense if you force it to.

Civil liberties are being trampled on in your city; good people living in fear.

 Don't believe everything you hear, son.

I've seen it, Mr. Wayne. He thinks he's above the law.

Most of the world doesn't share your opinion, Mr. Wayne.

Maybe it's that Gotham City and me... we just have a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns.

An alien who, if he wanted to, could burn the whole place down. There wouldn't be a damn thing we can do to stop it.

Devils don't come from hell beneath us. No, they come from the sky.

Still working? You're getting slow in your old age, Alfred.

It comes to us all, Master Wayne. Even you've got too old to die young, though not for lack of trying.

Twenty years in Gotham, Alfred; we've seen what promises are worth. How many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?

The world has been so caught up with what Superman can do that no one has asked what he should do.

You're not brave... men are brave. You say that you want to help people, but you can't feel their pain... their mortality... It's time you learn what it means to be a man.

Oh, I don't think you've ever known a woman like me.

You don't know me, but I've known a few women like you.

Stay down! If I wanted it, you'd be dead already!

Next time they shine your light in the sky, don't go to it. The Bat is dead. Bury it. Consider this mercy.

Tell me. Do you bleed?

 In the dream, it took me to the light. A beautiful lie.

Be their hero, Clark. Be their angel, be their monument, be anything they need you to be... or be none of it. You don't owe this world a thing. You never did.

I'm older now than my father ever was. This may be the only thing I do that matters.

Twenty years of fighting criminals amounts to nothing?

Is it stealing if you steal from another thief?

A hundred years ago I walked away from mankind, from a century of horrors. Man made a world where standing together is impossible.

Men are still good. We fight. We kill. We betray one another. But we can rebuild. We can do better. We will. We have to.

This bat vigilante has been consistently targeting the port and the adjacent projects and tenements. 

Do you know the oldest lie in America, Senator? It's that power can be innocent.

It did on my world. My world doesn't exist anymore.

God versus man; day versus night; Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham!

 You flew too close to the sun. Now look at you.

Wow. Pretty girl, bad habit. Don't quote me, alright?

You don't need to use a silver bullet. But if you forge one, you don't need to depend on the kindness of monsters.

I hope the next generation of Waynes won't inherit an empty wine cellar.

 Go upstairs and socialize. Some young lady from Metropolis will make you honest.

 I've killed things from other worlds before.

This thing is from another world. My world.

You were never a god. You were never even a man.

No one stays good in this world.

I'll take you in without breaking you, which is more than you deserve.

 Thermal imaging is showing me two dozen hostiles on the third floor. Why don't I drop you off on the second?

've arranged for you to get a transfer to Arkham Asylum in Gotham. I still have some friends there. They're expecting you.

 Ignorance is not the same as innocence.

 I don't hate the sinner. I hate the sin. And yours, my friend, is existing.

Men with power obey neither policy nor principle, Miss Lane. No one is different; no one is neutral.

You must be new to "Let Them Eat Cake" beat. That is Bruce Wayne.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Tearsmith (2024)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

The more time passes, the more I realize I was too harsh on the Twilight series - particularly the first film. The Tearsmith is the latest version of the good girl, dangerous boy doomed romance YA novel adaptation genre. The leads have great chemistry, which means it will definitely appeal to its target audience. Older viewers will roll their eyes at the melodrama, meaning they might enjoy it too - if they like chuckling at bad films.

Orphaned when her parents die in a car crash, eight-year-old Nica is sent to the oppressive Sunnycreek Orphanage, overseen by the cruel Margaret Stoker (Sabrina Paravicini). Nicknamed “The Grave”, the orphanage is a dreadful place where children are physically and emotionally abused when they misbehave. Years later, a teenage Nica is adopted by Anna and Norman Milligan (Roberta Rovelli and Orlando Cinque). As she’s about to leave with her new parents, the brooding and acidic Rigel (Simone Baldasseroni) catches the Milligans’ attention. They decide to adopt him as well. Despite her best efforts, Nica has always been attracted to Rigel. Now, she’ll be free to act upon her feelings - for better or worse.

You're wondering what this film has in common with the 2008 high schooler-vampire romance. That's because you haven't seen Simon Baldasseroni's Rigel. With his chiseled abs, dark hair, pale complexion and push-me-pull-me attitude towards Nica, he’s almost a carbon copy of Edward Cullen. There’s even a scene where he saves her from walking into oncoming traffic. Every time he and Nica interact, their conversation is capped by a disgruntled remark about how she should stay away. If only she could. In her defense, his efforts to distance himself seem halfhearted. He gets obsessively and dangerously jealous of the classmate who asks her out, Lionel (Alessandro Bedetti). But Rigel and Nica could never be an item because "she deserves a fairytale ending and he’s a wolf" (Werewolf? I wish). Everyone knows wolves are the villains in all fairytales, so you should stay away from them (despite what Nica’s mother said before she passed). In summary, he’s too broken and dangerous to be loved! Oh, and they're "brother & sister".

You can tell The Tearsmith is based on a novel from the subplots and secondary characters. There’s Asia (Juju Di Domenico), the girl who dated the Milligan’s now-dead son and still mourns him, Nica's one friend from the orphanage, Adeline (Eco Andriolo), and her new best friends at school: Billie (Nicky Passarella) and Miki (Sveva Romana Candelletta). You could've cut them all out without affecting the main plot. Once you understand that, everything becomes a cliché. Every year, someone anonymously sends Billie flowers and a love letter. You should be able to deduce the identity of the secret admirer without problem. Remember that the book was written in 2021 and that all the subplots are essentially self-contained and ultimately, superfluous.

