#even though i literally Am like i know what everything on the road means i know what to do and how to operate a car

[homo-house]

hey uh so I haven't seen anyone talking about this here yet, but

the amazon river, like the biggest river in the fucking world, in the middle of the amazon fucking rainforest, is currently going through its worst drought since the records began 121 years ago

picture from Folha PE

there's a lot going on but I haven't seen much international buzz around this like there was when the forest was on fire (maybe because it's harder to shift the narrative to blame brazil exclusively as if the rest of the world didn't have fault in this) so I wanted to bring this to tumblr's attention

I don't know too many details as I live in the other side of the country and we are suffering from the exact opposite (at least three cyclones this year, honestly have stopped counting - it's unusual for us to get hit by even one - floods, landslides, we have a death toll, people are losing everything to the water), but like, I as a brazilian have literally never seen pictures of the river like this before. every single city in the amazonas state is in a state of emergency as of november 1st.

pictures by Adriano Liziero (ig: geopanoramas)

we are used to seeing images of rio negro and solimões, the two main amazon river affluents, in all their grandiose and beauty and seeing these pictures is really fucking chilling. some of our news outlets are saying the solimões has turned to a sand desert... can you imagine this watery sight turning into a desert in the span of a year?

while down south we are seeing amounts of rain and hailstorms the likes of which our infrastructure is simply not built to deal with, up north people who have built everything around the river are at a loss of what to do.

the houses there that are built to float are just on the ground, people who depend on fishing for a living have to walk kilometers to find any fish that are still alive at all, the biodiversity there is at risk, and on an economic level it's hard to grasp how people from the northern states are getting by at all - the main means of transport for ANYTHING in that region is via the river water. this will impact the region for months to come. it doesnt make a lot of sense to build a lot of roads bc it's just better to use the waterway system, everything is built around or floats on the river after all. and like, the water level is so incomprehensibly low the boats are just STUCK. people are having a hard time getting from one place to another - keep in mind the widest parts of the river are over 10 km apart!!

this shit is really serious and i am trying not to think about it because we have a different kind of problem to worry about down south but it's really terrifying when I stop to think about it. you already know the climate crisis is real and the effects are beyond preventable now (we're past global warming, get used to calling it "global boiling"). we'll be switching strategies to damage control from now on and like, this is what it's come to.

I don't like to be alarmist but it's hard not to be alarmed. I'm sorry that I can't end this post with very clear intructions on how people overseas can help, there really isn't much to do except hope the water level rises soon, maybe pray if you believe in something. in that regard we just have to keep pressing for change at a global level; local conditions only would not, COULD NOT be causing this - the amazon river is a CONTINENTAL body of water, it spans across multiple countries. so my advice is spread the word, let your representatives know that you're worried and you want change towards sustainability, degrowth and reduced carbon emissions, support your local NGOs, maybe join a cause, I don't know? I recommend reading on ecological and feminist economics though

however, I know you can help the affected riverine families by donating to organizations dedicated to helping the region. keep in mind a single US dollar, pound or euro is worth over 5x more in our currency so anything you donate at all will certainly help those affected.

FAS - Sustainable Amazon Fundation

Idesam - Sustainable Developent and Preservation Institute of Amazonas

Greenpeace Brasil - I know Greenpeace isn't the best but they're one of the few options I can think of that have a bridge to the international world and they are helping directly

There are a lot of other smaller/local NGOs but I'm not sure how you could donate to them from overseas, I'll leave some of them here anyway:

Projeto Gari

Caritás Brasileira

If you know any other organizations please link them, I'll be sure to reblog though my reach isn't a lot

thank you so much for reading this to the end, don't feel obligated to share but please do if you can! even if you just read up to here it means a lot to me that someone out there knows

also as an afterthought, I wanted to expand on why I think this hasn't made big news yet: because unlike the case of the 2020 forest fires, other countries have to hold themselves accountable when looking at this situation. while in 2020 it was easier to pretend the fires were all our fault and people were talking about taking the amazon away from us like they wouldn't do much worse. global superpowers have no more forests to speak of so I guess they've been eyeing what latin america still has. so like this bit of the post is just to say if you're thinking of saying anything of the sort, maybe think of what your own country has done to contribute to this instead of blaming brazil exclusively and saying the amazon should be protected by force or whatever

[finelinevogue]

to new beginnings

summary - you and harry are drunk on the streets of rome

word count - ~1k

pairing - husband!harry x reader

✨☀️💛☀️✨☀️💛☀️✨☀️💛☀️✨☀️💛☀️✨

“It’s literally this way.”

“No it isn’t.”

You tugged on Harry’s hand, attempting to make him follow you down a road - that looked like an alley - that you were sure would lead you to the main square.

Harry was insistent you were going the wrong way, but who could actually tell when you were both as drunk as each other.

Harry stood still as he watched you were drunk eyes and a soft smile, as you tried to tug him your way.

“Haarryy!”

“Y/NN!”

“Come on! I know what I’m doing.”

“No you don’t. You’re sloshed!” Harry laughed, watching you spin around in circles for whatever reason.

“I’m not sloshed… I’M IN LOVE.” You shouted to the universe, and also the unfortunate old couple that just happened to be walking past at the same time.

Before you could apologise, the old man spoke; “I remember when we were like that, Carla.”

You smiled warmly, looking from them to Harry. Harry was already smiling towards you, that spark still in his eyes for you even after 5 years together.

5 years together but only 2 days of being married.

Marriage was pretty happy so far.

“We still are.” The old woman smiled at her husband as they passed by.

You continued to walk off then, walking down the road you wanted to go down.

It was a very small and quaint alley, lots of balconies with hanging green baskets and drying clothes. You looked up at them as you passed by, your trainers padding along on the cobbled floor as you walked.

As you were in your own little world, you didn’t hear Harry sneak up on you until his arms were around your waist and lifting you up in the air to spin you around.

“Harry!” You laughed, your jaw hurting from smiling so much.

“Will you ever learn to listen to me?” He bit playfully onto your exposed shoulder, where the thin strap of your dress lay.

“Never!”

“Is that how marriage works? You being in charge?”

“Obviously.”

He safely set you on the ground and you brushed your dress-skirt down, before twirling around and throwing your arms around his neck.

“What?” He asked, smiling down at your happy face.

“I’m in charge.” You tried to say seriously, but you were too drunk to be in complete control of your face.

“Okay.” Harry gave in, kissing your forehead.

“No, I am. I really am.”

“I know.”

“That means I can control you to do loads of things for me.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Harry asked, even though he was ready to say yes to everything.

“Umm, buy me flowers every day.”

He kissed you then, “Done.”

“Okay,” You blushed, “Hmm. Come on beach walks with me every weekend - no matter how far from the coast we are.”

He kissed you again then, “Yup.”

“Uhh what about…”

Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. “Yes, yes, yes. Yes to anything and everything. Boss me around all day everyday, I don’t care as long as you’re happy, my love.”

“I am. Very happy.”

You leaned up to kiss him properly then, showing him just how much you love him. You scrunched the small hair on the back of his neck and pulled him closer, moving in tandem with each other like you’d known each other a lifetime not only five years.

You pulled away first but quickly moved to kiss his jaw and leading down his neck, kissing and nipping at the skin to give him a hickey.

“Babe… No!” Harry laughed, knowing how much you loved giving him hickeys but never somewhere everyone could see.

“Nooooo.” You whined as he pulled your head away from his neck.

“Baby, you’re drunk and I’m drunk but I know we’re going to be mad at each other if you give me a public hickey. So be good and stop.”

You scrunched your face up in pretend anger.

“You’re annoying.” You kiss him on the lips once more.

“So are you.”

“That’s not very nice.” You feigned shock.

“Aww, are you sad?”

“Don’t taunt me.” You rolled your eyes.

“Lemme kiss you to make up for it.” Harry leaned in to kiss you but you shoved your hand on his face and pushed him away before he could.

You laughed as he pretended to be hurt by your action, but you ran off down the road before he could say or do anything.

He shook his head with a smile as he watched you go, nearly tripping over a cobble stone even in your flat shoes.

“Y/N/N, be careful.”

You stood at the end of the alley watching Harry still standing there with a fond smile.

“C’mon! I hear music.” You urged him.

So he came.

He wandered over to you casually, feeling like he had all the time in the world to spend with you. Every moment of his was now yours and he couldn’t be happier to share them all with you. You. He sometimes couldn’t believe he’d managed to end up with you.

You held out a hand for him and he took it, slinking his fingers through yours.

You hummed in delight and the both of you walked in silence, off towards the vibrant music of the city to dance the night to new beginnings.

[chemicaljacketslut]

dude i need to look into treatment or something for this driving anxiety tomorrow i have to drive a route that i’ve literally driven before and is incredibly easy, actually i literally drove this exact route the first time i drove alone, except i have to turn into a parking lot on the right instead of on the left at the very end. which is literally EASIER but all my brain understands is oh?? different turn??? NEW driving experience? UNFAMILIAR circumstances??????? We Will Die Instantly

[flippinpancakes64]

Hi! Hope your doing well

Can I get the cullens with reader who is sick and wants nothing but cuddles?

The Cullens with a sick reader

Hello! I am doing well thank you!

I went for just a general sickness not really like a specific one so imagine whatever you want.

Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy!

Edward:

He's really concerned

The most concerned of all of them, actually

His mother died from the flu and he was going to as well

So any illness reminds him that you're human and that what happened to his mom could happen to you too

He insists on Carlisle staying home to look after you

He is pacing, he is breathing heavy, he looks like he's on the verge of death

It's only when Carlisle manages to get through to him that you'll be fine does he finally calm down

Then he notices that your skin is really clammy and you're really hot

What better way to cool down than a literal block of ice?

