#gotta support my country somehow

[nicco-ck]

Some Thom as a fencer bc I got inspired by the Olympics

The text in the second pic says

Above him: "messy hair bc of helmet

Beside him: "watched a teammate make a stupid mistake" (Mr. Judgy is making an appearance akfhsk)

[kimmkitsuragi]

also gonna be soooo insane for a minute re:prev post. not me looking at the helsinki gp like 👀 and going hmmmmm 👀

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Noticed something about zutarians: for people who claim to be "THE femist ship" they spend too much time praising Zuko for doing chores, being empathetic, supporting women and other stuff he didn't really do in canon all that much.

Like, feminists would consider these a basic level that any normal person, man or woman, should do for their own's sake without any praise. Oohing and aahing "look, he spends time with his own child!", "oh, you washed the dishes, my hero!", "where would I have been if you didn't do the laundry, my knight in shining armor, you really are a savior!" is... very sexist, actually! And zutarians do just that. It’s not enough for them to write him doing chores, they have to emphasize this, compare him to Aang/Sokka/anyone else who of course doesn’t do chores (because no one except Katara and Zuko ever does anything chorelike in these fics it seems), or just outright praise him for that.

Of course, zutara never was a feminist ship, so my observation doesn't add anything new. I understand that zutara kinda fits "female gaze" or whatever, though, it's a women's dream about a perfect partner, which is totally fine by itself – it just has nothing to do with Zuko (and, dare I say, Katara – I doubt she would be so ecstatic about a guy doing "women's chores", she is used to dividing the work around camp and takes it for granted). And that's why I cannot read even relatively harmless zutara fluff – it very often is very focused on this exact subject. I like Zuko for who he is and the truth is 1) he's flawed even after his redemption and 2) a huge part of how he sees himself is his prince title. Nothing of it matches zutara fantasy of a male housewife, so they have a whole other character named Zuko to fit into their imagination land, and I just have no interest in that.

I'm still impressed by that one fic (not in English) where Fantara was 100% sure that Fanfic-Firelord-Zuko will never ever "force any hapless woman" to take care of his newborn daughter (as opposed to her awful, awful husband, Fanfic-Aang who can't even feed his son, who's still eating only breast milk, for several days while Fantara decided to be away). Sure, girl, he's a fucking ruler, he has a whole country to think about, tons of very important shit to do every single day, a full palace of servants, of course he will always personally change diapers, no doubt. I bet he'll even do all the breastfeeding by himself, since his wife died at childbirth and forcing other women is out of the question.

I'm bitter now, and maybe taking it too far but what if – just "what if" – there are very few people who actually ship Katara and Zuko? Because it seems that most content creators in zutara fandom actually ship their two OCs who are very loosely based on these two characters (but don't I dare tell it to their faces, haha, they are under impression that their image of Zuko and Katara is somehow the only correct one).

Just one little disagreement: Zutara doesn't fit the Female Gaze because there's no such thing in the first place. There's not a single trope, way to direct a scene, or romance formula that universally appeals to women, and the same thing can appeal to different women for radically different reasons.

"Male Gaze" and "Female Gaze" were supposed to be a way to point out sexism (and sometimes straight up abuse) in film-making, but it honest God became some bullshit gender-essentialism nonsense REALLY fast. We gotta let that "That is for boys, this is for girls" mentality die.

Aang does chores with Katara. That is completely irrelevant to me shipping Kataang. Aang is not sexist. That doesn't even reach my top 50 reasons to love him as a character. Aang does a lot of things that don't match the idea I was raised to have of a "manly man" and I could not give less of fuck about it. It doesn't bother me, but doesn't particularly appeal to me either.

But for lots of people that is HUGE and some of the main reasons why they love his character and his romance with Katara. And notice I said people, not women.

I like plenty of enemies-to-lovers ships - I don't relate to a single meta/analysis I've ever seen of "Why women like bad boys/enemies to lovers/redeemed villains so much." It all rang hollow to me. But to plenty of women it hits the nail right on the head.

Hell, 50 Shades of Grey is a "romance/erotica" full of accidental misogyny, abuse-apologism, and slut-shaming yet the fanbase is 90% women from all kinds of demographics, and the main thing they praise about these goddamn books/movies is that it did NOT make them feel like they should be ashamed of wanting to have kinky sex with a hot guy.

The Female Gaze isn't real.

[munsonhoneybaby]

my love!!! That final part 🥹 you are a STAR! so good. the way you write dialogue, your Eddie especially... he's so so so lovely to read. somehow you keep his edge but all the while he's the nicest fucking guy to ever walk the earth!!!

if one day you're feeling a blurb about them or something, I'd love to read the first meeting with Wayne - I think it could be so funny and sweet. and honestly I just need an endless stream of that version of Eddie and his sweet nothings and his fondness 🥺 obsessed with everything u do WOW

you’re so sweet !! i'm so happy you enjoyed, thank you so much for reading and sending in this ask !!

series masterlist

“Are you sure about this? I feel terrible taking up his day off with this, he should be enjoying his free time.” Frowning nervously, you picked at a string on your jeans. Though you’d been to their trailer three more times since the first, you’d yet to run into his uncle Wayne. It wasn’t necessarily intentional, but you didn’t particularly want to meet him the morning after sleeping at his home unannounced. So, after making a few passive comments to Eddie about wanting to meet him, you were pleased when Eddie told you Wayne wanted to have lunch with both of you. But now, the nerves were starting to settle in.

“He will enjoy this. He’s been dyin’ to meet you, baby, believe me. I already told you, he’s gonna love you.” Taking your hand over the console, he pressed a kiss to your knuckles. “Besides, we’re just goin’ to lunch at the diner. It’s not a big deal.” Pulling into the open spot next to Wayne’s truck, he put the van in park and looked over at you. “Ready?”

You blew out a breath, “Yeah, I think so.”

As he always did, Eddie got out first and opened your door for you. When you went inside, he instantly spotted Wayne, standing from the booth to greet the two of you. “Hey, Wayne.”

“Hey, kid,” He replied, pulling him into a solid hug. With a subtle yet warm smile, Wayne said your name. You held out a hand to shake but instead were given a fatherly embrace much more careful than the one he’d given his nephew. “I’m glad I could finally meet the young lady makin’ this troublemaker so happy.”

“It’s great to meet you, too. I hope you didn’t have to cancel any big plans to make time for me today,” You jested politely.

He gave a quiet laugh in response and said, “Of course not. Sleepin’ on the couch in the living room ain’t more important than this.” The waitress came to take orders, service coming quick due to the few customers in the diner. “I hear you listen to the same kind’a music as Eddie,” Wayne chimed amiably. “You like his music, too?”

“Of course,” You smile, “I think he’s incredibly talented. I love seeing him perform.” The rockstar in question was embarrassedly hiding his flushed face in his hands.

“I’d come to his shows if I could, but I’m always at work,” Wayne expressed regretfully. “I hear him in his room all the time, but I’ve only seen ‘im on stage once or twice since that middle school talent show. I’m glad he’s got someone he cares about there to support him all the time now.”

The food came, saving Eddie from any further spotlight, and you did your best to continue making conversation between bites. “So, did Eddie get any of his music taste from you?”

“Oh, he’d never admit it, but he tolerates some old country music thanks to me. All that metal and rock stuff is good ‘n I like that he likes it, but it’s not really my speed.”

“I’ve gotta say, it’s a little hard picturing Eds listening to country music,” You chuckle.

“Just when I’m with him,” Eddie specified.

“I’m keeping him open-minded.” The waitress placed a single check on the table and Wayne was quick to open his wallet.

“No, please– let me,” You tried to stop him.