In a way, the villainous Margaret Stoker is also unnecessary because there’s so much going on in this movie. Nica survived a traumatic car crash and spent years in an orphanage. She didn’t also need to be messed up by a Jonathan Crane-like headmistress. Her possible romance with Rigel would’ve already been taboo/strained because they’re adoptive siblings. We didn’t need an enemy making things more difficult for them. Gloomy Rigel is already doing plenty on his own.

The Tearsmith (a title that's explained at the beginning but doesn’t quite make sense to me) often generates awkward laughs. More than once, the plot moves at break-neck speed, making you wonder if these people’s emotions are always taking them for a roller-coaster ride, or if we’re just skipping through weeks - if not months - worth of events. Criminal acts, including attempted murder, are never reported to the police. Then, there’s the not-really, but sorta incestuous romance between Rigel and Nica, which will have you screaming “Nooooo!” Over and over.

All that said, I can understand why this film has proven so popular on Netflix. Simone Baldasseroni and Caterina Ferioli have terrific chemistry. There are many scenes where you wonder if this is going to be their first kiss, or if Rigel’s dark side is going to pop up again, which makes the film exciting. The two are not related, which makes the scenario sort of appealing for teens who won't realize how demented a romance this is. One thing’s for sure, you love to hate the villains (yes, there's more than one). Does that mean I recommend it for teenagers? Not quite. There are too many romantic double standards and the backward attitude about how you should comfort someone who's been attacked kills a lot of its romance - but it’s close. I will also note that the film is rated R for nudity (don’t worry, everyone at the time it takes place is eighteen years old), so, you know, there’s that.

The Tearsmith is entertaining - sometimes the way it intends to be. Generally, however, it’s a bizarre mashup of Dickensian orphanage drama and Stephenie Meyer-brand romance. My least favorite thing about the film is that unlike 50 Shades of Grey, 365 Days, After and so many other Twilight clones, The Tearsmith does not end in a to-be-continued. Instead, it abruptly tells us the fate of the most important characters and ignores everyone else. At least you can’t accuse it of overstaying its welcome. (Original Italian with English subtitles, April 24, 2023)

[autumn-foxfire]

I'm up to episode 61 so I think it's time to watch the first movie for the series. I know they're technically not canon but I still want to watch them in a way that sort of matches the series.

I could have probably watched it sooner but I kind of got a bit too hooked on watching the series when I could XD

Isn't Conan known as Shinichi's cousin in later chapters? In fact it's Yukiko who calls him that, right? Makes sense why this movie has it so Shinichi "doesn't know" Conan and Shinichi has to pretend he's just remembered his name.

There is something to be said that Shinichi picks Ran's favourite colour because he knew it was her favourite instead of actually picking a colour that would make him happy like she intended. It's such a small lie but it's one that really does give us more insight into their relationship (yes, yes I know this is non-canon but still the non-canon movies still make there relationship dubious because that's how it's depicted in canon).

Also, she also picked a movie that is clearly something for her, for Shinichi's birthday. That would be like me picking a horror movie to watch for my boyfriend's birthday even though he doesn't like them but I love them. It's inconsiderate. These are such basic romantic gestures and even the writing team can't get them right.

Maybe you wouldn't have to worry about turning Ran down if you had just told her the truth and then you two could have gone together without all the goddamn hiding but nooooooo.

Shinichi, that probably wasn't the best way to tell kids they were playing with a bomb but I get it, you were panicked.

One of the many times being Conan has actually helped him with criminals, everyone underestimates him as a child.

Awww, Shinichi caring about the property he stole even though he did it for good, what a good boy. Shinichi you also haven't done anything good for your rep by letting "Conan" handle the bombs XD

I do love how protective the movies make Kogoro of Conan. Even if he's also still pretty arrogant about it.

LMAO I forgot the Detective Boys just keep getting near the bombs by complete accident.

Sonoko, please go, you'd be a better date for Ran than Shinichi will ever be.

The train bombs is such a good moment in the movie. Just the tenseness of them not knowing if Shinichi is right as they divert the trains. How all the employees conducts themselves to help and the relief and celebration when they succeed. It just's really good. It's something the movies do really well.

The fact that Kogoro is actually on the right track but came to the wrong conclusion T-T

That poster art looked really, really bad. Ran are you sure you want to see this movie. Maybe it's a good thing the building gets blown up.

Symmetry is overrated-

As an artist, I totally understand the urge to get rid of old work you don't want anyone to see anymore, so mood. I too, would blow up a building to get rid of them.

Don't you just hate it when your detonator has no batteries because a gremlin stole them?

Megure treating Shiratori as his pokemon: "Shiratori attack!"

Ran's dead. I'm sorry, she got crushed. There goes Shinichi's love interest.

They really just let Shinichi run off with the bomb schematics, didn't they T-T

Yes, Ran, Shinichi is incredibly unreliable to you and doesn't trust you so WHY DO YOU LIKE HIM?!

Ran, it has a clock on it, what do you fucking think it is?! Shinichi did not have to tell you that. Come on girl, you're both "in love" with and live with a detective, you can't be this dumb.

Sorry that was mean, she is in a tense situation. I apologise Ran, that was unnecessary.

Shinichi don't call her an idiot! SHE'S DISARMING A BOMB. Yes I do realise I am a hypocrite.

It's a good thing Ran is a hopeless romantic that Shinichi does not deserve at all.

There's no red thread because you two are terrible for each other <3

[t-lostinworlds]

This is such a random train of thought but I came across a comment on a fanfic saying something along the lines of "people don't usually change" / "forgiving them is unrealistic" / "your character is pathetic for giving in" and while valid in some, if not, most cases, thinking that it applies to everyone and everything all the time seems like such an unhealthy mindset to have. In my opinion at least.