He will lay there with you as long as you need

It doesn't matter if he's hungry and needs to hunt

If you're still sick he is not leaving the house

Much less leaving your side

Alice:

She saw this coming

Maybe you did something stupid and like stood in the rain with a t shirt and shorts on

Or maybe you just accidentally crossed paths with a kid who was sick at your school

Either way she saw you being sick a couple of days in advance

It gave her enough time to prepare everything that you would need

She was also able to see that you ended up being fine, so she doesn't worry too much

You don't even need to ask for cuddles though

She is already there

The good part about being prepared ahead of time is that she has everything she needs

She doesn't need to leave the room to go get you anything

She doesn't need to go hunt

She is just there at your service, ready to comfort

Jasper:

He could tell you weren't feeling good when you walked in the room and your upset mood made its way to his senses

He's a little lost on how to help

In his time, when people got sick you threw them out of the wagon so they didn't infect others

Or, alternatively, you just set them up in a nice, comfy place to die <3

So yeah he's a little helpless

If you're lucid enough to tell him what you need he'll do it

Other than that he gets Carlisle's help

The moment you open your arms and ask him to hold you, he is there

Like immediately

If he can't help any other way on your road to recovery, this is the least he can do

Like the others, he would hate to leave you

But he's a lot less used to the vegetarian diet

And being so close to you doesn't help

So if this falls at a bad time where he needs to go hunt, he's gonna have to leave

He would hate to do it

But it's for your safety

Rosalie:

Basically built for this

I mean, she wants to be a mom really bad

Those little shits get sick every 2 business days

I feel like she's read enough parenting books to be able to know how to help you

She doesn't let anyone near you

Not even Carlisle

She insists she has it under control

And to her credit, she does

However she gets a bit lost in the technicalities of it

Like checking your temperature every ten minutes, making sure the food she gets you has the right amount of nutrients, keeping the room at a solid temperature

You're gonna have to be the one to stop her

Just tell her that while you appreciate everything she's done for you, all you really want is to be held

She takes a moment to process it before she gets in the bed immediately

Does not leave

Even if she's starving

Emmett:

When he was still alive, he had a younger sister

So I feel like he wouldn't be too inexperienced when it comes to taking care of someone when they're sick

However I feel like he has a very antiquated sense of medicine

He'd go out and buy like cocaine-infused adderall or smthn and say that this is what he used to take when he felt sick

Don't take anything he gives you

It's for your safety

Just tell him the best medicine he could give you is some cuddles

And he'll drop whatever else he was planning to try to give you

If you can stand, it would be in your best interest to ask Carlisle to help you instead

He has the spirit though

And I feel like cuddling with him would be the best

Esme:

Another one with a bit of trauma surrounding illnesses

Her baby died due to an illness and now she's scared

She doesn't want to lose you too

Even though she knows the likelihood of you dying is small, she still can't help it

Another one who's asking Carlisle for help

Sorry Carlisle

Anyway she is at your beck and call

Soup? Done. And it's homemade

Water? Done. Fresh from Fiji

You want the room to be colder? Yeah just hold on a sec while she goes and harvests a piece from an iceberg

In the middle of all of her running around you're gonna have to stop her and just tell her that all you want is cuddles

Instantly she is setting up some candles, putting on a movie, and holding you in bed

Is not convinced that you are all better even after you've completely recovered

For at least another week she is still hoverinfg

Carlisle:

The man of the hour

When you told him you were sick it was like saying you're thirsty as you're standing in front of a stream of fresh, clean water

No need to worry you're in good hands

Instantly gets to work

He finds out what you're sick with, how long you'll have it, what your symptoms will be, and the best treatment options in the blink of an eye

Gets everything set up at lightning speed

But after he's got everything set out for you and he knows you don't need anything else, he takes a step back and sees that you are still missing something

When you ask if he can cuddle, he wastes no time

He calls into the clinic and tells them that he can't make it today or tomorrow

Unfortunately, though, he will leave at some point

He takes his job very seriously

Hence why he's still working even though he has enough money to buy all of Europe twice over

So he will leave to go back to work

But he won't work extra long shifts

Or stay up late doing paperwork

You are the priority

Vampire! Bella:

She's a little helpless

Charlie wasn't the most ideal parent to be sick around

He believed that everything fixes itself

And though Renee was a lot better at that, a little of Charlie still rubbed off on her

But of course, she does remember the agony of being sick

It's not that she's not sympathetic, it's just that she doesn't know what to do

So again she leaves that up to Carlisle if it's really bad

She was already curled up with you before you even got the chance to ask

She figured that since there was nothing else she could do she might as well just comfort you

Will leave a couple of times though

She'll go hunt or go pick up a new book if she finishes her old one

So I'd say she's there like 98% of the time

[elftwink]

going to say something about writing that is not a complaint and i know it sounds exactly like someone complaining but the conclusion i have drawn is that this rules. preface over am currently "working on" (in the most generous, nebulous sense possible) an original fantasy story & i just keep finding more stuff about the world i need to decide because it feels extremely formative to me even though it will barely appear on the page, if at all

but like... just the sheer volume of communication irl that happens symbolically that you never question becomes so apparent when you try to create a world that doesn't have those things or doesn't have the conditions for such a thing to be created. writing a character wearing a wedding ring and then going wait a minute— would these people communicate marital status via ring placement? why do we do that irl? when did we start? surely thats not the only way people ever communicate marriage— what does everyone else do? and really, come to think of it, what does it mean to be 'married' in this fictional world i'm creating? is there a legal component or just a social one? should it have all the same connotations/obligations as the real world (e.g. monogamy, having children, romantic love, impact on finances, etc)?

you can do this with literally Everything In The World. what language is everyone speaking? is it the same one? how many languages are there in the region i'm writing about? is the language we're speaking anyone's second language? when did they learn? is bilingualism common? and where does everyone here live? speaking of living, is that a permanent dwelling situation or are people nomadic? what's the climate like? are all the characters here used to the climate or is someone used to ten degrees cooler and kind of short tempered because of it? the clothes are probably impacted by the weather, what's everyone wearing? what's it made out of? what would be around here that could be used for dye? help me i have a case of worldbuilders disease and its incurable. these motherfuckers are never going to finish this journey because i cant even get them on the page long enough to pack a cart. also would they use carts? when did we start having cart and carriages pulled on roads irl? if there's roads, who's maintaining them— or is it just the path from years of people travelling that way? does the terrain allow for wheeled vehicles or would some other way be better?

anyway. you may call all this a waste of time and "not technically writing" since i "havent written any prose". i think im just slow cooking this novel. oooooh im thinking about it so much. you just wait when im like 56 im going to knock your socks right off with my intricate detailed world where i thought about everything except whatever element of society you understand most deeply. that part i fucked up and clearly didn't know anything about. sorry

[ginax0916]

°‧★ 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐭.𝟐★‧°

Matt Sturniolo x fem!reader

Synopsis: Two roommates finally confess their feelings for each other.

༺☆༻

Do I really want to be more than just roommates with Matt? I mean we’ve been best friends for the 2 years we’ve been living together. We’ve made out a couple times while we were drunk but nothing more than that. Plus he would never have feelings for me. He’s always going for the hot sorority girls with blonde hair and shiny blue eyes. But he’s just so attractive. I’ve always tried to push my feelings for him away but they come back every time. This date was just to try and get over him but obviously that didn’t go very well.

I can’t confess my feelings to him he’s literally driving me home after getting splashed in the face by some dick who I thought was a good guy. I mean how embarrassing is that?

“What’s on your mind hm?” Matt speaks up.

“What do you mean” I say trying to sound confused.

“I mean that I’ve talking to you for the past 5 minutes but all you’ve been doing is staring out the window” Matt laughs.

“Oh sorry I was just thinking about tonight” I lie.

“Do you wanna talk about it now? We still have like 20 minutes till we get home. C’mon spill” Matt says, patting my thigh making me blush.

“Ok well at first I thought it was gonna be good but the whole car ride there was so awkward and we didn’t even speak” I sigh.

“Go on” He encourages me.

“Then once we got to the restaurant the first 5 minutes we didn’t even say a word. And once we finally started talking we just kept disagreeing on things. We had nothing in common and he just kept making skimpy comments about me” I say clearly angry.

“Wait what do you mean skimpy comments?” He says worried.

“Just stuff like ‘that dress hugs you so well’ and ‘it makes your boobs look nice’ it was just so uncomfortable” I mumble.

“What a dick” Matt says.

“It gets worse. After we were done and we went back to his car. He tried to force himself onto me and kept trying to make out with me. I kept pushing him away but he would call me a brat for not wanting to kiss him. Then when I got out of the car he sped past a puddle that was next to me and completely drenched me” I say annoyed.

“Woah woah what the fuck did you just say?” Matt suddenly stops the car on the side of the road.

“Matt why did you stop” I say confused.

“Answer me y/n what did you just say?” He sternly says.

“That he kept trying to make out with me even when I kept pushing him away and he would call me a brat or that he ran over a puddle and splashed me?” I question.

“Both! What the fuck. I’m gonna beat his fucking ass” Matt angrily says.

“What no don’t. Look he was a dick but don’t start a fight please” I look up at him grabbing his arm.

“But he called you a brat y/n and basically assaulted you” He says.

“Matt it’s fine I’m with you now. Just don’t start shit up alright? This was enough already” I tell him.

“Fine fine. But if he does anything to you I won’t hesitate” Matt claims.

“Whatever you say Matt” I laugh.

“He was right about one thing though” Matt says looking at me deep in the eyes.

“What is it?” I ask confused.

“You do look really pretty in that dress” Matt quietly speaks. Still looking at me making me nervous.

“You think so?” I blush.

“I know so” He smiles.

He just called me pretty. Matt called me pretty what am I mean’t to do here? Do I tell him how I feel even though I literally just got out of a terrible date?

“Matt” I whisper as his face is just inches apart from mine.

“Yea?” He says cupping my cheek with one of his hands.

“We can’t do this” I say looking down.

“Why not. I see no issue” Matt answers as he puts his finger under my chin making me look up.

“But we’re just roommates it’s gonna change everything” I mumbled feeling nervous.

“But what if I don’t wanna be just roommates anymore with you?” He nervously confesses.

“Matt I-” He cuts me off smashing his lips onto mine.