“I would never let a lady pay for a meal. This is my treat, darlin’.” It was becoming clearer and clearer how much of an influence your boyfriend’s uncle had had on his upbringing. Handing the cash and the bill to Eddie, he nodded toward the register. “Go take care’a this.” Eddie looked over at you, but you just smiled reassuringly, so he headed for the counter. Before you could start into another line of polite conversation, Wayne spoke. His voice was gruff, quiet. There was sentiment in his tone, though he tried to hide it. “I really am glad you and Eddie found each other. I’m sure you know by now that not many people in this town give ‘im a chance. I would never wanna embarrass the boy, but he hasn’t exactly introduced me to many girls in his life. I’m glad he’s found one that’s a little more like him– that understands him.”

After glancing back at Eddie, handing over the money for your meal with a kind smile, you gave Wayne a fond look. “He cares a lot about you too, you know. It means the world to him that you took over when his Dad went to jail. And I don’t know if it means anything coming from me, but I think you did an amazing job with him.”

You could’ve sworn you saw a tear well in his eye, but he looked away briefly before you could see for sure. It didn’t seem like people acknowledged his parenting effort often.“You’re a sweet young woman. You’re real good for him.”

“I appreciate that,” You responded honestly.

You both started to box up the leftover food and– just before Eddie came back to the table– Wayne added, “I’ll have to show you the few baby pictures I’ve still got around of ‘im,” making you chuckle.

Eyes narrowing slightly as he gave Wayne his change, Eddie asked, “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing,” You answered playfully as you stood from the booth. His uncle did the same after leaving a generous tip for the kind pregnant woman who’d waited on you. The three of you headed for the parking lot, stopping briefly to say your goodbyes before you split up. “You’ll have to let me cook for you sometime,” You insisted. 

With another one of those barely-there smiles, Wayne clasped a hand over Eddie’s shoulder paternally. “You’ve got a good one here, boy, you’d better take good care’a her.”

Before he could respond, you assured him, “He does, Mr. Munson.”

“Oh, please, never call me that. It’s Wayne. It was nice meeting you. Don’t be a stranger, alright?”

“Of course, I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

Once you were back in the van with Eddie, he put the key in the ignition before pausing and looking over at you. “So, what did you two talk about while I was gone?”

“None of your business, nosy.”

Dramatically starting the van, he backed out of the parking spot as he replied, “Y’know what? Fine. Now I’m not gonna tell you about Jeff’s date with that chick from his calc class.”

“Hey, wait, c’mon–”

<3

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[wisteriagoesvroom]

Blind Date x Forgotten First Meeting AU landoscar

Hilarity of slightly mutual friend groups so they assume the other is the other half of the blind date (they aren’t 😂 friends assume they are too different to work) even tho they don’t *know* each other but one of them (A) remembers a very young encounter/friendship that really struck a cord in A and has been on their mind forever but assumes B has completely forgotten or it wasn’t as profound or B doesn’t realize the other component is A (would be funny if B talks about the friendship/encounter around A at some point but has no fucking clue the person B is talking about is right fucking there 😭😭😭)

As I was writing this it definitely felt like lando would be more B and oscar more A but I trust this in your hands wiz 🧡

Feel free to ignore blind date aspect if it flows better another way ✌🏻

Idea for very young encounter totally not ripped off from an episode of Bluey: they meet at a campsite locale to one of them as little kids and spend the entire week just getting along like a house on fire but eventually the week ends and the other has to go back to his country and they are too young to keep in contact. Bluey episode totally not for reference cause it’s really really cute 8 minutes 😭😭😭 https://www.bluey.tv/watch/season-1/camping/

-brooke <3

brooke/ @scuderiabs my friend i literally sat on this for so long cus i genuinely wasn’t sure what else i could add to your gourmet ask right here.

but! on the night of the blue suit oscar debut, it’s perfect because either of these would work beautifully… especially if oscar or lando met again at a friend’s wedding (alex albon’s is always gonna be my default setting for romcom-at-the-wedding AUs).

and obviously we gotta have some supporting visuals so here you go:

and ahoy… maybe a glimpse into this world.

snippet below:

————

“I didn’t think it was you.”

“Why?!”

“You look… the same. But different.” Oscar says, tapping the rim of his glass.

The evening light’s dipping into darkness, sky going blue and sooty. Yellow candlelight casts soft circles on Lando’s face. The years have been kind to him. He’s handsome, in a way that endears easily, draws people close to him in a way that works well for Alex’s large contingent of groomsmen.

“How different?”

“Older.”

“Well you look exactly the same as you did when I kicked your arse at tennis. Remember the instructor?”

“Yeah. Thomas was never subtle about the cigarette breaks behind the shed.”

“Pretty funny when your serve hit that citroën though.” Lando shakes his fists in the air dramatically.

“Arrêté!” Lando adds, in a poor imitation of Thomas, the very harried summer school tennis instructor.

Oscar snorts with undignified laughter. One of Alex’s stern Thai aunts looks at him disapprovingly.

“Sorry.” Oscar mumbles. This is far too much emotion for a communal setting. A flush creeps up his neck, and he wonders if he’s getting a food allergy. Maybe it’d be easier if he disappeared to the bathroom to play tetris on his phone and stay inconspicuous like he’d planned after all. Or maybe he could walk into a wall and take refuge in an ambulance.

“I think I saw a tennis court out there earlier.” Lando says, sipping his gin and tonic. There’s a sprig of boysenberry in Lando’s that somehow perfectly matches the cheery boutonnière on his brown suit. Oscar’s not sure how Lando got the bartender to do that up as a special, because it was presumably off menu from the carefully curated wedding drinks. (Probably Lando’s bizzare Prince-Charming-via-Clapham-Common act, and god knows the charm offensive has been working on him too. Nonetheless, it’s really the least of Oscar’s priorities at the moment.)

Because Oscar is looking at Lando’s face. At the quizzical slant of the other man’s brow. He’s watching as Lando leans in curiously, knee just microscopically close enough that they could touch. Though Lando stops just short of doing so, as if sensing that Oscar needs to come in willingly.

Oscar knows Lando has been flirting with him all night. Saying look at you in that amused voice, finding excuses to clink their glasses together far beyond the wedding toasts were over, with flimsy excuses to do so (“god save the queen!” “she’s long gone, mate.” “then god save us all!”).

They’ve also been reminiscing about that one summer camp from over a decade ago. From when they’d lost touch, and all the things that have happened in their lives since. Life in Australia, life in England. Finishing Engineering school. One dropping out of college to pursue music. Births and deaths and having to pay taxes now.

And of all the millions of possible places, of the skipped stops and lost connections in the world; of all the phone numbers and emails and social pages they’ve near-missed, they’ve met again, right here.

Oscar remembers summer sun. Shouting across the net, knocking elbows. Chocolate and marshmallows stuffed into a baguette, sticky on his hands. Dogeared detective novels passed back and forth. A blur of curly hair streaking past him, both of them jumping headfirst into a lake, surfacing to take in huge lungfuls of air.

“You fancy a rematch?” Oscar asks, sipping the last of his drink. He’s not sure if he’s talking only about tennis.

But he doesn’t break eye contact, and hopes Lando understands what he’s really asking.

Lando’s gaze stays steady at him.

A corner of Lando’s mouth tips up into a smile.

(Cicadas hum outside. It’s summer, again.)

“I thought you’d never ask.”

[jjsmaybank20]

Family Plans

Wanda Maximoff x GN!Reader

Summary: Wanda has never had a big family. You promise to make up for that lack by inviting her into your own.

Warnings: all fluffy family shit, mentions of loved ones passing away

Word Count: 1.6k

navigation  marvel masterlist

---

Wanda never thought that she would ever be truly happy again after everything that she had been through. She had lost her parents, her brother, her country. She thought that her childhood dream of a big wonderful family was completely gone. That was, until she met you. 

You were there for her when Pietro passed away, and you supported her when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Every step of the way, there you were. You were the first person she fully trusted, and she was the first person that you fully opened up to. It was clear as day to anyone that the two of you were in love, so no one was surprised when you started dating.