Don't get me wrong, I hate it when forgiveness is served on a silver platter where the person apologizes once and then all is suddenly forgiven. But if the person provided an explanation all while not passing it as an excuse, took full accountability of their actions, truly apologized and showed regrets, and then took the time to better themselves, worked hard to improve and then continuously show that they're a much better person now and had grown after years. Is giving a second chance really that criminal? Especially when forgiveness isn't even given right after that and it's still a slow and steady journey of building that trust where everyone's starting on a clean slate rather than jumping right where they left off.

I don't know, maybe this is just me always trying see the good in people, but if you really don't think that a person has the ability to grow and learn from their mistakes, (which everyone will make often) all while constantly showing and proving that they have grown and learn, then that's a bleak way to see things. It's just a sad way of thinking that just because a person made a mistake (obviously depending on the mistake), they're forever branded as a bad person.

It's like, needing people to be perfect and wise right off that bat, putting them on a pedestal where you think they won't ever make mistakes and once they inevitably do, suddenly they're never going to change and learn from it and they're always going to be a horrible person. And that just seems so…toxic.

Obviously, things are much, MUCH more complicated in reality. Some people never do change, some don't deserve forgiveness at all, and some are genuinely just horrible and vile human beings who deserve to rot. But thinking that everyone is like that?

Just, not everything is so black and white you know? Sometimes things are just various shades of grays. Humans are messy and complicated as fuck but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

[brick-a-doodle-do]

Brick beloved! So glad you are not immune to the goodtimes😘

But also, ideas for your au s!

The spy au!

Is there a possible rival agency doing the same thing? Maybe the rival agency are like anti tinies, so they disguise themselves as pest control after finding out what areas(?) the tiny spies are.

This could lead to another scenario of Tommy knowing better and saving Techno🤔

Vamp au!

Are the sbi like making money? If they have some, and bonded with Tommy, do they build him a room? Buy a dollhouse and tiny furniture? Maybe those cat walkways, so they can use them in bat form as well, i think🤔🦇

I am so immersed in the mcyt tumblrsexyman, i need scar to win😭 even funnier if he founf oit only at the end

Hope all has been going well!

yeeee !! never watched him a day in my life (changing that soon i promise. that's if he wins, of course. i made a promise to myself edjf) but i think he def deserves to win from what i've gathered on the sidelines :]

ahh yippeee au time :D

oooo i could see it, i definitely could!! like the protestors in tiny workers but worse :0 it is definitely a possibility, especially given how new the whole thing is, i can see people being unhappy with it!

spies for the spies, i am in love !!! i will say if the two of them ever cross during a tinies stakeout that would be the perfect opportunity for the alleged criminal to escape 😭😭

i can also see this for a playful rivalry! like with the deans in community but more friendly. maybe puffy vs like schlatt or smth 👀👀

OHH yes totally, tommy's instincts would FLARE up at the sight. i can see an argument between the two discussing over why they're there (to get rid of the borrowers bc the human is suspicious vs the "pest control" is here to disturb their stakeout") but they both collectively agree they need to leave DJFDS

vamp auuuu !!

okay i remember this question like very vividly. i swear i've answered this question before but i don't remember if it was with you nor which au (if any) it was for,,, something with phil pawning things to get money. i know it was in a fic i read but i remember making that up for some au asw,,,, right ?????

ah well wtv maybe it'll come to me. anyways! they don't rlly have jobs because 1. sunlight and 2. there's no reason to when they can pickpocket the people they kill to feed! so there's your answer! and occasionally phil or techno may volunteer for something that pays just in case.

also totally irrelevant (kinda) but wilbur is broke asf bc of the fact that he never/rarely kills. so he steals the stolen money for his own fdfjejsd

ohh that idea is adorable ohhh

lmao with that bat thing i can imagine them getting him that 3 ft barbie dollhouse so they can hang out with him LMAO

anyways i might follow the borrower thing from arrietty where they don't use dollhouses or anything,, BUT, tommy is a rule-bender and phil is really really convincing. they come up with a compromise and tommy ends up with new furniture for his home in the walls, plus freedom over the opening so he doesn't need to be so hidden anymore!

ahh so am i was in shambles yesterday watching scar vs techno. i mean i redid my entire blog too FJDSJ as soon as it went 50/50 i had a lot of hope but DAMN that was STRESSFUL. and now i feel all bad for not voting techno after technodad posted that thing but um. this is war.

all is pretty good! i started swapped au so that should be fun! it won my poll (i tooootally didn't rig it whaaat ??) so i'll be posting that on ao3 soon :D hopefully it'll be long enough to be ao3 material,,,,)

thank you for the lovely ask as always beloved <3

[novelmonger]

Thoughts on Jedi Apprentice 11: The Deadly Hunter

This one! THIS ONE!!!!! 8D I am so excited for this arc of the story! The Hidden Truth will probably always be my favorite, but after all the epic Xanatos stuff, these next three books are the best part of this series, in my opinion. Definitely some of the stuff that's stuck with me the most, even after all these years.

Let's dive in!

Chapter 2

We begin with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan landing on Coruscant after a series of missions. (Note that Obi-Wan is now fourteen. Since I'm pretty sure he was thirteen in the last book, and there was no mention of a birthday, and because they hitched a ride instead of using the ship King Frane gave them, I think we're supposed to understand that they've had other adventures in between.) Instead of going straight back to the Temple, Qui-Gon wants to stop by a cafe run by a friend of his.