I kiss him back immediately. Our lips dancing together. He licks my bottom lip as if asking for permission to be let in. Gladly I part my mouth and his tongue fights with mine causing me to moan into the kiss. Matt smiles against my mouth. As we run out of breath we pull away slowly. Our foreheads rest against each other. His deep blue eyes stare into mine. What the fuck just happened.

“You know I’ve been wanting to do for a while” He chuckles.

“What? Really?” I ask not believing him.

“Why’s it so hard to believe hm?” He smiles.

“Well because you’re always bringing home all these random girls and you’re always hanging with the pretty sorority girls I just assumed you had no interest in me” I slightly laugh.

“I was with all these girls because I was trying to get rid of my feelings for you” He says turning to look at the window.

“You have feelings for me?” I ask in disbelief.

“Yes y/n I do. You can’t even imagine how I feel for you. All those times I’ve asked you if you’re jealous because I bring girls home, I secretly wish that you say yes. I was hoping that you would not like something about Jason so you wouldn’t go out with him again. I thought it was just some silly feelings but truth is, I hate seeing you with other guys. I want you all to myself y/n” Matt confesses as he looks down embarrassed.

“Matt I um” No words form. I can’t believe it. This whole time I thought he had no interest in me what so over.

“Look I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have kissed you. You just had a bad night I shouldn’t have confessed my literal feelings. I’m sorry we can just forget about it if you want”

“Matt” I say as he keeps talking.

“I’m really sorry it’s gonna be so awkward now. I can sleep at my friends house if you want-”

I cut him off my gently placing my lips on his. The kiss is different than the first one. This one is full of passion and warmth. Neither of us fight for dominance, instead we take in the moment. The kiss lasts long neither of us wants to pull away. Until we run out of breath, Matt pulls away.

“Are you crazy Matt? Of course I like you back. I have for so long I just genuinely thought that you only liked me as a friend. This whole date with Jason was just to get you off my mind and to try and lose feelings” I tell him holding his hand in mine.

“Alright then how about I take you on a proper date Ms y/n? How does that sound?” He asks.

“I’d like that Matt” I smile.

“It’s set then. Friday night I’m taking you out to dinner to the fanciest restaurant I can find” Matt’s smile grows even more as he looks me deep in the eyes.

“Matt you don’t have to do all that. We can literally just watch a movie at home and I’ll be happy” I laugh.

“After whatever happened today with Jason you deserve the world sweetheart” He chuckles again.

“Well then thank you. Thank for making my night better as well” I blush at the nickname.

“Anything for you” He kisses my cheek and starts the car again driving us both home.

The rest of the ride home I stare out the window with the biggest smile on my face. Matt actually likes me back. Am I dreaming?

Ok idk if this is even good but I tried my best lollll

@mattsturniololoverr @christhopersturniolo @dlyansworld @blahbel668 @chrissgirlsstuff

[georgeclarkewifey]

Inconvenience | g. clarke

Chapter 5 - The Bach and Arthur Podcast

Summary: Noa spills all in an eventful episode of her favourite podcast

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: swearing (I think that’s all of them? lmk if you think there should be more xxx)

noamurphy

liked by arthurtv, italianbach and 18,938 others

noamurphy Issac wouldn’t smile for the photo :(

but hey, catch me on the Bach and Arthur podcast where I talk about literally anything and everything (sorry Chris)

Comments open

italianbach i look so cool

chrismd10 what do you mean sorry Chris??

⮑ noamurphy guess you’ll have to watch and find out ;)

⮑ chrismd10 Noa…

⮑ noamurphy Christopher…

arthurtv best episode yet id say

⮑ noamurphy yeah bc I was there

⮑ maxbalegde useless hotline when??

⮑ noamurphy 👀

⮑ fan NOA WHAT DOES THIS MEAN????

fan1 the silence from George is LOUD

⮑ fan2 yes!!! Bc why is the entire uk yt scene following her except for him???

⮑ fan3 speculation 👏 means 👏 nothing 👏

⮑ noamurphy fan3 speaking facts

gkbarry_ everyone prepared to get jealous bc I’m meeting her tomorrow

⮑ noamurphy giggling and kicking my feet like a child

⮑ arthurhill can confirm this

⮑ taliamar can I come 🥺👉👈

⮑ gkbarry_ noamurphy odds on making it a London girlies meet up?

⮑ noamurphy let’s do it x

⮑ gkbarry_ freyanightingale consider yourself invited

⮑fan4 this meet up is going to be legendary

“Welcome back to the Bach and Arthur Podcast, where we have a very special guest, please welcome the very cool Noa Murphy!” Arthur introduced, grinning as Noa moved onto the set.

She sat opposite Arthur and Issac, relaxing into the plush sofa. “Hello hello, thanks for having me.”

“You’re very welcome, to be honest I’ve wanted you to come on ever since you moved.” Arthur said.

“What can I say, I’ve got some great stories to tell of our childhood in Jersey.”

“Please tell me you have embarrassing child Arthur stories.” Isaac begged, adjusting the microphone in front of him.

“Oh of course I do.” She replied, grinning mischievously at Arthur, who closed his eyes.

“How am I regretting having you on already?” Arthur asked.

“Maybe you should give yourself a small introduction, so those who are watching who may not know who you are?” Isaac suggested.

Noa nodded, and waved at the camera. “Hi! I’m Noa, I grew up in Jersey with Arthur, and the even more famous Chrismd, and I’m currently working as an architect.”

“God you’re instantly cooler than all of us.” Isaac replied, glancing at Arthur and shaking his head.

“I mean I’ve got a law degree-“

“But you’re not an actual lawyer.”

“But I trained-“

“But you quit two months in.”

Arthur sighed. “Fine.”

“So, growing up in Jersey? What was it like?”

Noa smiled fondly, leaning back in the chair. “Even though it was small, I did really enjoy my childhood ya know? There’s been times where I’ve thought I was a bit hard done by, like missing out on being near London, and all the cool stuff there, but at the same time, as a kid who was fond of the outdoors, being able to run around in fields for hours on end was really good for me.”

“All fine until you encounter a bull.” Arthur added, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

“I’m sensing a story…” Isaac said, leaning closer to the mic with a smile.

Noa rolled her eyes playfully and looked at Arthur. “Shall I tell the story or do you want to?”

“You’re the guest, all yours.”

Swiping a few stray hairs away from her eyes, Noa smiled fondly and set about telling the story. “So, next to the roads where Arthur, Chris and I lived, there were loads of farmers fields - some had crops in, but the majority of them were grazing pastures for cows.”

“Jersey cows, one of the main things we’re known for.”

“Exactly. And so as kids, we’d run around these fields whenever they were empty, which would be a couple of weeks to a month on rotation. The farmer knew we did this, he didn’t really care so long as we weren’t in with the cows.” Noa said, exchanging knowing smiles with Arthur.

“So one summer, I think I was about 12? So Arthur and Chris were 15,16 maybe, and we’re running around these as we do, with the other kids in the neighbourhood. And it’s getting late, so before we go home, what we would do is we’d go up to the fence within the field, to try and feed the cows, Arthur even had a favourite.”

“He what?”

“Oh my god, Moovis! How could I forget about her!”

“You named a cow, Moovis?” Isaac asked, slowly turning to look at Arthur.

He shrugged. “She was cute, and she liked me, so I thought why not?”

“So we went up to this fence as usual, but for some reason the herd wasn’t in the adjacent field, which we all thought was weird, so we decided to investigate.”

“Hindsight shows that we should never have done that.”

“So we all climb over into this field, and start exploring. I think we got about halfway across when we realised why there weren’t any cows in that field.”

“I’m really scared about what’s going to happen next.”

“There were bulls. No cows because there were about five bulls in the field.”

“Honestly, it was one of the most terrifying moments of my life.” Arthur insisted, nodding furiously. “The fear that went through me was insane. I think I’m still apprehensive to go in fields with cows now after this.”

“So we then have to get out, but we’re trying to creep backwards in the hope that they haven’t seen us, and that we can escape without dying.”

“I’m guessing that something went wrong?” Isaac asked.

“So as we’re backing it towards the fence, this fucking massive bull spots Chris, who’s wearing his bright red Arsenal shirt, and does the normal thing and starts charging. Which prompts the rest of them to start charging us. So, we are all scared to death, sprinting for our lives - I’m pretty sure Kelly, Chris’ sister and Chris were both holding my hands and dragging me along, because eleven year old me could hardly keep up.”

“That sounds deeply traumatic.”

“Trust me, it was.” Arthur said, looking a little pale.

“Then as we get to the fence, I reckon they were about ten metres behind, so we throw ourselves over, and as we tumble over, poor Chris landed headfirst into a cowpat.”

Isaac’s jaw dropped, and slowly formed into a grin as he looked between Noa and Arthur. “You’re kidding.”

“She isn’t.” Arthur confirmed, biting his lip in an attempt to grin too much. “He then started screaming about how he had cow shit in his hair and all over his face.”

“So we did the sympathetic thing and laughed at him, because we were all so high on adrenaline and were just happy to be alive.”

“That might just be the best story that’s been told on the podcast yet.”

“I think I have to agree, poor little ChrisMD.”

“He complained the entire way back, and then to make it even better, we had to hose him down, because his mum didn’t want him coming inside with shit covered hair.” Noa added, grinning. “He stank for a couple of days though, he had to play Sunday league smelling like a cow’s arse.”

————————————•————————————

“So, Noa - the question everyone wants us to ask, are you ever going to do content creation?” Isaac asked, glancing over to Noa, who was happily curled up in the chair, cupping a fresh mug of hot chocolate.

She sighed. “It’s a complicated thing - I’ve obviously got my regular job, to which I am very happy in - my project is going well, which is always a plus.”

“For those who don’t know Noa is a really cool architect.”

“Arthur is exaggerating, I’ve just started at my dream firm and this is my first proper project.”

“But you’ve got a Masters degree, yeah?”