A couple months later, you asked her to marry you. She didn’t hesitate to say yes. Sometimes she couldn’t help but think that this was all a dream, and that she was going to wake up and alone, or worse, in HYDRA’s grasp once again. Somehow you always knew when she was feeling like this, and you reassured her that all of it was real and that you were right there for her, no matter what.

Now you were in the car, on the way to your hometown for Thanksgiving so that Wanda could meet your family for the first time. She had met your parents and siblings, sure, but she had yet to meet your loads and loads of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. 

Wanda looks over at you from the passenger seat, watching you turn up the country radio station that you were listening to. You start to sing along to a song that comes on, bopping your head and tapping the steering wheel to the beat. “You're all alone at a party, You want to dance with somebody, But you ain't got a clue how to ask, You and your girl had a fight, And now she's saying goodbye, She ran upstairs and packed her bags.”

As you sing, Wanda can hear your country accent come out, just like it does when you get worked up or excited about something. You glance over at her, making sure to catch her eye before you dance sporadically in your seat while singing the pre-chorus. “It could be raining' on your perfect vacation, You could be stressed about your work situation, Ain't gotta listen to me but all I'm sayin'.” You pause for a second before jumping into the chorus and clenching your hand pretending that you are holding a microphone.

“Ain't nothin' that a beer can't fix, Ain't no pain it can't wash away, From the moment that it hits your lips, Makes those clouds look a little less grey! Oh you could be lonely, or heartbroken, Or hungover from the night before, Turn that frown into a smile real quick, There ain't nothin' that a beer can't fix.” Wanda laughs out loud at the sight of you bouncing around. She then just stares at you, wondering how she got so lucky.

You catch her looking, taking your eyes off of the road for a second. “What? You don’t like my dancing?” Still catching her breath, Wanda shakes her head in disagreement. “No, no, I love your dancing. I love you.” You smile at her while grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on it. “I love you too, baby.”

---

As you pull into your parent’s driveway, you give Wanda’s hand a comforting squeeze. She can’t help but feel nervous, knowing how people have reacted to her and her powers in the past. But knowing you, she should have known not to worry.

As soon as you step onto the porch, the door swings open and a horde of kids come running out, closely followed by multiple dogs. The children immediately attach themselves to your legs, and you have to quickly grab onto something so that they don’t knock you over. Your frazzled brother runs to the door, trying to get the kids to let go while apologizing, but you wave him off.

You take the kids off of you and herd them inside with an amused Wanda following closely behind. As you get further into the house, the sound of multiple conversations and children screaming gets louder. You finally get into the kitchen and spot your mother. 

“Hey, Mom! Happy Thanksgiving. Sorry we’re late, traffic was a mess on the way out of New York.” You pull her into a hug before turning around to say something to Wanda, but she isn’t behind you anymore. You look around the kitchen before glancing into the living room. There you spot her talking to your favorite uncle. 

As you approach them, you can hear him say, “Hey. You make Y/N so damn happy, which puts you in a great place in my books. If you’re their family, then you’re our family.” You can see Wanda tear up slightly and excuse herself out onto the back deck. You follow her out and sit down next to her on a bench.

“What’s up, Wands?” She glances up at you, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s stupid.” You kneel down in front of her and grab both of her hands while shaking your head. “No, no it’s not. What is it?” She looks up at the sky, sighing. “I’ve just- I’ve just never had a big family before. Honestly, for a long time it was just me and Pietro. Then it was just me. But now I have you, and your family. I never thought that I would get this.”

You smile up at her. “You will never have to experience that ever again. I will always be your family, and even if my family isn’t always there, we can start our own. Whatever you want, I’m here for you.” She pulls you up and into a hug and you quickly reciprocate. 

Suddenly, you hear the glass sliding door open and the quiet footsteps of a small child on the deck floor. You turn around and spot your youngest nephew, James, shyly making his way towards the two of you. You wave him over, and he quickly comes and hugs your leg. You lift him up so that he is at eye level with both you and Wanda, and he hides his face in your neck when Wanda waves at him.

You tickle his sides which makes him giggle and squirm in your arms. Wanda watches the whole interaction, realizing that she really does want to start a family with you. James then glances over at Wanda before quietly asking, “Are you really an Avenger?” Wanda nods, and it’s like James becomes a whole new person.

His face lights up, and he quickly climbs over to Wanda, who is slightly shocked at how fast he got into her arms. He doesn’t even notice her surprise as he enthusiastically rants about how impressed his friends are going to be that he met an actual Avenger. You look at him, playfully hurt. “You do know that I’m also an Avenger, right?” 

James nods before saying, “But like, she’s one of the super powerful ones that all of my friends love.” You gap at the boy, slightly wounded by his words, but as soon as you see the elated look on your fianceè’s face, any of the offense that you had taken melted away. 

Instead of teasing him for basically saying that you're not a cool Avenger, you tell him, “You know that she’s going to be your Auntie soon, right?” James gasps in excitement before wrapping his little arms around Wanda’s neck and squealing, “I can’t wait!” He then hops out of her arms and runs inside, wanting to tell all the other kids about their cool soon-to-be aunt.

You look at Wanda’s happy face, pulling her into your arms. She looks like she is thinking about something before she blurts out, “I want kids.” She pauses for a second before processing what she had said, and she immediately starts apologizing. You quickly interrupt her with a short, “Me too.” She pauses, slightly thrown off. “You do?” You nod, grinning down at her. “I do. I want a boy. I think he should be named Thomas.”

Wanda shakes her head, quickly rebutting, “I like William more.” You laugh, starting to walk the two of you back inside. “Well, whatever their name is, they’ll be ours, and that’s all that matters.” Wanda rests her head on your shoulder, silently agreeing with you, and imagining your own little family.

---

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[heyhihellosworld]

I need a one shot with Mason consoling the reader after Brazil lost the quarterfinals, please 🥺

𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

Mason Mount x reader

Word count: 1603

Summary: Mason is your call-to when Brazil loses against Croatia

Warnings: Sadness/upset, brief mention about current conflicts in Iran, fluff

Notes: This idea! Gotta reveal that I cried when they lost. Like I love many teams in this world-cup but when they all cried I cried too and Neymar broke my heart. Hope this is okay anon!

The world-cup consumed your daily life nowadays. You had been a real good planner to make it possible to work from home every match day obsessed with the games.

In the group stage you suddenly had gotten the flu so you needed to be home a little more than a week and then it was problems with your house and then just like that you had an doctor-appointment it was all so fitting and just so so not planned.

England's match-days were of course the most important ones to watch but you were so caught up in the whole ordeal that it felt impossible to not watch the outcome. Group stage where rough for you emotionally, seeing Iran but also Belgium and Germany go was emotional.

Why you were so invested you didn't know. You had always loved watching national football with your parents all the way back to your childhood days, you had all been benched in front of the tv and somehow that had carried all the way to this day.

And when you met your boyfriend, Mason Mount that national interest had been extended to all football games but football being time and energy consuming made it to mostly watch La liga and premier league, and of course champions league and other games where Mason was involved.

If your boss had ever caught a glimpse of the games in the background of a meeting he'd never questioned it.

This world-cup was even harder than before. You did have a soft spot and soft heart for many of the teams, heart clenching at Iran's players for the whole situation. For Kai's man of the match picture and Lukaku who looked broken after the loss.

But

You had the softest spot for Brazil. It being the country your family had always supported and the national team you'd adored and loved since the day you were born. You'd never admit it in the England you lived in and with the England players that surrounded you and especially not to your English playing boyfriend, but Brazil where the ones you rooted for the most.

You where perked up at the sofa, chips in your lap and blanket covering you all the way to your mouth. You could barely sit still as you watched the drama on the tv in front of you, your whole being wishing for something to happen.