The friend is Didi Oddo, who runs a tiny little hole-in-the-wall cafe that's seen better days. He's the kind of guy that seems to be friends with everybody, whether they're an upstanding citizen or a shady individual, and he doesn't hesitate to let those who are going through hard times eat for free, nor does he hesitate to coax more money out of those who are doing well. I'm not entirely sure why, because his description is just that he's a "small, round man with a melancholy face," but I always imagined him as a Little Person (though not his daughter, Astri). Couldn't tell you why, but my brain persists in imagining him that way ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Regardless, I like him. He's a bit dramatic, especially when insisting how innocent he is despite being surrounded by criminals on all sides XD

But we're not just in for an ordinary friendly reunion. After a bit of small talk, Didi takes them into his office in the back, to beg Qui-Gon for help. A bounty hunter seems to be after him, and he has no idea why. He serves plenty of criminals, but he insists he isn't one himself (though he seems to be toeing the line a little bit, since he sometimes gambles and buys things on the black market :P). So he wants the Jedi to go find the bounty hunter and convince her that there's some kind of mistake. Qui-Gon agrees, though Obi-Wan doesn't think it's a good idea. It doesn't seem like any of their business.

"'Here is a man who seeks out criminals and the dregs of the galaxy in order to get information, which he then sells to the highest bidder. If you live in that sort of world, you deserve whatever bad luck comes your way. ... I don't understand why you're helping him,' Obi-Wan said, frustrated. Qui-Gon hesitated. Then he said, 'It's because he is my friend.'" - And here, once again, we see the interaction of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin ^_^

Chapter 3

"'This place doesn't look as if it provides a soft landing to me,' Obi-Wan observed, casting a dubious eye at the Soft Landings Inn. 'More like a full-scale crash.'" - Ahhh, this book is already off to a good start XD

The Jedi go to the inn where the bounty hunter is supposed to be staying. As Obi-Wan commented above, it's not exactly an upscale place :P Anyway, they locate the bounty hunter's room, and walk in to find her sitting there silently. She's a humanoid with a shaved head, and she has a whip that Didi told them about. They try talking to her, explaining that there must have been some kind of mistake, but she doesn't say a word. Instead, she suddenly attacks them with her whip, choking Obi-Wan and tripping him up, and cutting open Qui-Gon's shoulder. Besides just being a normal whip, it also has a laser mode. While they're still reacting to the sudden attack, she slips through the narrow opening of the window, her bones compressing so she can fit through the gap. Qui-Gon says this means she comes from the planet Sorrus.

Chapter 4

The Jedi return to the cafe and tell Didi what happened. After getting his wound patched up, Qui-Gon grills Didi to see why someone would send a bounty hunter after him. Obi-Wan suggests that instead of some sort of official warrant being issued, which would be unlikely for a simple cafe owner, maybe it was a private commission because of some piece of information sold to Didi that someone doesn't want to get out. Didi can't think of anything in particular, just a senator resigning and a gang called the Tech Raiders moving their headquarters. Neither seem like big enough pieces of information to kill someone over.

In the middle of the discussion, Didi's daughter Astri bustles in. She's kind of clumsy and preoccupied, and complains about how Didi complains every time she tries to do something to improve the cafe, particularly in terms of their sketchy clientele. In particular, she's proud of getting a famous philanthropic scientist, Jenna Zan Arbor, to book their cafe for a medical conference. (This will be very important later!) I like Astri. She makes for a fun dynamic with Didi as they banter back and forth. I keep on wanting to call her Astrid, though I don't remember ever having that problem when reading these books before....

This moment gave me a chuckle: Qui-Gon: "Besides, it will give you a chance to see the seamier side of Coruscant." Obi-Wan: "Just what I always wanted."

Chapter 5

The first step is to track down Fligh, the informant who sold Didi those pieces of information. I like Fligh; he's fun in a scoundrelly-but-mostly-harmless way. He's also a total coward and pushover who is easily convinced to talk because he's intimidated by the Jedi and because Didi has been kind to him in the past.

Fligh: "How else does one survive on Coruscant?" Qui-Gon: "One could get a job." Fligh: "One could, if one were a different being. However, one is not."

Ultimately, they don't learn anything that seems particularly significant from Fligh. He heard about the Tech Raiders from their representative on Coruscant, and he learned about the senator resigning from an official memo that made it to his hands.

They stop by the office of Senator Uta S'orn, the one who is resigning, and let her know that her resignation has leaked. She seems genuinely surprised and distressed by this news, because of how it might affect support for some legislation she's going to introduce. It seems unlikely that she would have put a price on Didi's head, and even though now they've learned that Fligh must have stolen her data pad, since she lost it and that's where her announcement was saved, that doesn't necessarily mean much. Fligh could have just not wanted to admit to stealing something like that directly to the Jedi's faces.

Chapter 6

The Jedi track down Helb, the Tech Raiders' representative, in a bar. But it seems like a dead end, because Helb intentionally told Fligh about their new location so that word would get out and people could find them, like free advertising under the radar. Fligh owes the Tech Raiders a lot of money, but they have no reason to want to kill Didi.

As they're leaving the bar, Obi-Wan spots the bounty hunter again, watching them and wearing a disguise that makes her look like an old man. Unfortunately, she gets away before they can catch her.

Chapter 8

When they return to Didi's cafe to update him, they find Astri bustling about in a near-panic, preparing for the important meal for Jenna Zan Arbor. The Jedi go to talk to Didi as the guests begin to arrive...only to hear that Fligh has been killed.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan go to investigate Fligh's murder, telling Didi to stay in the cafe where it's safe. They don't learn much at the scene of the crime about who did it, but they do pick up on an intriguing clue: Fligh has been strangled with some kind of cord, and all of the blood has been drained from his body before it was dumped in an alley.

(Side note: I just remembered that this precise scene was when I learned the word pallor. Don't let anyone tell you Star Wars isn't educational! XD)

"'Do you ever get used to death?' Obi-Wan asked. 'No,' Qui-Gon said. 'That is how it should be.'" - It can be easy to forget just how young Obi-Wan is in these books, because of how much more competent he is than your average fourteen-year-old, but Qui-Gon doesn't. He has Obi-Wan stand back so he won't see the gruesome sight of Fligh's body, and he checks to make sure Obi-Wan's okay afterward. I love that, even though he's seen so much by this point, Obi-Wan is still affected by death, and Qui-Gon protects him from the trauma of it as much as possible.