Noa nodded, rolling her eyes at Arthur. “Yes. Distinction in Modern Architecture with a Special Specialisation in Greco-Roman Architecture, is the full title I believe.”

“And it’s from Cambridge.”

“And that.”

“So, vlogging, TikTok? Are we going to see you there in the future?” Isaac questioned, trying to steer the conversation back onto the right track.”

“Right, yeah. I have considered it definitely, seeing as nearly everyone I know is a creator. But I’ve really considered the pros and cons, the biggest factor being that I don’t know how to edit, and I don’t really have it in my budget right now to pay an editor.”

“But if you found something that you were good at would you?” Arthur pressed, exchanging a glance with Isaac. “Because we must admit, we both think you’d make really good kinda micro-vlogs, or just really minimalistic ones.”

“Yeah, like they’re only like, ten, fifteen minutes long and it’s just your entire week, and it’s just you doing your normal routine.”

Noa raised her eyebrows. “You guys genuinely think that people would watch that?”

“Hell yeah! Even if there’s hardly any voice over, and you kinda just have some gentle music over your soft footage almost?” Arthur suggested.

“I mean, I’ll consider it. If people would genuinely watch it then yeah, I would probably start doing something like that.”

“You’d want it to be manageable.”

“Oh for sure, because it’s got to come after my job, and I’d also feel a bit weird if I become that one coworker that does YouTube or TikTok.”

“I mean, that was me. And I was working at a law firm.” Arthur added, trying to convince Noa more.

“Well on that subject, how did you get into architecture? Was it something you were always into?”

Arthur gave Isaac a slightly panicked look - this wasn’t something they had planned to talk about. He glanced at Noa, who didn’t seem too phased about the question.

“I mean, kind of? It was my special interest as a kid, aside from other things, and it was always fostered whenever we’d go on family trips to literally anywhere, because I’d just be walking round a city staring at all the buildings. That’s also how I was nearly run over by a bike as a child.”

“Stepped into the road without looking?”

“Indeed I did. Always look where you’re going kids.” Noa said, pointing down the camera lens that was focused on her. “So yeah, when I was applying for uni I knew that it was what I wanted to do.”

“That’s pretty cool. Would you ever design a house for one of us? You know, if we paid you enough?” Isaac questioned jokingly, raising an eyebrow at her.

Noa huffed, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “Maybe? It would have to fit the style of what I enjoy designing, but maybe.”

“You hear that Sidemen? You want a new house, get Noa to design it.”

author speaks: hello! I’m back! Sorry for the break in updates, moving out of uni took a lot of my time, therefore hardly any time to write :(

but I’m back now, so we vibin 😎

[ky-yk]

blessing in disguise (hyj x f!reader)

genre: fluff || word count: 690

author's note: thank u anon for this, literally brought me to life

"alright, guys, i had fun today," you spoke to the camera.

it was your turn to film for fimlog. you loved this series, having a knack for filmmaking yourself, but man was it tiring having to film yourself.

dressed in your favorite set of pajamas, barefaced with your glasses resting on your nose bridge, you gave a tired smile to the camera that you had facing your bed. "i'm going to sleep, good night, fearnot!" you greeted before ending the video. you then changed the video setting to "timelapse" and started recording again before settling in the comfort of your own bed, book in hand.

you never got rest like this often. being a member of one of the hottest girl groups in the business, you'd be lucky if you even had the energy to change out of your clothes from the day -- that's how busy you guys were.

then again, that's the price you pay in exchange for living the dream.

seeing the fans, travelling the world, and doing what you love with the people you love made everything worth it in the end.

that doesn't mean the road here was easy, though.

between sleepless nights, bouts of insecurity, and thoughts of giving up, a certain someone was with you through all of it. the same someone who was knocking on your door and peaking her head through the crack she made.

you perked up from your book at the sound and were greeted with the sight of your groupmate -- huh yunjin. a smile easily took over your features as you locked eyes with the girl.

"am i disturbing anything?" she asked, ever the gentlewoman.

"not at all," you chuckled in response.

"can i come in?"

"of course, jen."

at your permission, she opened the door to reveal one of your favorite sides of her -- jenjen, the girlfriend. she looks so small with how her hoodie and pajamas seem to be swallowing her whole. she shuffled her feet towards the foot of your bed before climbing on and laying on top of you, forcing you to put your book down beside you and wrap your arms around her waist.

"i didn't know being your bed was part of my job description."

"you should've read the fine print," she tsked, resting her chin on your chest to look up at you. you rolled your eyes at her antics. she stuck her tongue out at you. all was right with the world.

"how've you been today?" you asked.

"same old, same old. i had a bad day today, though," she sighed. you raised your eyebrows in surprise, ready to listen to whatever had her down in the dumps (and maybe beat a few people up -- only if necessary, though). the look on your face makes her chuckle.

"i didn't see you at all today, that's why," she says with a pout.

"yah, you had me worried!"

"i'm being serious though. you've been so busy, lately," she sighs.

you frowned at the girl. deep in thought, your eyebrows unconsciously furrowed until you came up with a plan.

"why don't we go out tomorrow?"

"what've you got in mind?"

"whatever your little heart desires, jen," you whispered to her, hearts in your eyes.

the hold this girl had on you was insane.

you wouldn't have it any other way, though.

"is that so?" she whispers, seemingly inching up to steal a kiss (or two. or five.), but not before you could stop her.

"jen, as much as i'd love to make out with you right now, my phone's been time-lapsing all of this, so..." you trailed off.

"oh." she muttered, her cheeks dusted pink.

you chuckled at the turn of events before giving her a peck on the forehead and moving the girl so that she was beside you. once she settled on your side, she rested her head right above your heart and wrapped her limbs around you, the steady beating of your heart grounding her and lulling her to sleep.

safe to say, when the video went live, CHINGUZ was trending on twitter for days on end.

[alexitheslayer02]

Okay.... Miquella Tangent

Tangent time, buckle in fellow Tarnished. I'm going lore hound mode.

[Note: I am by no means a lore expert. This is largely my interpretations and perspectives. I am not saying who is right, who is wrong, or any of that. I am not going to hate on anyone who does not agree with me. I will hate on people who are rude bitches in the comments or reblogs. I don't have time or patience for trolls and butthurt assholes. At the end of this, I will have links to other analyses of Miquella that others have done that I find interesting.] I predict that I may start a war hhh I want to be clear. I am not excusing the wrong doings Miquella made. He made poor choices (to put it lightly). I just also refuse, with everything given, to believe that Miquella is pure this or that, when he is a complex character within himself. I also don't believe Mohg deserved the treatment he got, nor is he fully absolved of the crimes he did commit either. ----------------------- In my opinion, Miquella is a great example of two things.

"The road to hell is paved in good intentions"

And that an overabundance in anything, even things generally thought of as good, can prove malignant.

Miquella is not an innately evil character. He is flawed, yes, but not evil by nature. I would classify him as a chaotic neutral, not evil, but not good either. He's in between.

Here is why I believe this to be so.

First of all, Miquella's bewitchment.

This is such a core part of his character, and I believe a core part of why people may hate him or feel sympathy for him depending on your perspective on it. First, is it a fully conscious thing? Is it involuntary? Or something in between? This is important to consider for any character with such an ability. Examples: Dracula, and Eida.

(Source for Image: Wikipedia) It's easy to hate Dracula, or see him as manipulative, because of his bewitching abilities. It's a conscious decision, so we understand that he is evil, he is hunting, he is manipulative, and should die.

[Source: It.... literally says so]

Eida is more sympathetic to a point than Dracula, as her bewitchment is not a conscious thing. It's as involuntary as the beating of the human heart. She can not "turn it off", so she never had true friends or romance, leaving her to live a relatively lonely life in a sense. What is my point? The nature of Miquella's ability, and how we choose to view it from what little we know of the vague snippets we hear/read can vastly alter how we view Miquella as a character. I, personally, see it as having always been there. An unconscious thing that existed since birth, and over time, became something of a defense mechanism, and something he may have loathed. If you have the ability to charm people somehow, and you can not control it, how would that warp your idea of what love or friendship is? It has to have some effect on his mentality towards these things. Now of course, Miquella had to have had some minor control of it, but I doubt he had complete control. Just knew how to fine tune it's trajectory to suit his needs. Like in the boss fight. I believe he always wanted to control it, but like all his plans, it never came to true fruition. [Headcanon: I headcanon that it is laced in his voice. So whenever he speaks, regardless of intention, you are at a threat of being bewitched. It could also explain how he is able to do this at such a scale as well. As evidenced by the Tarnished, some people seem to have some level of resistance to this bewitchment, which I think is linked to a strength of will. Though I have no way of knowing for certain.] Now. Another thing I think needs to be addressed is those under his thrall. It seems to me that Miquella can not fully control them. This is not BG3, where we have parasitical tadpoles to monitor people's thoughts and constantly affect our thought process in the moment. Miquella is not omnipresent, so he can not be at fault for every little action someone under his thrall makes. At best, I think the bewitchment is like planting a seed of bias. The plant that grow from it is utter devotion, but it's not like Miquella is actively editing people's thoughts. Think of it this way. Would you blame a leading officer for the actions that a grunt soldier took in the officer's absence? Of course not (I hope), the soldier made his own, personal, conscious decision by himself. It will, of course, be the officer's responsibility to punish or reward the soldier accordingly, but the fault does not lie with the officer in the end. Besides, we see that Miquella's charm does not alter his followers' personalities. It simply directs them into his favor. Their choices are their own to make. That never changed.

------------------------ Next up, Miquella's Curse. Miquella is cursed to never age. He is nascent, full of potential like a butterfly just leaving it's cocoon, but never flying far beyond that point.

From that, I would place his physical appearance as appearing between twelve to thirteen. Just reaching puberty, but not quite feeling or gaining the genuine effects.

However, he is just as old as Malenia chronologically. Most people would likely assume he'd have that maturity, right?

I personally don't think so.

"The most important psychological and psychosocial changes in puberty and early adolescence are the emergence of abstract thinking, the growing ability of absorbing the perspectives or viewpoints of others, an increased ability of introspection." 