When Neymar scored that goal you were up on your feet cheering, dancing with the dog around the living room but the celebration was cut short after Croatia found an equalizer. You felt your tummy turn as the added time was over and all that stood left in the game was penalties.

You hated penalties, really really hated them.

Regardless of the outcome there would always be someone painted as the loser, always one the whole loss was blamed on and always one that went away with a heavy heart. You didn't find it fair for one person to be under that pressure and under that situation to then be shattered on the internet.

You had seen it before in many matches and finals and only to watch England euro pictures brought you back to that day and that extreme follow of hatred. That final made you hate penalties and here they where, two whole teams standing to face just that.

You watched with your heart in your throat as Vlašić put the ball on the spot. He looked nervous as hell but when the whistle blew he still put it securely in the back of the net.

Rodrygo looked just as nervous and you felt a little tug as you saw Neymars face in the tv-screen already looking crushed. It being his last world cup made you root for Brazil that little bit more even if you knew it wasn't only his last world cup. You groaned as Rodrygo's shot was saved and barely had it in you to watch Majer and Casemiro shoot. You couldn't watch Modrić nor the other two penalties, feeling like you would throw up at the feeling that started to bubble inside of you.

Marquinhos was last up and you just knew by the look of his face that this would end in devastation and when Livaković saved it your heart dropped. When he fell on his knees and to the ground you couldn't contain the tears that wanted to escape, the scenes way to emotional.

You watched the devastation in the players, the feeling of defeat and crushed dreams after a hopeful game and a great journey pre this match in the tournament.

When the camera zoomed in on Neymar you where a goner, sobbing into your blanket.

Right in the middle of your sob-session your phone started to vibrate MASON written in big letters over the screen.

You bent over to answer, hearing his cheerful voice through your phone-speaker

"Hey babe, how are you?" You didn'ẗ answer but let your sobs answer for you

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked softly, his voice worried and tone warm. When you didn't answer he turned on face time, waiting for you to accept it which you hesitantly did.

"Aw, babe is it the game?" he pouted

"yes" you sniffled, drying your eyes with your hoodie-sleeve. "Babe" he chuckled but stopped quickly as you started to cry even more "Babe I didn't mean it like that, it's okay, I'm sorry"

"What's the matter?" he asked making you huff through your tears "Because they lost!" you exclaimed, feeling annoyed and upset with him for not understanding

Mason looked at you through the camera and pouted "Aw babe, i'm sorry" he said lowly "I know you love the Brazil team but it's gonna be fine, okay?" "How's it gonna be fine, they are out" you sniffled again, turning your camera around so he wouldn't be able to see your face.

"No babe please" Mason whined "Don't turn off the camera, I wanna see your face, I miss you"

"I don't want to"

"What's the matter y/n"

"Everything!" You exclaimed through your sobs. "I'm tired, work was a shit hole, Brazil lost and I can't stop crying and I miss you and your idiotic behavior even though i'm pissed at you right now" you hummed. Trying to dry off your tears again, there were so many emotions at once, too many.

"Why are you pissed at me?" Mason asked softly, he understood that he had upset you even further "Because you just laugh at me!"

"No, babe I didn't laugh at you" "You did!" You huff in argument, switching back your camera to your face to show him your annoyed face expression

Mason couldn't help but to laugh at your expression, trying to conceal it quickly. "Look! You are laughing at me!" you huffed switching the camera around again "No no it's just, you're really adorable" "Fuck of Mason, I'm going to sleep" "No y/n, babe please don't go"

"You are no help" you murmured but not really wanting to actually go off the call, you wanted him to reassure you and comfort you.

"I didn't laugh at you, I love that you're so into it and I promise that everything will be okay. They know how to deal with it just as we all do, it's not the first nor last time they will lose an important game and they have help around them, they are gonna come back stronger"

"You think so?"

"Yes, I really do. They are all amazing ballers and they just have to rise from the disappointment and pain and then they will be back stronger and better"

"But-"

"No buts"

"Neymar isn't gonna get another chance" you murmured "Come on darling, I'm 85% sure that he will be at another world cup that all last world-cup is bullshit"

"You think?" "Yeah I do babe, it's gonna be okay. It's not easy but they will get through it and you will see them all again, better and happy, do you not believe me?"

"I do"

"Good, now why don't you tell me about your weekend plans?"

You turned the camera around again, the tears had dried a little and you smiled at the camera making him smile back at you "I don't have that many plans, gonna watch you of course and then I'm going out with my friends on Friday, just dinner"

"That's nice, any guy friends?" You rolled your eyes with a smile "You know my friends" "Yeah I do, that's why I asked"

"Shut up idiot" you giggled, knowing he was just joking with you

"How was your day?" you asked, settling back into the couch, laying your head on the nice pillows. "It was nice, I had a really hot training and dinner with the boys, pretty chill. Feels really good"

"That's nice Mase"

"It is and now we are having a short meet-up before sleep"

"Okay, well I talk with you tomorrow"

"Yeah, I'll call when I can" he smiled softly making a pouty face at you

"Yeah do that, bye Mase"

"Bye love"

You sighed as you dropped your phone on the couch, heart still heavy but head reassured that they would be okay.

[scifrey]

Listen.

If you've read my fics, you know that I love history. I love pageantry. I love symbolism. I love beautiful clothes, and art, and jewels. I love going behind the scenes and seeing into castles and manor houses. I love parades, and the hidden meaning behind coronations, and the fairytale unreality of the lives of the gentry.

I believe, however, that all of these things should be ARTIFACTS.

I believe there is literally no point in upholding a monarchy or commonwealth any more.

Allow commonwealth countries become republics. Allow Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales to return to being seperate nations if they vote to become so. Allow those republics to create their own network of mutual support, should they so choose to. There's no reason to not keep up Commonwealth ties and festivals even if there's no Commonwealth.

Repatriate artifacts, art and jewels to their nations of origin. Offer monetary compensation/support for cultures violated and impoverished by colonialism. Help establish democracies where needed, and butt the hell out where they're not. (And especially don't establish puppet democracies, ew.)

Let the British royal family become symbolic tourist attractions, let them fund their own charities, and throw their parties, and knight their artists, and uphold their royal orders of garters and baths, and maintain their personal properties--and make them do it with their own wealth and real estate investments. They're multi-billionaires. They can afford it. They'll be fine.

But remove them from the machine of governance. Detach them entirely from public spending, dependance, or influence.

And if they do participate in traditions of parliament (like the Opening, which is actually really cool and fascinating panto, which I quite like and hope they WOULD continue), man, do it without the silly hat. If the King wants to wear the silly hat, make him pay for the upkeep of the silly hat out of his own pocket. It's HIS silly hat, after all. It's not like we all get a turn with it, even though we do pay for it.

(Actually, the Crown Jewels are owned by the British Public so like... if they want to take them along when they go, make the royal family buy them. And then let them charge museums a fee to loan them for exhibition, just like privately owned paintings by famous Masters are loaned to art galleries.)

Let the royals continue to do all the things the royals do, if they want to do them. Just… make them pay for it themselves. Dissolve the Sovereign Grant, and use all that money to pay for things like restitution, repatriation, and hey maybe increasing public spending on health care and social infrastructure.

Turn the public-owned properties into, yeah, tourist attractions in part (gotta fund their upkeep somehow). But also put public offices in there. Maybe some social housing. Maybe hospitals, with well-paid front-line staff. Event spaces. Seniors care homes. Something.

If Hampton Court Palace can do it, so can Buckingham.

Balmoral and Sandringham are privately owned, there's lots of land and buildings for the family to occupy. They won't be homeless.

Keep the royal family, if the royal family wants to be kept. Include the royal family if the royal family wants to be included. Just make them pay for their own stuff with their own money. And do BETTER things with the savings.