Chapter 9

When the Jedi return to Didi's cafe, they find it suspiciously dark and quiet. Warily, they go in to find that all the guests are gone, and there's a mess in the kitchen and Didi's office, like someone ransacked the place looking for something. They rush upstairs to the living quarters, only to find the bounty hunter waiting for them there, having knocked Astri out and tied up Didi with her whip. After a short fight, the bounty hunter escapes yet again. Qui-Gon recommends that they leave Coruscant and go into hiding, and Didi decides to go to a house he owns in the mountains on a nearby planet. He's never been there before, because he just recently won it in a game of sabacc, but it's so remote it should be relatively safe.

The chapter is fairly ominous and action-oriented, but this moment of banter was fun: Didi: "I might--ah--have gotten myself in a tiny spot of trouble. Nothing serious." Astri: "Sure. This isn't serious. Just another ordinary evening in the cafe. I get knocked out on a regular basis."

Chapter 11

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan finally go to the Temple. Obi-Wan, poor kid, finally gets something to eat while Qui-Gon meets with Yoda and Tahl to update them on the situation. When she hears about the manner of Fligh's death and that he stole Senator S'orn's data pad, Tahl connects it to Senator S'orn's son Ren (what a choice of name!), who was Force-sensitive. But Senator S'orn didn't want to give Ren up to the Temple, so he was never trained and eventually wandered off to find himself. Six months ago, he was killed--by strangulation, and his blood was drained!

I really like this bit that Qui-Gon says to Obi-Wan: "You are too hard on yourself, Padawan. That can become a fault if you are not careful, for anger at oneself is a destructive thing. Every living being can be impatient, can turn away at a first glance, can avoid getting involved. It is a natural impulse. We are all creatures who want peace and comfort. Yet we are Jedi. Our own peace and comfort is not what drives us. We are dedicated to a larger good. But always remember that the peace and comfort of just one being is what drives us, too."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan go to see Senator S'orn again. She admits that the reason she's resigning is her preoccupation and grief since her son died. She also mentions that her friend's data pad was stolen at the same time, when Fligh overheard them talking about trying to find a good cafe to host a meal and recommended Didi's cafe. And guess who that friend was? Jenna Zan Arbor!

Chapter 13

Obviously the next thread to follow is to talk to Jenna Zan Arbor. They go to her room in a luxurious hotel and investigate her possible connections to what's going on. She didn't report the theft of her data pad because she had backups of everything on it, and it wasn't sensitive personal information like what was on Senator S'orn's. They find out from her that the legislation the senator hasn't been able to push through because of her premature resignation had to do with creating a coalition against a black market tech gang - obviously, the Tech Raiders!

On their way back to the Temple to get some sleep, the bounty hunter shows up again, this time disguised as one of the hotel's valets. She manages to push Obi-Wan over the side of a railing, and he almost goes kersplat on the ground far below, but he manages to catch himself with his cable and climb back up. This is interestingly similar to what he does in Episode II in his fight with Jango Fett....

The next day, they track down Helb at the Tech Raiders' base on Vandor-3, a nearby planet. When they confront him, Helb admits that he hired Fligh to steal Senator S'orn's data pad, but he flatly denies putting a mark on Fligh's head; he's too useful. But then Helb lets slip that both he and Fligh lost a sabacc game to Didi the other day, and Helb is the one who gave the house to Didi to pay off his debt. And where did he get that house? From a mysterious old man he met in the tavern the same day the Jedi first spoke to him. Uh-oh....

Chapter 14

"'Have you ever used a blaster before, Astri?' Qui-Gon asked cautiously. 'How hard could it be?' Astri said. 'Point and shoot. Easy as making a meal.' After having seen her kitchen, Qui-Gon was not sure he trusted her shooting." - XD

Thankfully, the Jedi get to the "safehouse" soon enough to find Didi and Astri are completely safe. As they explain the situation, Astri admits that she paid Fligh to pass along tips for who might be a high-paying customer to drum up business. She also lets slip that Fligh actually gave her Jenna Zan Arbor's data pad for safekeeping, not telling her where he got it. She'd stuffed it in a broken oven and forgotten about it until they left to come here, but took it with her because her own data pad was broken. All the information on it is encoded, but Qui-Gon sends it to Tahl to decode it.

Just when they're about to head out to somewhere safer, Didi mentions that there's a caretaker, an old woman who comes by once a day with provisions. And there's only one person that could be....

Chapter 16

EEEEEK, the exciting conclusion!!!! 8D The bounty hunter turns up and attacks them, and an exciting battle commences! They manage to get up to the second floor of the house and out a window to the landing platform, but discover that both of their transports have been disabled. As the bounty hunter comes after them, Obi-Wan spots her cruiser down the mountainside, and they head in that direction. The bounty hunter basically sleds down the mountain on her back, getting to the transport before they can get to it in all the snow, and heading them off. She shoots Didi and grabs Astri with her whip, pulling her in and grabbing the data pad from her. Obi-Wan pulls off some really stunning moves in the fight, but Qui-Gon tells him to help Didi and Astri while he goes after the bounty hunter. He jumps into her cruiser as she's taking off, and then, the last thing Obi-Wan sees: Qui-Gon is shot and falls into the cruiser. The bounty hunter's ship flies off for parts unknown.