(source:

This helps to make my point.

If Miquella is physically held back in this regard, it does effect his mentality. Not to mention, if everyone sees him as a child, they are likely to treat him as such. Regardless of it being intentional or not.

This would have an effect on his mental maturity. There is no doubt that Miquella is HIGHLY intelligent.  At the same time, intelligence does not equal maturity.

Neither does intelligence negate naivety, idealism, or just simply lack of forethought and/or consideration of consequences. It is a simple fact that children do not often consider the consequences their actions will have on others. They may think of the possible consequences their actions will have on themselves...

But when they are focused on a goal, or obsessed with said goal, they become narrow minded and don't consider the full scale of their consequences.

In fact, I hesitate to say this is a purely childish thing.

Many adults get a similar mentality, and focus on themselves rather than thinking outside of their tunnel vision. Especially if they are obsessed with whatever goal they have.

It's simply more common in children, because they lack the forethought to consider such things and have a lesser capability to consider other viewpoints. Combine that with Miquella mostly being treated as a child... He is literally an adult/child. But the child is far more prominent.

And children, often have the most dangerous of ideals.

Miquella's main goal, which he believes will take care of his other goals such as curing his sister's affliction and giving Godwyn a true death, is to become a god.

He wishes to usher in a new age ruled by compassion. 

To "Let all things flourish, whether graceful or malign."

Sounds nice initially, right? To let all life have a chance to live. To not have to suffer. That sounds wonderful, right? It's such a "kind" future.

Well....

"graceful or malign"

Good or evil.

Even things that are evil in nature would flourish in this new age. Why?

Because "Kindly Miquella", out of an act of kindness, would spare them death and consequence, to give them a chance to flourish. This is not because he does not care. It's because he does care.

Kindness does not necessarily mean good.

"the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate" is what kindness means.

Miquella is not good, nor evil. He's just....kind. He saw the suffering people had under Marika's rule, and wanted to amend it, yet, he only followed in her footsteps, childishly believing he knew better than his mother.

"Killing with kindness", have you heard that saying before? ------------------------- Because Miquella is so focused on achieving his goals, mostly for the sake of his sister [who awaits his return, which she mentions herself, so I doubt she was unaware of Miquella's plans. WHICH, destroys the abandonment argument I do believe] and half-brother, and all the people oppressed by the Golden Order, he likely does not even realize how this kindness would hurt people in his ideal age.

He, just as likely, does not even realize the suffering he is currently, likely unintentionally in my opinion, inflicting on the very people he intends to help in the first place.

As I mentioned before, I imagine that his bewitching ability is something he always had, and combined with his childlike appearance (cause who would ever suspect an innocent child?), was very powerful, and he likely did not even realize that he was using it in his earlier years, as a defense mechanism.

When he would come to realize what it was and what it did, he probably never thought of the pain it could cause, of the deaths he could unintentionally inflict. He simply, likely, saw it as simply another tool to use to help people.

Like a child running up to their parents with a chef's knife they saw them use while cooking, not realizing they could hurt themselves or others by running with it in hand.

"Well, what's this… … Yes, yes, I should have known. Even the truth was itself mere folly. As if using Lord Mohg to gain entrance to the land of shadow were not enough, he plans to use his corpse as the vessel of his king consort. He has forsaken Lord Mohg's soul. He desires only his empty shell. It beggars belief, but… I'm afraid Tender Miquella fails to grasp the humiliation implied by this act. One thing is certain. My dear lord deserved better." -Sir Ansbach Even Ansbach points this out, in how Miquella probably does not grasp how wrong this is, what he is doing to Mohg, and how this likely hurts the people who were under Mohg's command. People who also suffered under the Golden Order. --------------------- "Why did Miquella choose Radahn over Mohg?" I don't know when Miquella could have possibly met Mohg, but I am certain Miquella must have met Radahn a few times at least. In which case, he could have seen Radahn's kind aspects, rather than the vicious war lord. For instance, Radahn's loyalty to his horse. Radahn's care/respect for his soldiers, and thus the loyalty exhibited by said soldiers. Not to mention Radahn's respect for the Sellia school and skills in combat. To Miquella, who is physically weak due to his eternal youth, who's sole power lies in magic, Radahn likely seemed like a hero through the gilded lens of tales and boasts. Besides, Miquella would need someone to defend and fight for him when he reached godhood, who better than a general who seemed to have a kind heart? Through limited meetings, Miquella could have seen a white knight, a Lord like Godfrey or Godwyn. Someone who could chase the monsters away. As for poor Mohg... I have no answers. Maybe you guys can help me on that front. --------------------- And the last and final point I would like to add on....

Is what he does to himself throughout the DLC. He's abandoning parts of himself.

"I abandon here the flesh of my body."

"I abandon here my heart."

"I abandon here my doubt and vacillation."

(Vacillation- the lack of ability to decide what to do, or the act of changing often between two opinions)

"I abandon here my love." (found right before we find his alter ego/other half, St. Trina.)

"I abandon here all my fears."

He's literally abandoning all of who and what he was. All his emotions, his physical form.... everything that he is and ever was

Just to become a god. Just to bring about a "gentler world". All for the sake of kindness.

Which, in a way, reminds me of how some people, just to be kind to others, will abandon parts of who they are and what makes them happy, just so they don't offend people or hurt their feelings.

But in the end, they hurt themselves and the people they love in the process. Just to be kind.

What really drives home the fact that Miquella is hurting himself and everyone around him, and is blind to that fact, is St. Trina's dialogue if you find her.

"Make Miquella stop... Don't turn the poor thing into a god... Godhood would be Miquella's prison. A caged divinity... is beyond saving. You must kill Miquella... Grant him forgiveness." St. Trina is to Miquella what Radagon is to Marika. And no, I do not mean husband and wife.

As Radagon and Marika are the same person, but two different halves and people, so are St. Trina and Miquella.

So no one knows Miquella better than St. Trina. Miquella foolishly, naively, believed he knew better than Marika, and believed that by cutting himself off from everything that made him so painfully human, that he could be a better god. However, that only perpetuated the cycle, and it would cage and torture him, and everyone else, like it did with Marika. St. Trina saw that, while Miquella did not. [Note: Someone theorized that, like with Malenia, Miquella's outer god that cursed him is linked to flesh. So by cutting out his flesh, he made himself a pointless vessel. Which is part of why his ascension failed in the end. It's an interesting tidbit I wanted to add here.]

My conclusion, as was obvious from the start....

Miquella is not purely evil. Nor is he purely good. He's in the middle.

He's a child that wants to help people, but is blinded by this desire. Blinded by his own kindness. It's literally in two of his many titles.

"Kindly Miquella" and "Miquella the Kind"

He's kind.

To quote Ansbach in the DLC. "Pure and radiant, he wields love to shrive clean the hearts of men... there is nothing more terrifying..."

[Shrive: hear the confession of, assign penance to, and absolve] Just to be clear, I am not excusing his actions. He made terrible choices. As I said at the start, "The road to hell is paved in good intentions".

Miquella forged his own path to hell with his actions Wooh boy. That was a lot. Anyway, uuhhh, I'm done now. Bye.

[literaticat]

Publishing aunty please help. Need advice, not publishing related.

What do you do when you're just tired, feeling unfulfilled and want to run away from everything? :( 

That sounds like a classic case of Burnout to me, though it could be combined with something else -- like Depression, or even a medical problem.

(For example, at one point a couple years ago, I was absolutely exhausted for no discernable reason and burst into tears at the drop of a hat -- I chalked it up to "winter blues" and ignored it -- come to find out, eventually, I had severe anemia and my body was not absorbing iron at all and actually it was an autoimmune disorder and became a Whole Thing! Uh... oops!)

This article from the Cleveland Clinic gives a lot of advice about what to do about Burnout -- but the most salient points, I think:

Be gentle with yourself. Everyone goes through it sometimes. You aren't a failure, you're going to be OK, you just have to take care of yourself before you can properly take care of anyone or anything else. So with that resolved:

TELL YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM HOW YOU ARE FEELING. Keeping this stuff undercover is not going to help. Being honest with your friends/family/partner or whoever your "people" are will lighten your mental load AND they will want to help and support you.

Figure out what your stressors are and tactics to deal with them. Part of this will be linked to the previous part, probably -- For example, if you are burdened by too much work -- DELEGATE or ASK FOR HELP! You've told your support system what's up with you -- now tell them what you need to move forward.

Set Boundaries. If you're the type of person that says yes to everything and then you feel overwhelmed -- remember that it's OK to say NO. It's a good thing, actually. You'll be more "on" for the things that are actually important if you are able to protect your own boundaries and aren't wasting energy on bullshit things. I can't stress enough how important this is (and it's something I am always working on, because it can be tough!) -- but my life CHANGED when I made certain rules for myself and stuck with them. For example, mine: No checking email after 7pm or on weekends. At all. I gotta tell you, my life suddenly got a lot better. (I have forgotten this one recently, and my life has gotten markedly worse -- so I gotta get back to that!)

Go to the doctor. Yes, going to the doctor sucks! But they can make sure your bloodwork is OK, you aren't Vitamin D or Iron deficient, rule out any problems (like, I dunno, severe anemia)... etc etc. Like, step one of Self Care is knowing what your Self is working with. (And if you think you might actually be capital-D Depressed or have anxiety, etc -- ask for a referral to a psychiatrist to see about getting some medicine. IT WORKS!)

Practice Self-Care. Yes, that means the boring stuff like "hydrate" and "make you are getting enough sleep" and "eat your veggies" and "meditate" and whatnot -- but also, you want to "run away from everything"? DO IT. Take a vacation -- or even a staycation -- or even a DAYcation -- where you are literally not doing ANYTHING for anyone else, no email, no nothing. Get a pedicure with extra massage, sit in sunlight with your favorite drink, read a book or just think about NOTHING -- you have no responsibilities except to yourself during this time. It's rejuvenating!