Yes, I'm aware that this may be wishful thinking.

Yes, I'm aware that unscrupilous people may take advantage of monetary support given to commonwealth nations and keep it for themselves. (And I'm not unaware that it would happen in ALL the nations, yes, even Canada where I live. There are a LOT of currently-serving politicians who are vile, scummy, self-serving arseholes.) Yes, I'm aware that mutual support between nations of the commonwealth is all that is preventing famine or religious war in some places.

Yes, I'm aware none of this is as easy as I'm making it sound.

But I think it's time to stop celebrating and upholding centuries of brutal militaristic colonialism and the destruction and subversion of so many beautiful cultures for the sake of some tourist bucks. I especially think it's time for the public to stop PAYING for it.

I love history. I love symbolism. I love the stories of royalty and treachery and gallantry and seduction. I love the architecture of great houses, and the meaning behind golden spoons from over a thousand years ago, and the fascination of birthrights and bloodlines. I love paintings, and balls, and the gorgeous work of exceptionally talented artisans that go into making all the amazing silly hats.

I write historical romances for goshsakes.

And I also think it's time to stick it all where it belongs -- in a museum.

[moncey-imagines]

Disneyland Trip Headcanons | Sans x GN!Reader

IT TOOK A REALLY LONG TIME BUT HERE IT IS LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND BINARYLESS BUDDIES!!! PART TWO!!! this time papyrus is in it teehee

!!THIS HAS NOT BEEN PROOF-READ OR EDITED!!

no warnings here hehe, this is part two of this fic.

* Really? I mean, yeah! Of course papyrus can come!

* YIPPEE! I CANNOT WAIT TO DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF DISNEYLAND!

* Ah- Were you standing there the whole time?

* YES! JUST IN CASE YOU SAID YES TO ME TAGGING ALONG!

* Why?

* i told him to.

* But why?

* TO KNOW WHEN TO START PACKING!

After Papyrus’ excited and frantic observations and questions the whole trip there, you were excited to have your skeleton boyfriend and his brother experience the park.

* WOWIE! WHAT IS THAT?

* Sleeping Beauty castle?

* LIKE THE MOVIE SLEEPING BEAUTY? CAN WE BE PUT UNDER A SLEEPING CURSE TOO? JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIE?

* Um…no, that would be dangerous to guests I think…

* bummer.

* SANS, YOU DON’T EVEN NEED A SLEEPING CURSE! YOU FALL ASLEEP EVERYWHERE!

* what was that, bro? sorry, i took a quick nap.

The questions from Papyrus, as silly some of them could be, really tested your knowledge in a really fun way.

* WHAT IS HIS NAME? WHAT IS HE DOING? WHY IS HE LOOKING AT US THAT WAY?

* That’s the Hatbox Ghost, he’s just standing there but there is a theory and a book supporting evidence that says that he’s scaring you out the window, where you fall to your death in the graveyard, and that’s why all the ghosts after are dancing and celebrating.

* WHY ME?

* Well, it’s nothing personal against specific guests, he just kind of…wants another ghost in the house, I guess?

* this is probably a personal attack against my bro. we gotta destroy him.

* NO, BROTHER! AS OFFENSIVE AS PERSONALLY CHOOSING ME WOULD BE, WE CANNOT DESTROY HIM! WE WOULD BE KICKED OUT OF THE PARK!

* Papyrus is right, we could even be arrested…

* shame. guys already dead, and we would get arrested for killin’ him again? Society.

* SOCIETY INDEED, BROTHER…

* Society…

Despite his questions being fun, Papyrus easily wore you out. Thankfully, he, somehow, had a very weak bladder, leaving you and Sans alone waiting for him often. It was a nice change of pace, even for just a moment.

* Here’s our snacks…

* what’d ya get?

* Well, I got beignets and mint juleps, enough for all three of us.

* mmm, those smell good…

* They’re the same things Tiana made in the beginning of Princess and the Frog! Due to both the beignets and the proximity to Critter Country, they turned this place into Tiana’s restaurant from the movie.

* oh, yeah. the one at the end that looked like a big boat, right?

* Yeah…have you been watching Disney movies?

* yeah, paps really wanted to marathon them. I also watched a few extra just to keep up with your facts.

* Aw…Sans, that’s so sweet…

* it’s no skin off my nose.

* Hehehe…bonehead…

During particularly long lines, Sans chose to ride your back. He’s not very heavy at all, really just the weight of clothes and bones, so he wasn’t much of a hassle to hold.

* REALLY, SANS? POOR [Y/N] IS STUCK CARRYING YOU BECAUSE 15 MINUTES IS TOO LONG TO STAND FOR YOU?

* It’s okay, Papyrus, he’s really light…and it’s nice to be so close to him…

* OH! IT’S A ROMANTIC MOMENT! BEAUTIFUL! I WILL TURN AROUND AND LEAVE YOU LOVE BIRDS TO YOUR ROMANCE!

* romantic, huh? consider me a certified heart throb then.

* Already considered. You make my knees weak…

* you send shivers up my spine.

* You rush my blood to my cheeks…

After a while, you heard Papyrus crying, muttering about how beautiful your love was. You also realized he was handed a lollipop by some random kid and had begun eating it.

* Papyrus, where did you get that?

* A GENEROUS HUMAN GIFTED IT TO ME!

* Huh?

* THAT ONE!

* That…child?

* YES! HE SAID HE LIKED MY OUTFIT AND GAVE ME HIS LOLLIPOP! I COULD NOT SEND THE POOR BOY AWAY WITHOUT A GIFT OF MY OWN, SO I GAVE HIM OUR BEIGNETS!

* aw, i wanted to eat those later.

* It’s okay, I have more.

* where?

* Secret…

* secret…

* SECRET!

* i think he’s passed out. Shame he didn’t get to see the fireworks.

* It’s okay, we’ll come back sometime.

* today was really nice.

* It was…

* oh, here, i bought this for you.

* Wow…is this…

* yeah, you said it was your favorite ride…i saw the plush and thought you should add it to your collection.

* When..?

* when we were walking, i saw it…i snuck away at some point to shortcut over and get it for you.

* Aw…thank you, Sans…I love you so much…

* i love you too.

HEHEHEH THIS TOOK FOREVER IM SO SORRY HOPE EVERYONE LIKES IT!!

[n0tafanficwriter]

I was made for lovin' you, baby

CHAPTER 1: ALL OUT OF LOVE

It was 1996, and John Marston just got a divorce with his wife over an obvious stupid action made on his behalf. He sighed, knowing now until forever he'll have to pay some sort of child support to a child he still wasn't sure was his. That didn't matter, though. What mattered was the fact that he needed to get his life together somehow. Sitting at the payphone, John dialed Arthur's house phone. He pressed the cigarette he had in his hands against his lips, hoping for him to pick up. "God, this was stupid," Marston mumbled to himself. Eventually, God answered a prayer. Arthur finally answered the phone that had been ringing for almost 30 minutes.

"Hello?" A gruff country voice answered the phone. John perked up excitedly. "Ah! Arthur. My brother!" He said kinda loud, getting odd looks by a few passing strangers. "John? What did you do? " John was almost offended by the question Arthur asked him on the other line. He gasped, acting all hurt at first before answering the damn question. "Me and Abigail got a divorce," he said, taking a draw from the dimly lit cigarette. "And now I gotta pay children support. Oh, and I'm homeless, " John said almost as if he seeked some sort of petty from Morgan. Arthur sighed before answering "fine you can stay. But don't think for a second, me or Charles, will clean up the mess you made with Abigail, " the brunette said. "Pfft, me and Abigail old news. I'm a new man now Arthur Mo-" John groaned. The call ran out. Oh well, he thought to himself. At least he had a place to stay now.