"Had Qui-Gon been captured by the bounty hunter, or had he captured her? Was he mortally wounded? Was he alive--or dead? The anguish of not knowing made Obi-Wan want to crash to his knees. But there were wounded he had to care for. Qui-Gon had told him to stay. 'Don't lose heart, Qui-Gon,' he whispered. 'I'll find you. Hold on.' He would find a way to bring back his Master." - And we have to leave it there until the next book! Worst cliffhanger EVER! D:

[naamahdarling]

I am a lifetime cat owner and deep devotee of meeting them where they are at, as autonomous thinking, feeling beings that deserve to choose, as often as possible, how their needs are met and how they spend their time.

Just about every single thing that causes feline stress and problem behaviors (in a cat that is NOT feral) boils down to 1) scarce resources or competition, 2) boredom, 3) insufficient means of expressing natural behaviors/punishments for doing so, 4) abuse, neglect, abandonment, or innocent human ignorance, or 5) a history of one or many of those things.

If you try to get a cat to change something that is huge to them, like not clawing the furniture or fixing litter habits or quelling aggression, you have to work with the animal and accept that what it is doing is what it not only knows to do but feels it must do. You have to respect that. You can very often patiently convince a cat that doing something is useless and doesn't get them enough of what they want so they might as well not bother, and you can often pretty swiftly redirect it to an even better option it didn't know was there, but you cannot force a cat to change its broad behaviors. You CAN stop them clawing the couch when you catch them, but because scratching is a deep primal need that serves MANY purposes, you can't force them to never do it without torturing them for the rest of their lives (declawing, never do this) or abusing them into being afraid of the couch...which leads to problems elsewhere as that stress then needs purging. They will claw something else. Possibly start pissing on the wrong things. And then they're afraid of you, too, because you are unpredictable. No yelling, gentle hands. No yelling, gentle hands. No yelling, gentle hands.

Undesirable behaviors may be bad habits learned early that are hard to break, like counter-surfing, but the really bad ones, the ones that lead to cats getting dumped at shelters, are usually expressions of stress. You HAVE to remove that stress or meet that need to get an animal that then might be capable of change. And they will maybe need time afterwards to adjust and recover before they are ready to have anything asked of them. You must be radically empathetic and very patient, and accept that problem behaviors getting better may not mean they are gone. And some can't be changed and they deserve to be kept safe and provided for and healthy, too.

Your goal needs to be "I want this cat happy and her needs well-met" and not "I want her to stop clawing the couch." You need to evaluate her scratching needs and preferences, possibly right down to her center of gravity and length of her little criminal arms, and meet them, and then see where you are at. And some cats? A scruffy couch is just the cost of keeping them, once they are in the habit. Sometimes letting them have the damn couch IS the best way to meet the need that clawing the couch meets. Redirect scratching elsewhere TO there! It can be Sophie's Couch! You can just give it to her!

It is exactly the same for humans.

You can't replace a coping mechanism (like eating nothing but spaghetti-os) with a fucking chore (shopping, cooking, dishes), or with what emotionally and physically feels like punishment (exercise, food that is unappetizing). ESPECIALLY not with both. Good god. (Which is why "diet and exercise" is pretty fucking useless as "advice." Chore, punishment, theft of joy. No way most people are going to do that.)

You address the stress. The financial horrors, the family tension, the abusive job, the overwhelming housework, the loneliness, the grief. Whatever. Then after a period of recovery, possibly involving some pretty fucked-up and undesirable behavior, the coping mechanism can be loosened.

You will probably also need to replace the coping mechanism with one that technically may not be ideal but is better than the current one (a different and healthier prepackaged microwaveable meal, every other day) and that may be as good as it ever gets, and medical professionals HAVE to be okay with that.

Some people will never ever change at all, and medical professionals need to be okay with that. They still deserve to be happy and have their needs met, and they deserve respect.

I tell my doctors that I will not restrict calories and I will never deliberately seek to be less fat. I tell them that the cost of me being alive is me eating a lot of junk food when I am stressed, and not exercising because right now there just isn't a way for me to do so safely that I can afford. This IS the healthiest coping mechanism I have. I don't smoke or drink or do drugs, I don't injure myself, I don't pick fights, I don't have risky sex, I don't behave recklessly. I don't gamble or spend too much money. I have chosen to let myself eat what I want and not exercise very much so I can use the energy I would spend doing "healthy" things to cope with The Horrors. Because I am fucking beset by them. Nearly every aspect of my life is curtailed, controlled, or spied on, or at the mercy of things and groups and people that at best wish I would cease to exist in my current form and at worst would love to force the issue.

I also do not want me to be doing the things I am doing, but like Sophie, I do not have the resources to do differently than I do.

Get me the resources or let me claw the fucking couch.

as someone in clinical psych, it drives me up the wall that everyone accepts as a goddamn fact that stress is directly linked to weight gain, and yet every single study on diet and exercise just… ignores this as a confounding factor? it’s gotten to the point where if i open a study on weight and don’t see a stress measure anywhere i just close it again because EVERY TIME the behavior they’re saying causes weight gain is… surprise… a behavior people do when they’re stressed. so either the behavior itself is a spurious correlation to the already established causal relationship between stress and weight gain, OR the behavior does contribute some unique amount to variability in health outcomes, but we’re ignoring why people are doing that behavior. like ok maybe eating nothing but spaghetti-o’s causes you to gain weight. why is no one ringing alarm bells going WHY IS THIS PERSON SO STRESSED THEY CAN EAT NOTHING BUT SPAGHETTI-O’S? the intervention is always “eat less spaghetti-o’s” not “holy fuck what can we address in your life so you aren’t forced into the miserable existence of eating nothing but spaghetti-o’s.” setting aside “why is weight loss even your outcome variable,” if weight loss IS your target why the FUCK are you ignoring this piece! i am grabbing my fellow scientists by the shoulders and shaking them vigorously!!