Get toxic feelings out of your system. Find a therapist, if you can afford to do so. (There may be free or inexpensive options if you are a student, or with some insurance, some therapists have a sliding scale for patients, etc) A therapist can give you at least somebody to talk things out with who doesn't know you and isn't judging you. If that's not for you -- journal? Do something artistic? Go to a rage room? Climb a mountain and scream a lot?

Now you are on the road to being healthy, physically and mentally, you hopefully have less stress and are getting your forty winks and all that good stuff -- and hopefully you'll be MUCH better soon.

Good luck!

[hollow-prior]

3 Criminally Underrated Musicals (And why you should listen to them)

1) The Mad Ones

[Image Description: Kerrigan and Lowdermilk's The Mad Ones. It shows an empty road disappearing into the distance under a starry sky. Full ID in alt text. End ID.]

You know that feeling of driving fast down an empty road with the windows down, the wind whipping through your hair? You know that feeling of being able to do anything you want, like the world is right at your fingertips, just waiting for you? You know that feeling of sitting in the middle of the woods with a good friend and thinking about how incredible it is that you live on the same planet at the same time?

Well, this is that feeling.

The Mad Ones is about Sam, who just graduated high school, and her friend Kelly, who died in a car accident before she could graduate. It's about Sam's journey in remembering Kelly and learning to live in the moment without her. It's also about freedom, and expectations, and living life to its fullest.

Also it has the phrase "kidnapped by aliens with enormous genitalia". What's not to love?

Seriously, this is one of my all time favourites and it has a very special place in my heart. I love to listen to it on those rare days when everything seems to be falling into place and it feels like life is actually going somewhere.

From a writing perspective, this is just an incredible masterpiece. The lyrics just stir something in my soul and the friendship between Kelly and Sam is just <33333 (Heart). It deserves so much more love than it gets.

2) The Lightning Thief

[Image Description: The cover of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. It shows a blue brick wall with a yellow glowing lightning bolt symbol against it. Full ID in alt text. End ID.]

Okay, so the books are iconic and the movies sucked and the TV show is looking good but everyone's been sleeping on the musical for far too long. I had my doubts at the beginning too, I'll admit it, but honestly this slaps.

Although it isn't an exact one-to-one with the books, the vibes are spot on which is the most important thing anyways.

Percy is a sarcastic little shit, Annabeth is a total smartass, and Grover is... well, the impossible-to-explain awesomeness that is Grover Underwood. As funny as it is, though, there are some moments that just hit you right in the feels. The Tree on the Hill, anyone? My Grand Plan?

Also the Luke reveal gives me literal chills every time. It's so SO well done, much better than any other depiction in my humble opinion.

The whole thing is just an excellent balance of feels and humour and has some truly iconic lines. Case in point:

Percy: "Grover, you're a good friend." Grover: "Awwww. Dude, I'm your only friend."

Mr. D: "Oh, you're alive. I suppose that's good news for you but it means a lot more paperwork for me, so don't expect me to be happy to see you. Of course, being alive is temporary..."

Luke: "The Hermes cabin takes anyone who hasn't been claimed. You know what that means... we're literally the reject cabin. Welcome to the dysfunctional family!"

[Literally just the entirety of Luke's part in Their Sign]

Grover: "You hurt his feelings. Tell the squirrel you're sorry." Percy: "I am not saying sorry to a squirrel." Annabeth: "He's very sorry. Tell the squirrel you're sorry, Percy."

Alright, anyways! This is the Percy Jackson website, right? It's great, just listen to it.

Moving on!

3) 35MM: A Musical Exhibition

[Image Description: The cover of 35MM: A Musical Exhibition. It's a red background with a black, ink-like camera design from above. Full ID in alt text. End ID.]

God, how do I even begin to explain 35MM?

There's so much going on here in the best way possible. It's not a traditional musical, at least not in the way people immediately think of musicals.

The idea behind 35MM is that there's multiple separate songs, each based on a photograph. That said, there are some theories about the level of connection between the songs and if they're even connected at all. Either way, it's absolutely incredible.

The songs all have different themes including babysitting a murder doll, a homicidal prom queen, a vampire love story, the young love car crash tragedy that lives in my heart forever, and many more! If you're a fan of the strange, unusual, and vaguely unsettling, this is the musical for you.

Although the fandom is small, it's incredibly dedicated and there are some truly wonderful animatics on YouTube to check out as well as some theory threads on Tumblr, Reddit, and basically anywhere else if you look hard enough.

I made the mistake of accidentally introducing my English professor to this musical so now you all can be introduced too!

And now some honourable mentions:

Islander

Islander is an acapella musical done entirely by two women. It tells the story of an island nation that was split in half long ago, with two girls (Each from one of the halves) meeting for the first time. It has a super cool Scottish folk song-style of music to it and just an incredible plot.

Jekyll & Hyde

Jekyll & Hyde is the musical adaptation of the famous gothic story. It's intense and dramatic in all the best ways and I Need to Know always sends shivers through me. The voices are incredible and it's just AHHH!! Wonderful! Also Confrontation is a work of art and nobody can tell me otherwise.

36 Questions

36 Questions is kind of unique in that it's a podcast musical, meaning that there's no stage performance. In the most basic terms, it's about two people trying to fix their marriage with the whole '36 questions to help strangers fall in love' type thing. Part of one of the songs, For the Record, was a popular song on TikTok a few years back so it may be somewhat familiar to folks. Either way, worth a listen!

[agentoffangirling]

I have a bone to pick with characters who cause problems then run off and use their backstories as an excuse for everything they do. HOWEVER, there is a difference between well-written ones and badly-written ones. Let's examine Grant Ward and Sylvie Laufeydottir (this is gonna be long, bear with me)

Ward, in case you're not familiar with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., is a character who had a difficult upbringing. His parents adored his youngest brother and turned a blind eye to the abuse Ward faced under his older brother. He also was hurt by his parents, so safe to say he had a tragic backstory

Later on in his life, he was picked up by John Garrett, an undercover HYDRA agent. Garrett groomed Ward and manipulated him, and it wasn't long before Ward joined HYDRA as well

Now I am not defending Ward. He is an absolutely despicable character, he's literally a Nazi, he threw two characters into the ocean, became overally obsessed with one of the mcs when it was clear she didn't want him, and killed and kidnapped multiple people with little to no remorse. He also uses his backstory as an excuse for all this stuff, claiming he does it for "Skye", "Kara", "us". Grant Ward gets no sympathy from me

There's a notable moment in s2 where the S.H.I.E.L.D. team is forced to work with him again, and upon getting death stares from all of them, this conversation takes place:

Ward: "And I could stand here and explain again how my parents and brother left me vulnerable..."

May: "We all had our traumas, Ward. Didn't turn any of us into psychopaths."

...

Ward: "I mean, for a while there, we were a good team. Weren't we?"

Skye: "I'm still happy I shot you.

Simmons: "Yeah, me too."

Fitz: "Should've aimed for the face."

And the writers don't ever try to make it so Ward is justified in doing these things. Not just his actions, but also the claim that his backstory excuses it, because as you can see above, other characters point out that they had all been through their fair share of troubles, and they didn't turn out like him. They don't justify the shit they did because their life was hard. The writers do make it so that a watcher can sympathize with Ward, and they also make it very clear he is not correct in doing these things

He's also a very complex person in general. He has so many traits, some of them downright conflicting, but that's who he is. Tancheroen and the others show that very well, and almost everything he does is in-character. Ward is a very well-written bad character

Now we turn to Sylvie. Sylvie also had a difficult upbringing, but I'm not gonna be the one to compare whether or not hers was worse than Ward's. However, where we reach our first road block is that Sylvie has much less character traits than Ward. She's a lot simpler than him in terms of writing, but the creators act as though she's complex and conflicted when she's really not. That doesn't necessarily mean that she's a worse character. There's a lot the writers could do to improve on her or write her well. But they don't even try

Sylvie is not given anything new to do in season 2. Zilch. Nada. A big old goose egg. She could've been dealing with her conflicting feelings on killing He Who Remains, she could've picked up a new hobby or given a personal stake in all this Loom stuff. The writers could've written her so that she didn't know what she wanted since getting rid of HWO was her only task, and now that he's gone, she could go do what actually makes her happy. They had so many opportunities to expand upon her, but nope. She's just given a McDonald's uniform and ends up being the exact same person she was at the beginning of season 1. That's not growth. That's not anything

But hey, if they're not going to do anything with her, maybe they could try for a different angle in how others perceive her. Instead of always being seen as right, she could be seen as wrong in some instances. Fine, make her bitchy, but make it so that the characters call her out on it. Have the creator perception frame her as selfish and and rude. For example, instead of trying to justify her yelling at Mobius in episode 4, have Loki fire back. Say she held them up and only cares about herself in that fight. Say that for once, she should listen to others. Say that everyone has problems, yet they don't do her destructive actions and claim they're right. They didn't need to do the Grant Ward route on everything, but having a couple times where she is framed as him in AoS wouldn't be that bad

Sylvie is a badly-written bad character. Her lack of traits and staticness of arc make her come short compared to Ward, and the continued stubbornness of the creative team to always frame her as justified and right adds to this. I am not against tragic backstories, I am not against characters being bitchy, but I will always have a problem if they use said backstory as an excuse for everything they do

And if they do, then at least have the courtesy to write them well and for other characters to call them out

[twohappyboys]

i don’t think i’ve fully gone into depth on how hard Oldies station hits

as someone who didn’t plan to live past 13, hearing and seeing Oldies station live has been a roller coaster for me.

heres some examples of how to song pertains to me

tw: slight mention on SH and general struggle of mental health. Please be safe

Starting of on the first damn verse

“Only consistency in your periphery is fear and the bridge of your nose”

“and as you move about, you learn to tune them out but they say they continue to grow”

the way i’ve interpreted these first two lines is knowing the issues and fears you hold but learning to ignore the irrationality and live through life.