An hour passed, and John arrived at Arthur and Charles' place. Charles opened the door to the disgruntled man in front of him. John looked like an experiment gone wrong. He had eye bags along with poorly done eyeliner. Not to mention the fact he smelled like a love child of booze and cigarettes. The man grimaced at the sight of him. "Uh, bad day?" Charles asked John. John groaned as a response and made himself at home already by letting himself in. "Okay then," Charles said to himself before heading over to the shared room he had with Arthur to tell him his annoying little brother was here. John plopped onto the couch, burying his face into the sofa. He felt like crying, but the emotions weren't coming out properly. He groaned once more. Arthur came into the living pulling John off the couch. "No time to morn over your failed marriage, John. You did this yourself." He said, dragging him off the couch.

John protested against this action. He wanted to rot up onto that couch. "Ugh, Arthur, tell me why I gotta." he looked up at his older sibling with the most saddest and pathetic expression. Arthur let go of John, making an 'oof' sound as he hit the floor. Arthur rubbed his temples already done with him "because you'll lay there for God knows how long smelling like a rotting corpse cus you'll refuse to shower," he answered that stupid question asked by John fucking Marston. After a few minutes, John got off the floor. He's a new man now, he told himself. He doesn't need Abigail. Or, well, she doesn't need him. Eh, either way, they are better off without each other. John decided to shower that maybe that would take a load off his shoulders. Yet again, making himself at home, he grabbed some clothes he left here a while back and headed towards the shower. After this, he's gonna have a new life.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

CHAPTER 2: BREAK MY STRIDE

It's been 3 months. 3 whole months since the divorce. God, did it dwell on John, but like he told himself, he was getting his life together. Though he didn't have a job or money.. or even a car. He was still improving. Crazy what a few months can do to a person. Arthur cheered him on the side lines, supporting his little brother. It was good to see him become someone he always wished him to be. Though John did still have downfalls that weighed him down heavily, it wasn't too surprising, though. People can't magically change overnight. Though it'd be a dream come true. Oh well, it's not important as of this moment. Out of nowhere without warning, a call from Javier Escuella came in. John was the lucky bastard to pick up the phone.

"Hello." Marston said with a yawn. He just woke up from a little well long nap. "Ay!! Is that John Marston, I hear?!!!" Javier said excitedly. He hadn't heard his voice in a long ass time. "Oh! Javier hi, " the divorced man said. He was also excited to hear from him as well. "So, friend, I was wondering if you and uh, Arthur wanted to come to my place for a get-together, you know, for our band reunion," the other man on the phone said. It took a moment for John to process the words that were being said he thought about it. The last time Javier saw him is when he was 18 and chugging shot guns in the back of a high school to impress some girl. The band fell apart over some stupid argument caused by Micah that night. "I guess we can come, yeah." Marston said while nodding his head. "Ah! Amazing." Javier said also sharing the location and the fact it's tonight at six fuck.

John ended up telling Arthur 20 minutes after the call. "At 6?" Arthur huffed. He was sitting on his boyfriend's lap. John hated looking at the pda, but it wasn't his house. "Yeah, it's at 6. I don't know why he chose today to tell us, " John groaned then again it was Javier, so it did make lick of sense to him. He didn't have anything good to wear. I mean, it's not like cared at all what he wore. He just didn't want Javier to know he's a divorce mess. "Do you think i could come?" Charles randomly asked. Arthur leaned against him "Absolutely you can come. You're gonna be my plus 1 anyways," Morgan smiling over at him. Yuck is all John thought. He wasn't homophobic. Far from it. He just didn't like the cringe ass romance. Well, it was time to get ready for a damn reunion.

[red-akara]

I’m playing through Disco Elysium as of late and I’ve been finding it weirdly encouraging?

Just something about an amnesiac down on his luck detective who’s lost literally everything and yet must somehow solve a murder in town is kinda relatable to certain things going on in my life right now.

I haven’t lost my memory nor am I homeless, but I have been hit with financial crisis after financial crisis. My savings are basically gone. I’m now in debt to both my parents for helping me fix my car and my brother for a plane ticket from last thanksgiving, and my landlady and owner of the place I rent is leaving the country, so I gotta find a new place to live in about a month.

It’s hard not to feel like my world is imploding. Just like the detective does. But he slowly pieces things together. He makes little breakthroughs. The game provides him with just enough to get by. And he has the moral support of his case partner.

There’s a quote in the game which goes:

“After life - death

After death - life again

After the world - the pale

After the pale - the world again”

It’s a beautiful quote, one that speaks to the theme of the game. Some things end. Some things collapse. Some things get destroyed. Yet in those same events, new things begin. Rebuild. Recreate.

The past couple months have been a huge testing of my faith. But I have hope still that it will all be okay. That something new is coming, as terrifying and exciting as the unknown can be. I have more than I think I do. And I know I have the support to make it through.

[thedragonchilde]

G Gundam meta notes, eps 35-39:

"Showdown! Bursting Machinegun Punch"

-the first appearance of Master's death cough?

-George seems so much shallower then the others when you put it that way. I'll have to pay extra attention to him in coming eps because he's more of an enigma than he seems

-Chibodee actually seems really anguished about this, dang

-and he switches from name back to epithet to create distance, interesting

-”work with me on this!” ayup, Chibodee needs hype as a motivator

-”reflecting a tradition of calm and simplicity” sure, that sounds like Domon 

-"better than he's ever been"

-”and most of all, it's for you”

-"you sure know how to make me happy"

-"CHIBODEE HAS LIT A FIRE IN DOMON'S SOUL"

-oh my god everything out of their mouths at this point, I can't keep up with listing every quote they're coming so fast

-”I can feel your dream”

-”your hunger ignited a fire within me”

-”you're a great rival!” :) gotta get that hype in there

-oooh, that fade in, did Chibs actually get knocked out for a few seconds?? Concussion check!

-you can practically see the shoujo bubbles, seriously, check the soft focus - and Domon is such an encouraging friend! It's so sweet, even if you're not a useless queer like me. In fact, it's a nice callback to their original faceoff! (And literally supportive too, even; I do love a good 'leaning on/propping up your teammate'. Although now I have to go back and note whether Domon reassures his friends on the regular or if it's just Chibodee–)

"A Knights' Pride! Gundam Rose Stolen"

-”I'm focusing solely on you” George, that's a little gay

-George talking with a rose in his mouth though, great line delivery

-"the Gundam Fight is not a sport" that's,,, hm. Certainly not how they seem to treat it. Interesting highlight of the difference between the fighters and the politicos

-hmm, it says something interesting that this is the circumstance in which we see George cry

-'knight' is a wildly anachronistic position, but there's something up here, as he clearly has some hangups about his self-worth tied up in fighting and country and,,,

-aside from Domon putting Shining to rest, this is the only other time we see someone talking to their Gundam. Rose really is George's lady, huh

-"just this one time I wish to fight only for myself" ooooh this has such juicy implications! (A ‘gilded cage’ corollary to Argo, re: fighting as freedom?)

-even at his most passionate he's still… restrained? That's not quite the right word. But like he almost doesn't know how to let himself go, even when he's clearly already gone

-"I've been devoutly loyal to x all my life (at the expense of my sense of self) but now I wanna do something for me" is so good

-it's almost like he believes fighting is the only thing he's good for. Something to dig into

"Sai Saici's New Attack! Blazing Dragon Gundam"

-Rain is so insecure about her place in Domon's life among fighters, and that's interesting, but she was never threatened before Allenby, which is understandable but somewhat less interesting

-Allenby calling Sai ‘kid’ and ‘baby boy’ like she's not closer to his age than Domon's 

-damn, Domon really gets Sai

-okay Wong almost made that sound like he's somehow in on Master being sick

-man, Zuisen and Keiun keep underestimating Sai. Like, nice job breaking it hero

-Sai’s dad was hot. I'm gonna guess Sai will grow up nice ;)

-I wonder what Shin Ryusen Kochouken would be in Mandarin (or whatever Chinese dialect Sai would speak)

-There's probably some cool stuff to be said about Asian solidarity by someone more knowledgeable than me. But like. These are really bros and I love it. Need more of this dynamic tbh

-aw, Rain getting the martial artist bond (so long as it's not with Allenby I guess)

"Domon vs. Argo! Charging Bolt Gundam"

-why would Neo Russia cover up something against a criminal they'd want more against? 