HELL! FUCKING! YES!!!!!!!! You, YOU keep talking!

[madchild-dennis]

Let me redo this:

BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM

The Government is investing IN WHAT?

THIEVES!!!

So instead of charging, reprimanding and holding them accountable for DECADES of stealing from the POOR. They are given the opportunity to be a place of iNtEgRiTy.

No consequence for their actions

No infrastructure to make sure they do NOT take advantage of the poor.

No care for the people wronged

Just:

Tax cuts to make importing horses cheaper

Investments to make them better/be an industry of integrity

They don't ever go to jail/consequences for their actions.

An opportunity to fix themselves without the possibility of being charged as they fix face and their infrastructure. ALL BACKED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

So these people and industry which requires SIGNIFICANT wealth to participate in doesn't even get a slap on the wrist but their CRIMES are ignored. Then granted a Government branded covering and shield to become a industry of integrity.

WHY is that so?

Because these are WEALTHY individuals who may be foreigners/whites/AFLUENT population of Jamaica.

Let me paint a picture. One horse can cost $100,000 to $1,000,000+ USD or EUR. That's ONE FUCKING HORSE. So the people who own the horse pay that. Then caring for a horse AIN'T CHEAP. Then training cost. Then administration fee. Then betting.

These ain't middle class income type of industry. This is the TOP 1%.

Those RICH, no they ain't just rich. This is OLD MONEY (could be originated from slave plantations in the Caribbean or further), NEW MONEY, BILLIONAIRES, US/Euro Multi-millionaires, and much more. To be in this circle of people you have to HAVE WEALTH; Not be rich. Mega/Super Yacht kinds of money.

They do NOT need money. In fact the reason the steal from the poor is to make sure that's their profit margin is high while charging enormous fees for their premium services. So GREEDY MOTHERFUCKERS who won't suffer if they had integrity in they way they do business in the first place or even if they were charged for their CRIMES.

So the RICH, WEALTHY and the AFLUENT gets an opportunity to fix themselves up get funding to make sure they are of integrity. Get tax breaks and get to make more money. Given the opportunity to continue to be GREEDY.

While the poor people, the source of most of the crimes, the Government ONLY care to punish. These poorer people aren't given the opportunity and protection from the same government so that they can live, survive and be a GOOD contributing citizen to society. Instead of "criminality".

I've spoken to "bad men" who may have illegal guns. Who may have stolen and much more. Their concern is being given the opportunity to be able to live, save, grow and provide for their families. Many who when given the opportunity to travel, would not live the same as they do here. That's so they do not loose the opportunity abroad. Because they feel they can work and get what they deserve and more than survive. I'm sure would do the same if given the opportunity here.

However, instead of given them the opportunity to do so like making the minimum wage liveable ($29,000/week). You choose to create a world that do not care about them unless they are aliens (a foreigner), WEALTHY, highly educated, famous or such. Then also rewarding the wealthy criminals with more money on top of that.

Don't talk about giving them a chance to be educated or skilled. They are STILL exploited or barely paid what they're worth.

So criminality of lighter skinned and WEALTHY (especially established wealth maybe from the backs of slaves) are ignored while the criminality of the poor gets the "FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW"!!!

Please note the Minister of Finance said it is to bring integrity to the industry. Which means they KNOW of the crimes committed by the industry. So instead of consequences/application of the "full extent of the law" THEN given a second chance. Their CRIMES are ignored and then straight to a PR stunt.

Just like this fucking Government.

[thefirsthogokage]

I have resorted to watching the three-way Law & Order Crossover Event out of boredom. Wish me luck because I have already gotten to the "Ukraine, 2022” part (aka the first second) and I am kind of sickened they are involving that.

So, anywho, if you want to read below: a) there will be spoilers. B) keep in mind I HATE the current state of Law & Order and I think if they won't bring back Criminal Intent, the whole lot of the bad ones on now should be fucking gone. You have been warned.

Reactions/Commentary For The Full Event Below The Cut

Law & Order: Organized Crime

Season 3, Episode 1: Gimme Shelter, Part 1

Cosgrove, you are a dipshit. And Jeff Donovan doesn't deserve this crap.

God this is so odd, Cosgrove's dialogue.

WHAT A GODDAMN DUMBASS, SHE TOLD YOU SHE WAS BEING CHASED!

Oh god, and of course this is OC where they do all the killing of women, Geezus Kryst.

God the bad writing makes Jeff look like such a bad actor. Or maybe he's not great (in addition to the bad writing) and he just fit on burn notice.

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I will say, I like Jeff using his hands to describe what happens. So, not bad actor, but bad writing.

Mehcad Brooks also deserves better. He's done great acting in these first few seconds.

Wait, how long was Cosgrove's daughter there without hime? Fucking Kryst. He didn't even call her? Lovely writing, great job, team!

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Pretty sure a detective being on scene as the first officer there would NOT be allowed to investigate. Especially out of his jurisdiction, from his jurisdiction.

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Oh they aren't covering up Mechad's hand tat? Like, that might have been good in narcotics, but as a plain clothes detective? No way, he'd have to cover that up in a city like NY, I'm sure of it.

Nice to know the ME's place looks the same.

Also I do like this "showing around the new Homicide guy" bit. That's one point, but this is still in the negatives.

They're actually watching the autopsy? The fuck? Those take a while too. Geezus. Full on Organized Crime way of telling this story.

A John/Pimp was chasing her himself? Seriously? GFK (Geezus fucking Kryst).

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Love Shaw trying to be like "the legal path is easy at this stage and it will keep bad shit from happening later." But unfortunately, time for Cosgrove's bullshit. But they had a fun little back and forth at the end. They actually have decent... chemistry? That doesn't feel like the right word.