During middle school i was majorly depressed and filled with anxiety, but through out the years i have learned and found ways to control(not sure if that’s the word i want) my anxiety. I now know what makes me anxious and i know how to avoid those situations, and (vaguely)what to do during episodes. Finding Twenty One Pilots and hearing/seeing others were going through and feeling what i was feeling was so refreshing, and definitely helped me get here.

“Make and oath, and make mistakes start a streak you’re bound to break

when darkness rolls on you, push on through”

this feels very reminiscent of getting sober(in any way shape and form) making the decision to get clean, relapsing and starting again even when you know you’ll only relapse again but you should keep going.

I was a SHer, (nearly a year and a half clean) that’s something i cannot hide. it’s a big part of who i am now. and even though i’ve relapsed more times than i could count, i kept going. the longer i was able to keep myself clean the better i felt. there where many times that i’ve wanted to SH but i’ve pushed through.

“Then before you know, you lose some people close

Forcing you to manage you pace”

I think this could mean many things and can be applied to many situations but for me, it means there will be people who leave. there will be people who do not want to be there through your hardships, but you will find the people who do.

i’ve had many friends, many who have left during the hardest times in my life but the ones who truly love me unconditionally have stayed. i’m still friends with those friends today. and for them i am grateful, i wouldn’t be here without them.

“You don’t quite mind how long red lights are taking

your favorite song was on the oldies station”

in a metaphorical sense: you are taking the time to enjoy life, the things that used to occupy your mind are no longer a forefront. there’s something new to occupy you.

in a more literal sense: you’ve grown up, the things you used to love and hold dear are old. no longer relevant to the newer generation, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less valuable.

I’m young, don’t get me wrong. but i do still experience the things i once loved becoming “old”. most of those things are barely a decade old, but in the sense of pop culture they’re old. seeing the toys i used to love in a vintage shop or hearing the songs i used to listen to all the time on throwback stations only remind me that i am getting older.

“you have it down, that old fight for survival

you’re in the crowd at her first dance recital”

and yet again, you’ve grown up. you now know kinda how to handle life, maybe not perfectly but you know how to survive.

like stated before, i never planned to live past 13. i’m 19(soon to be 20) and i’ve experienced and seen so many things i never thought id be able to. I’ve graduated high school, soon ill be moving into my own apartment, i’ve seen my favorite band live, i’ve gone on road trips with my friends, i have a pet, i’m living life. everything may not be perfect and i do still struggle with things, but i know im not alone. i have support, in my friends, the music i love, and my family.

in conclusion, Oldies station has become the song that shows growth and strength. You are never alone, there is always someone or something that can help you keep going. and Twenty One Pilots may just be that thing.

[bestedoesmeow]

✩ 𝕕𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕠 (requested)

PART 1

Will they be able to overcome their fears and take a chance on love?

@peytonmarkey thank you for the request, and help. I enjoyed every second of it!!

summary : daniel comes across the architect of the best summers that he had before leaving his hometown to achieve his biggest dream, little does he know his whole life is gonna change in a day

Daniel’s pov

I was walking around the paddock after almost a bad qualifying, with my water bottle in my hand, walking at the speed of light, trying to ignore anyone who was trying to talk to me. I was devastated, heartbroken, and disappointed, first at myself then at the team. At the beginning of the season, I thought it was going to take time to get used to the car. But at the almost end of the season, everything was totally the same, and my mood was worse than ever. On my way to my trailer to take a shower and grab a bite, I saw her. I don’t know how it made me feel, but I could feel the nostalgia rushing through my veins and my whole body. I didn’t realize my lips were curled into a smile until Nick touched my shoulder to bring me back there.

‘’ I’ll be there in a minute; you can go before me, I said, before looking at him. He smiled, still not understanding why I stopped in the middle of the road, but he didn’t refuse my offer and made his way to grab a coffee with the team members. She was standing there, scrolling through her phone, and probably waiting for someone. It was so hot that day that I can still recall the sun, sweat, salt, and everything else about that day. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail, and her signature bangs were framing her face beautifully; she was in denim shorts, a white tee, and red Converse. I don’t know now how long I stayed there and watched her every motion, trying to remember the last time I saw her; maybe she was 18? She then raised her eyes from the screen to take a look around, and then her eyes met mine, the eyes that had been watching her movements for the last two minutes. I was sweaty as hell, I was dehydrated, and I was hungry, but to watch her standing there like she didn’t give a damn about the sun that was burning her pale skin was enough to make me forget about the bad day in the car. She looked at me like she was trying to understand why I was looking at her, but then her lips curled into a wide smile, showing off her teeth, and she made her way towards me in fast movements, almost excitedly. As she got closer my heartbeat grow faster and

"Look who we got here!" Ricciardo, it’s been years.’’ She said, with her precious, teasing smile.

"You still have that teasing blood in your veins, huh?" I said, trying not to make it too obvious that my heart was pounding.

‘’ You look good.’’ She said. Not even trying to answer my question. Her gaze was watching me carefully, like she was trying to memorize something about my features.

"What are you doing here though?" I said, literally wondering how our paths had crossed in this place after years.

"Oh, I applied to be the manager of Charles last year after finishing my major, and somehow I got lucky, and now I am here. Jason, Mom, and Dad literally manifested me to be here. “It was almost like music to my ears to hear her naive and excited voice and see her gestures while talking.

‘’ Jason! How is he? How is your family doing? Tell them I said hi next time you talk with them.'' I said that while I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, she was literally the definition of pure beauty.

"Oh, he is okay; he is working as an engineer at some company in NY right now, and mom and dad are in Australia, living that retired life you know." She said, smiling and winking at me in her last words.

‘’ I am glad, Zahra, so glad. It was so nice seeing you, you know. You look amazing. I mean, you were then too, but now—I said, then, regretting the words that I came up with, I bit my lip and tried to avoid the heat that was coming up to my ears. Ricciardo, the man of flirts, was unable to bring the right words together.

‘’ Thank you, Daniel; you look good too; you were then too, but now you've grown up; how old are you now, 33? It was nice seeing you too.” She said, waiting almost five seconds between her sentences.

‘’Yes, I am 33; it must be nice to be still in your 20s; enjoy it while it lasts, I said. For the first time that afternoon, I managed to say something that really sounded like Daniel.

‘’Oh, okay, okay, old man, I gotta go; see you around, huh?’’ she said before acting to get back to the Ferrari paddock. I completely forgot that I was hungry, sweaty, and disappointed after that little interaction.

‘’ Zahra.’’ I almost yelled her name, hoping I didn’t sound so desperate. She turned around while she was on her way back.

"It was nice seeing you."

She smiled and waved her hand before starting to walk again.

I was a wreck but in so many ways.

Zahra’s pov

As I made my way back, I had a huge smile on my lips. To finally see Daniel after he left Australia to become a driver was refreshing. Daniel had always been my comfort person. I remembered the days we were sitting on the dock of the bay, eating ice cream, talking for endless hours, swimming, and teasing. Those were all such good memories to remember; to see his charming smile used to be enough for me to blush right away; he was the meaning of the word ‘’ comfort ‘’ . Charles and Carlos were in the middle of shooting a video for Ferrari’s page, and no one seemed to be inside. Since it was a hot, sunny day, I preferred to sit outside with the other paddock members of the Ferrari, taking a deep breath before grabbing myself an espresso shot. It was a nice day indeed. It was a very nice day, according to my heart, which felt like it was being ripped out of my chest.

Daniel's pov

After the shower, during the shower, in the team meeting, while listening to Lando, even when I was about to take a break from my thoughts to go to sleep, the talk we had was the only thing that didn’t leave my mind. The way she smiled, the way her cheeks were flushed red with the heat wave, and the way she talked and looked beautiful even without trying I didn’t know what was happening to me or if I felt this way towards her before, but this was different. A totally different case and the last thing I knew what I was doing at midnight in bed was to write her name on Instagram’s search bar. I thought maybe I could give her a follow, to not lose the touch between us; I knew she wouldn’t understand it wrong rather, I thought she’d be happy that we found each other again after years. As I clicked on the user, I could feel my heartbeat growing faster again. Her birthday photos, Paddock photos, and mirror selfies were smelling like the summers that we used to spend in Australia, the beautiful and matchless summers.

I was about to leave my phone since I had to wake up early tomorrow for the big race when I clicked the follow button without even considering it for a second. Then I took a deep breath before wrapping myself in sheets.

[otherworldlygate]

Once again it's Regal appreciation hour by which I mean day by which I mean year by which I mean lifetime.

I was very much prepared to not write any fanfiction this year, but I cannot divorce myself from how awesome my favorite Symphonia blorbos are and so I am writing yet another stupid fanfic. I feel feral about these characters in general but Raine gets quite a lot of attention (because she's wonderful, obviously) so I don't want to focus on her too much. Regal, on the other hand, has been underappreciated in the ToS fandom since the game's release day, so I must advocate for him.

I've been RPing as him for the last year or so, and together my RP partner and I have written about 320,000 words of a story. I'm having a blast, and a big part of that is because Regal is, despite the flaws in the storytelling of ToS as a whole surrounding him (and how all of the Tethe'alla characters kind of fall flat), a rather well-conceived and implemented character. Yeah, his clothes are dumb (I'm happy to retcon that outfit with zero regrets) and the game blows through his story at such a breakneck pace he doesn't get the space or the arc he deserves (he should have taken his shackles off as part of his 'sacrifice' to fight the angels), but he is a genuinely fascinating character who feels, just like many of the others do, as if he belongs very specifically in the world he was created for.

I know a lot of people like to write him as this sad sack of shit just absolutely lost in the grief sauce (see the part about how he didn't get the arc he deserved), but I think that's a mistake. See, the biggest bump in the road for Regal was his lack of understanding of what was happening and why. When you think about it, he was faced with having to kill Alicia seemingly out of nowhere. Like one day he's just minding his business and the next Alicia is gone and very quickly after that she's a monster trying to kill him AND HE HAS NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON. He has no answers. All he knows is that he killed her, and his autistic* brain latches onto that detail because it's all he has.