-Wong tortures people now, cool cool

-you don't always get to notice it, but Argo's eyes are such a pretty icy blue

-oh, it's "us" now, is it, Nastasha?

-I'm struggling with words on this one, and it might be because I've screamed over it too many times over the years (esp about things like how fucked up the hologram is, or The Date), like I feel I'm repeating myself

-or that I'm just wordlessly screaming at Argo and Nastasha because I fucking love them

-Argo just takes the whole damn fish

-Nastasha can cook! 

-interesting that she notices a superstition

-they go back and forth on whether they're using Berserker

-ARGO THAT SHOUT WAS DOWNRIGHT MUSICAL

-”now we can focus solely on each other” lil gay there Domon

-GET HIM, MASTER

-”I haven't forgotten my duties as the Black Joker” mind filling us in on what those duties are? 

-finally get tears from Argo and it's in flashback

-"Argo, you're awesome" :)

-"one x for the both of us" is SO GOOD, YOU GUYS

-"your fists have shown me the light to my soul" sounds kind of goofy but this situation is actually a really cool application of 'communicating with your fists' - Argo being someone who shows himself to be so respectful of life is incongruent with the incident the way Andrew remembers it, so the reality of current actions fills in the blanks of the past. This probably isn't coming out right.

"The Ultimate Attack! Duel With Master Asia"

-it's only a split second, but Argo has a nice butt

-tapping into Rain's insecurities about being needed, I see

-way to give the viewer whiplash re: Domon - show him being a jerk to Rain, then follow it with him being adorable with Fuunsaiki 

-,,,he communicates with the horse better than he does with Rain

-I don't know what that says about him but it's fuel for the autistic headcanon

-”are you trying to tell me I should ride you?” Now there's something that can be taken out of context

-what a messy divorce

-I wanna know when they actually mean ‘defeat’ and when they mean ‘kill’

-oh wow, Master Asia can actually get injured?

-”I could leave you behind” yeah, but you won't

-"the one thing I never taught you",,, and then proceeds to not teach him before asking him to do it. Unless they handwaved/skipped that part for us

-oooh, motive rant! And in case we forgot about the crapsack world setup from the early episodes, y'know, more fuel for the anti-war environmentalist fire

-the horse gets a suit-up!

-you know what, Domon, I get that you were worried, but you fuckin deserve Rain leaving

[roydeezed]

Some Thoughts about - Poker Face

So like I know I'm late to the party but hot damn! is this show so much of what I love.

First of all I need to gush over Natasha Lyonne. Not only does she play Charlie as a snoopy little gremlin incredibly well, but when she's not snooping, her everywoman acting is so sincere and heartfelt. And beyond her acting, her directing in episode 8, The Orpheus Syndrome is jaw-dropping. It's a surrealist thriller masterpiece along the lines of fucking Suspiria and Vertigo. Throughout the whole episode I was captivated and entranced and it wasn't until I checked the credits that I realised why it was so impactful. I haven't watched much of her directorial efforts outside episode 8 of Russian Doll, but it seems like her style has always been surrealist. I gotta check it out.

And speaking of Vertigo and Hitchcock, I think after the longest time, we finally have a director that rivals his sensibilities in Rian Johnson. Hitchcock was a piece of shit but it's undeniable that his thrillers were tense masterpieces. If you don't believe me, check out my personal favourite in Rear Window. But not only does Rian Johnson remind me of Hitchcock at his best, with mysteries such as Brick and the Glass Onion movies and now Poker Face, his penchant for creating affable Detectives with kind hearts reminds me of Agatha Christie's characters in Miss Marple and Poirot.

But that's all surface level talk so below the cut I'm gonna get into some deeper thoughts and what I think the overarching themes are. Heavy spoilers below!

And speaking of themes, I wanna go over what they are, and how Episode 7, 8, and 9 helped me figure it out. At least one of the central ones. And that being Guilt.

After praising it so much, I do think I need to offer up some criticism, as I do have some. While a lot of comparisons have been made to Columbo, I think one of the key differences is that the culprits aren't always from high society, to the shows detriment. And as Charlie isn't a cop and instead fleeing across the country, it makes sense and leaves room for interesting stories. But every once in a while, like Episode 7, The Future of the Sport, starring Charles Melton and Tim Blake Nelson, both of whom I adore, you get a emotionally and socially dissonant story. As somehow the blue collar worker who's fighting against nepotism in an industry still has to be the bad guy. While it supported the themes, it still left a bad taste.

Now, you might be saying, it's a show about murders, of course it's about guilt. But it's not in the way you're thinking. Unless you are, in which case, welcome to smart people town. Population you, cause outside of this I'm still pretty much a dumbass.

Moving on, let's go over it. Poker Face talks of an unwarranted guilt. I'm sure Rian Johnson and co had a pithier phrase to represent it but what it means is that it represents a kind of survivors guilt. In Charlie's conversation with David Castaneda's character Jimmy in where she admits how much Natalie's death has weighed on her. And with the reveal that he wasn't directly responsible for her death through selling her bad coke, and the previous episodes where Tim Blake Nelson's and Nick Nolte's character's both realise they weren't the culprits, it shines a light on the constant theme of wholly unwarranted guilt.

And across the rest of the episodes, barring episode 2 for a reason I can't yet figure out, it deals with Charlie thinking she either led them to their death's, having something to do with the deaths even for the smallest moments, or helping someone that thinks they're guilty such as the stage manager in Episode 6, Exit Stage Death.

But unwarranted guilt alone provides for a pretty flimsy theme if left alone. So how's it expanded upon? The last episode makes it clear through dialogue, revelations into Charlie's past and actions themselves that this unwarranted guilt breaks you down in such a specific way. In the last episode we get what seems to be a pointless return to Charlie's past. But learning about how she moves through life, another unwarranted piece of guilt and this metaphor of swimming, brought up again at the boat, we see how the guilt puts you in a situation where either you drown from it or you swim. And the direction you swim in, the way you move through life, is inherently affected by the guilt that's drowning you, and ultimately can lead you to make bad decisions, as the first thing that comes along that can stop you from drowning, be it a boat, a life preserver, or as Cliff mentions multiple times throughout the show, The Hook. The Hook is a distraction, something deadlier than the sea that you're drowning in, and fortunately for a detective show, and unfortunately for her, Charlie's hook is trouble.

[the-real-xmonster]

it's been a while since i checked your blog (life got really busy for me) but i'm glad to see your responses! the weather has somehow gotten worse this year... long pants are no longer wearable in singapore. why is it so hot!!! my back gets drenched with sweat within 10min of walking around. also i have a bad habit of not putting sunscreen and that is becoming increasingly unsustainable...

anyway i'm not sure if you're still playing star rail but i enjoyed belobog even though some of the story beats were kinda cliche. xianzhou was nice but i think a lot of it was hidden in the collectible items (which is a shame because i like dan heng a lot). i've been loving the penacony plot though! i thought aventurine's story was very moving and i liked him a lot more after the quest hehe

anyway, i hope you're doing well :D please take care in the overwhelming heat and 9% gst <33

Hi there! I totally agree with you about the Singapore weather. It's truly getting to the point of insufferable, which has left me no choice other than leaving the country altogether. So yeah I'm moving to Japan next week haha.