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God Mehcad makes Jeff looks so small 😂😂

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Oh here we go, here's Liv!

Back and forth flows nicely.

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They are elongating some shots at the end of the scene longer than necessary. Like, filming too much. Not the way these shows usually were cut.

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And that's the way you do that, Cosgrove. Nice job Shaw.

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Nice job Cosgrove, that totally wasn't complaint worthy *eye roll*.

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Oh look, a wild Stabler appears. (23 minutes into his own show. And Benson was in it first 😂😂)

"You don't reach out" did...did he know OC was investigating him???

Mildly amusing that Jeff and Meloni look a little alike. I mean, all blue-eyed people have the same ancestor, right.

Wait, if Jeff and Chris are the same high, why did Jeff look taller....?

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I like Elliot being on the other side of the hotheadedness and seeing what the fuck that's like to deal with.

Oh come on Elliot, you'll get him eventually. Fucking Kryst. "Good cop" shut the fuck up Frank.

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I am absolutely not fond of all this "sun in the eyes angle".

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Fucking hell this is stupid. I like this CI too. He's probably dead. Or not, but he's done with that, he's never going to gain the guy's trust.

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Goddamn, I HATE the SVU Squad room, like, what the fuck. Do they have any excuse for it changing over the years? Genuinely curious.

They found her way too quick. UGH. Gross. Just all this is so gross.

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Season 24, Episode 1: Gimme Shelter, Part 2

Ugh, I regret all of this so much. On with the crap.

Their squad room set shit is so grossly cold. Like the one the the revived L&O had is that the squad room isn't the worst. This one? This one is just fuckery on the eyes. At least OC is visually followable too. And this lighting. How does anyone stand this?

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Holding that phone like that in interrogation???

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"what's an old man to her" a very valid question about a 14 year old calling someone old.

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No, not recording sex. Recording rape. Geezus. Bad wording.

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This young actress is good.

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I hate this show, but I still hate Kelli is gone because she very much seemed to love working there. I hate they booted to POC to (pay less) for one white guy.

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"don't come in here!" Liv yells to officers who do not stop in their tracks.

I was just going to be the terrorist case they always wanted to do with the original three shows?

Ugh. I hate that Criminal Intent wasn't around for this. I really would have loved to see with those three shows would have been like in that crossover during a lot better writing in the Law and Order universe. Makes absolutely no sense that they didn't try to do another crossover like after the first season of Criminal Intent. Well I guess unless they considered it would have been too difficult given shit going on with D'Onofrio at the time. Seems like the only way they can think of doing crossovers like this is with cases that end up being a terrorism case, which just isn't true.

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Evacuate? The fuck? How when the city is that big? How would that not get people killed in a panic? Kryst I miss peak Law and Order.

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Well Vince is going to die. Damn shame of a talented character actor.

Fuck. Hate this. They were so slow on this. The cops, they moved in way too slow. Gross. They keep killing people on this show related to OC. Absolutely fucking hate it. Usually it's women, but ffs, it's always super disgusting. What's the fucking point of it?

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As dumb as it is for Elliot to have tried to go after the guy, I liked that little bit.

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God I hate this shit.

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Oh good, Shaw speaks Spanish.

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Why didn't you start with the amount of time on that bomb, dude?

Bad explosion graphics.

Also, why do they want to blow up NATO shit? Also how the fuck can they hear?

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SVU, so Rollins finds her. Ok.

Oh, Rollins and Stabler cornering him. Nice.

Cosgrove took Liv's orders without question, interesting.

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One thing they definitely get with Jeff Donovan is someone who knows not only how to hold a gun, but who has a good stance while holding it.

Nice fucking judo throw by Meloni, fuck.

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Interesting how Cosgrove stops him, when he was angry as he was. But I guess "good cop" doesn't involve killer, even though he likes to get rough. Might have made more sense with Shaw though.

"Thanks for the" exchange was nice.

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Law & Order

Season 22, Episode 1: Gimme Shelter, Part 3

Ugh, not looking forward to this. I mean, I'm looking forward to it being done.

"shut this city down now" which they didn't.

Probably one of the few L&O episodes to start like this. Heavy on the Order.

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Yeah, we haven't figured out motive yet. And God does Hugh sound like a Brit speaking with an American accent is the best way I can describe it. He didn't need to even be from the US. It would have been interesting if his character was just as English as he is.

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Oh this is how the current Law & Order opening theme is? Ew.

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These law sets are great. Bright. Lively, so much better than the other two shows.

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Was, they didn't have Carisi at all, did they?

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God Mehcad is so big.

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The video quality is pretty clear, what the fuck?

Well, people are saying the legal stuff is going to shit on this show. Used to be much better.

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Damn, Rollins was a good shot.

Oh, that was the shot that got the write out started. UGH. I hate Dick Wolf so much.

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Once again I'm just like "the lack of Criminal Intent content is unacceptable." That fandom needs to be so, so many times larger than it is. It would be so much more popular at this time. It's like no one knows it exists. Like it was just written out of existence. Like someone tried to erase it. So fucking gross.

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Oh Carisi. There he is.

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Oh ffs, Liv.

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Dismiss terrorism charges? Insane, given the target.

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This is probably the first original plot the revival has done.

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Oh good, Mccoy making sense.

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Oh I knew it. This guy that always plays Russians is of course playing a Russian.

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Oh they let this episode be 45 minutes. That's never a thing in TV anymore.

Oh, Hugh's character tried to help him a little late, but he did.

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God what a nothing burger of an ending. That didn't feel satisfying in anyway. Like, the guy going off to inform on Putin would have been fine. Him dying a quick death? That's a waste.

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In Conclusion:

So, as much as I hated this, I have sadly seen them do disgustingly worse.