You have to think, too, about the fact that the game gives him nobody. His parents are dead. George, the only person even remotely close to Regal--someone he's known his *whole life*--betrayed him. (George didn't mean for things to go Like That and he's sorry he did it, but HE STILL DID IT.) Regal doesn't have friends and the extra material makes it clear that he was literally raised, specifically by his father, to be a workaholic. Do you think anyone came to see him in prison? He fought in a coliseum for his life for YEARS. He was on friendly terms with some of the other inmates but the guy had eight years to just sit there and get stuck in the loop of knowing he killed the one person he'd let himself get even remotely close to.

Which is something else people always downplay for some reason. The shit with Alicia isn't just "guy is sad because he killed his girlfriend." It's very much, "guy was born and bred to take on the family legacy" except in this case the family legacy is a company, an island, a noble bloodline, and also the absolutely insane idea that work and profit is all that matters. Everyone else is out to get you. Keep the workers dissatisfied but keep them hooked just enough that they'll never leave. Take no time for fun or friends or merriment. Everything in your life is a business transaction. Don't ever forget it. It's us vs. them. You're alone and you have to make this your entire life or it'll all fall to pieces and it will be your fault.

The drama cd in particular really honed in on that way of being raised and it makes his entire character make complete sense. At a relatively young age his father died and he ended up on top (though it's stated he had to work as a CEO before he was elected via a board to the position of President). Having no other guidelines other than what he was taught--and what George himself adhered to--Regal followed that path...until he ended up miserable, because, despite the way he was raised, he's a goddamn empath**.

After literal YEARS of occasionally running into Alicia and talking to her, he starts forming a connection to her--which is important because he's never allowed himself to do this before. And at one point he realizes he doesn't even know her name...which comes as a surprise to him...and brings with it shame. After this, he starts living for himself. He listens to his employees--something his father never did. He starts enacting rules to protect his employees, particularly from things that would hurt them in the field, because part of what was making him so miserable was wrestling with the empathy of their terrible working conditions on top of just hearing his father's manta repeating itself in his head all the time.

I cannot stress enough how important this is. Alicia, despite being a love interest and someone he was interested in seriously dating and perhaps someday marrying (the details of their relationship are never known but it's almost more tragic if they were just starting to be serious), WAS STILL HIS EMPLOYEE.

He was supposed to protect his employees. He was doing so much to ensure his employees would be safe. And then he killed Alicia.

Alicia, the one person he allowed himself to get close to.

Now, consider the fact that he was raised as a tool and not a beloved son; he was not allowed to have friends and not allowed to make merry. He was under his father's thumb until his father's untimely death--a death, by the way, that only surprised him with its suddenness; he did not grieve that man!! Regal, as a 25-year-old man, had ZERO coping mechanisms. All he had was the truth he was raised under and the fact that he went against that truth AND WAS NOW BEING PUNISHED FOR IT. How can someone like this think of anything except that they are the reason George was put in a position where he had to get rid of Alicia? That the only reason Alicia was experimented on and turned into a monster was because of her connection to Regal?

IT MAKES ME FEEL SO FERAL!!!

The events of the game open his eyes to the ACTUAL truth, to what actually happened AND WHY IT HAPPENED TO ALICIA. In the end he learns he had NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. If he had not befriended and started falling for Alicia, she still would have died--it's just, if she hadn't had a more direct connection to Regal, who knows where she might have met her end. Alone, forgotten? At least someone knew her as she was; at least someone can tell Presea the kind of person her sister was.

The ToS fandom has always loved joking about how Regal's just into punishment as a kink or whatever (and I'll never forgive the shitty non-canon-in-my-heart sequel for leaning so hard into that angle, fuck you fuck you fuck you) but let's be serious about it for a hot second. Yes, I think learning this information puts him on a better path, but you can't erase 8 years of self-loathing and fear instantly. Did you guys really think this man would just forget about the darkest years of his life and start frolicking in fields of flowers?

The trauma he's endured goes so much deeper than "I killed the person I loved," and boiling it down to that really does the character a disservice. The "born for a specific purpose, not allowed to exist outside of that purpose" bit is also given to Colette and Zelos, but while their role is being a sacrifice whose only use is dying or procreating to continue the line to have more sacrifices (absolutely also traumatizing btw), Regal's situation feels a lot more like indoctrinated religion and, very specifically (and no I am not kidding), religious trauma. Again, he endured that very controlled lifestyle complete with a mantra from birth into his early 20s, and the MOMENT he broke away from it too far, his life came crashing down around him in a very painful and traumatizing way.

Now, you might think the religious trauma parallel is unfounded, if not also the indoctrinated religion aspect of it, it could just as easily be a parallel for an abusive and controlling relationship, right down to the betrayal from someone who is supposed to have your best interests at heart the moment you step outside of that control to the feelings of shame and self-loathing and "you did this to yourself."

So whenever I see people joking about what a sad sack of shit he is or whatever, I'm just astounded, especially if it's coming from someone who loves literally any other character in the game. Like, you'll definitely have your blorbos, and I totally understand if Regal just ain't it for you, but I find it really disconcerting that someone might find (for example) Yuan's trauma deeply meaningful but see Regal's as stupid or silly.

I'm pretty sure I started this post to talk about how easy it is for me to RP as Regal because he's just such a great character to sink into and write about, particularly because I like to imagine that, starting in the post-game, he deeply regrets some of the choices he's made in his life, and, rather than lean into the things that have already transpired, he seeks to do what he can to better the world around him with the resources and power that he has.

It's like the ultimate fuck-you to the way his father raised him. He's not wasting the skills he's developed, but he's also not using them to hurt people or for personal or Lezareno profit.

I think most of us love writing about characters who have to work through their trauma, but there's an extra layer here that I particularly enjoy with Regal. With Raine I'm all about her inability to trust easily and her struggle to feel truly comfortable around other people, but with Regal I think it's maybe specifically related to the fact that he has had a lot handed to him that he didn't necessarily want, and his self-sacrificing nature lends itself to him feeling obligated to take it. I fully believe Regal would be happier and better off stepping away from Lezareno and from his family's toxic ass legacy*** (or at least not working it full-time as the acting President) but I can't ignore the fact that...these things are all he has and all he knows. So writing about him attempting to get back into the swing of things, maybe struggling to find time for himself, falling into workaholic patterns by mistake, learning to set boundaries between his private life and his job...all while not being fully satisfied and finding more fulfillment in charity work and other pursuits, just makes him feel like a very well-rounded character. Like...it's believable that he would continue to work a job he didn't particularly love specifically because not only does he not know anything else, but he knows with this position of power he can make a lot of things happen that would be impossible if he just twiddled his thumbs on the sidelines--like financial assistance going to Palmacosta, or his duties as a nobleman to try to get better laws passed in Tethe'alla, etc.

This was a pretty clumsily-written post and for that I am truly sorry. I've just been absolutely insane lately thinking about Regal and I had to get some of why I think he's such a wonderful character out into the world.

:)

*this is just my headcanon but a lot about Regal screams autism to me.

**this is canon as far as I'm concerned. I wrote him this way far before I ever heard the drama cd, and the drama cd just solidified it for me tenfold.

***there's a scene in the hotel with Lloyd I think where Regal says his family's legacy on Altamira started when Tethe'alla flipped over to being a flourishing world last, which means they were in a position of power great enough to build an empire on Altamira already at that time (800+ years ago). I don't want to get into how awful this probably was or how evil the family was because I think you can all imagine that for yourselves. Also, nobody ever mentions the fact that Regal is the last of his family line, but it's a very convenient built-in control tactic to guilt someone into doing as they're told or risk bringing shame to a family that's been going strong and unbroken for over 1,000 years.

[atmymercy]

Feedback for my reading: I think that's not news anymore to you what an amazing reader you are and how much your readings resonate with me, including this one. As for my person, I wish I can ease his pain and be there to hug him, but unfortunately I cannot reach out to him until he's with another partner, even if karmic and he showed isn't into her that much because she's a lesson it would still be disrespectful of me. I feel the same and sometimes I get frustrated but I still have hope and let everything in the universe's hands 👐 And absolutely true my love will always wait and ready to surround him like a big hug 🤗 "finish up the journey" as you heard is soo true as I got that in multiple pick a pile's which btw, I think you'd be great at making Pac's! Miles away is the right word as we live literally miles away 😂😩 and aww, that's a lovely comparison! 💙

I truly loved this reading and it resonated from the first until the last word (as always). I am beyond grateful to have found an incredible and gifted reader like you. You're so loved and appreciated, sweets. Such a gem! 💎

Sending you blessings ♥️♥️♥️

(ps. I'm so glad you feel the same about db/dbz it makes me my inner child happy 🥺 and I absolutely agree on your added informations!! Bulma my gosh what am interesting character and what about Videl? such a crush! 🤭

hello ar!

aww, honey! thank you so much! that means a lot, even after a few turns! i doubt i'll ever get bored of hearing it when i truly believe this part of my life is my calling! so thank you for reaffirming me and my purpose! yay!

aww! i'm sorry you two can't be together at this point but i'm glad that the thought of each other brings you both such hope and inspiration to keep going on! especially since unfortunately there will always be bumps or karmics along the road but i hope you two are strong enough to weather the storm "even when we're not together" is what i just heard there! lol so that's a nice little confirmation there for you!

ooh you like pacs? i've been somewhat curious about them but i have not taken the leap yet! lol

aww, honey! i'm so grateful for you because it's so nice to know i'm loved and appreciated! i hope we can continue to have these lovely interactions and i can continue with readings that help you or uplift you! woot! especially because i want you to know that i love and appreciate you right now! let us make this a brighter world together with love! woot!

ps! db/dbz always makes me inner child happy too! i swear the world seems like a less scary world, knowing people like goku or people who like goku are out there! this is giving me such hope! just the thought of all the people who believe in what goku does! lol what would goku do! lolol bulma is my favorite! lol videl is such a cutie though too! i love her pig tails! lol

love & light!

-tea

♡ message me for details/questions & to book this reading! ♡