I still play HSR. Contrary to popular opinion I don't think the Belobog story was as great as the fandom likes to make it out to be. Like you said it's a bit cliched in some places and I still couldn't get over the whiplash of how fast the Seele-Bronya connection developed (and I did play HI3 so I get why that fan service plot element was there, but still). The Xianzhou storyline was ok IMO. Not perfect by any means but not as bad as the fandom likes to make it out to be either (istg this fandom seems to have extreme opinions about everything). As for Penacony, I only truly got on board with it in this current patch (maybe I'm emotionally defective or something but I really did not care about Firefly last patch) and yea it's because of how well written Aventurine's character was. Gotta give the writing team at Hoyo a huge kudo for this one. Can't wait for the Aventurine banner to start. I'll get him even if I've got almost every other sustain in this game 🤡

Btw I assume you're on the Asia server for HSR? If you want to be friends on there my UID is 800740717. I have pretty decently built characters (if I do say so myself) as support if you ever need 'em 😛

Anyway please put on sunscreen when you go out!!! Stay safe!

[drippingviolets3]

Sooooo, a lot has been happening with me recently and since I might be sick (and desperately need my medication adjusted-) I’m going to do a part two to that one thing where I rated danganronpa characters based on how they would comfort me after that one instance where I got bullied for being 💅

Hajime: 6/10: His free time events low key make me want to strangle him sometimes for his attitude, and I’m STILL traumatized by that one nut scene, but he’d still do more then the bare minimum despite being awkward about it.

Chiaki: 6/10: I know she would never say this, but for some reason she’s giving me Zuko’s “Thats rough buddy” response from ATLA 😭. I don’t think I would be able to tell if she’s actually listening or caring, so I’d be discouraged, but Chiaki would definitely try to find some way to distract me.

Nagito: -10/10: Mf would deadass look me in the eye and tell me it was a necessary stepping stone to achieve the brightest hope or some shit he can gtfo.

Twogami: 8/10: For the sake of staying in character he would pat me on the back with a broom, but would definitely have some words of wisdom to share with me, maybe share his food, idk.

Teruteru: 7/10: Here me out, since Teru is canonically bisexual, coming from one queer to another, he’d know when to drop the pervert shit and actually help. His advice would be shit but hey at least he’d make me something to eat.

Mahiru: 3/10: I can’t stand this bitch I gotta be real with y’all 💀. While she would agree that it was bad and such, she’d still get onto me for how I reacted and tell me to stop crying. We know she doesn’t really do anything to stop bullying so she’ll just do slightly below the bare minimum and dip.

Peko: 12/10: MY. WIFE. Okay I might be biased but I do think she’d just slowly draw her sword out to kill the mfs but would retract it the moment someone said “Peko, no.” Would she know how to comfort me? Probably not. But will she make sure that karma is delivered and that it hurts like a bitch? 100% yes.

Ibuki: 5/10: I think she’d also canonically queer, but she’s obnoxious and is weird in a way that kinda feels forced to me tbh? Idk how else to describe it, but I do know that while she would do her best to help, she’s not the person I want to be around in that kind of mess.

Hiyoko: 4/10: It depends on if we’re friends or not. If we were she’d probably tear the bullies a new one before promptly getting curb stomped, or she’d just make fun of me and tell me to get over it 💀.

Mikan: 2/10: She’ll want to help but would probably make it worse by tripping, crying, and apologizing.

Nekomaru: 9/10: He’d be such a dad about it, give the bullies a firm talking to and maybe yell at them if they catch an attitude. Overall he’d be bodyguarding me around that bitch 24/7

Gundham: 7/10: He’d give me a hamster to hold and would go off on one of his tangents about being a demon lord and how he’s make them burn in hellfire and shower the underworld in brimstone, but I won’t be paying attention because I’m holding a hamster and that makes life better 💞

Akane: 5/10: Similar to “Peko, no” but instead it’s like swiper the fox where you gotta scream “AKANE NO!” Three times in a row to prevent her from going on a rampage.

Sonia: 6/10: The sweetest and gentlest thing omllll 💞💞💞. She’d make sure I’m in a safe mental space so I won’t hurt myself and brings me pillows and blankets and such. But if she gets really pissed, home girl will deadass threaten the group to leave me alone. If they catch an attitude they’re gonna have to throw hands with her whole fucking country (and it is mentioned that everyone in her country learn how to work army machinery in elementary school so 💀)

Kazuichi: 5/10: I don’t know if he knows what a bisexual is 😭. He’d try to support me but his confusion would be so evident that it somehow makes me laugh enough to where I’m less sad.

Fuyuhiko: 20/10: This man has access to an entire fucking yakuza and you think that bitch will get out unscathed? He isn’t good with words, but actions speak louder than words so he gets straight to work. By the next day that bitch would be in the hospital and get PTSD by looking at babies, knowing it was a baby gangster who knocked her teeth out

[myclvr]

2020 was one of the hardest years of my life and changed me as a person. It was the first year I truly understood that life is short and you need to cherish people and be kind and live like you and or everyone else could die tomorrow. George Floyd was brutally murdered in my neighborhood. On 38th and Chicago. That could’ve been my uncle or any one of my cousins or any one of my friends or the people I grew up with. There is still a memorial for him there and it is now known as George Floyd Square. Then during the protests racists came from their white suburbs and small towns and tried to burn down as much as they could. We are still rebuilding. 2020 was when we felt like white people started to actually believe us for the first time about the racism black people face and that meant EVERYTHING. But I still told people nah we gotta see how they act in a couple years to see if it’s all just an act. And here we are a couple years later and so many are proving that their support and solidarity with black people back then was just a performance. So they could feel better about themselves not because they actually care.

The Palestinian struggle is our struggle. I have seen so many similarities between how Palestinians are treated by Israeli settlers and how black people have been and still are being treated by white people here in the US and in other predominantly white countries. The Jim Crow era in the US is almost identical. All it is is a different side to the same coin.

If you have not shown support for Palestine then you also have shown that you do not support nor truly care about me, my family, and my people. It shows that you would never stand up for me. That you would have never stood up for my people in the past when we were experiencing so much horror at the hands of white people. And that hurts. That is the most heartbreaking thing about it. I’ve heard so many stories from my family of all the racism they’ve dealt with their entire lives. My mom still gets treated poorly by white people when she goes out alone. Even when I’m with her the difference in how I get treated vs her just cause I’m lightskinned. It’s appalling. I’ve had friends constantly be called the n word by groups of white people here. So it’s very crazy to me to have people in my life say they care about me or want to be my friend or want to get to know me but have not shown an ounce of support for Palestine even when it’s as horrible as genocide. I work with only white people who keep calling it a “war” and a “conflict.” They buy starbucks everyday yet in the same moment tell me how much time they spend on tiktok but somehow haven’t seen a single video about all the boycotts?? I work for the government and people started faxing us protest letters and my coworkers have only shown annoyance. And this is after they all see the Palestinian flag I have on my bag that I bring to work everyday. It is so draining to go and work with these people everyday. These are the same people that want to be my friend and want to know everything about me. You can not show “care” for me and not the rest of poc all over the world. It doesn’t work like that. Because we are all facing the same oppressive institutions. We are all fighting against white supremacy. So I encourage all poc to peep the white people in their lives and see if they truly care about you. If they have not uttered one word in support for Palestine, there’s a good chance they don’t.

By now it is clear, and it always has been we just weren’t paying attention, that Israel is evil and full of monsters. It is clear who you should be supporting. Indifference, complacency, and silence are the most dangerous things in the world and it allows poc and minority communities to be harassed, tortured, murdered, and wiped out without any consequences or repercussions. Just because it doesn’t directly affect you doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter and that it’s not worth your time or effort. We are all living on this earth together.

I am so scared for them after this 4 day pause ends. What’s going to happen??

I was struggling before this all happened and I’m struggling even more now. I can’t sleep most nights and when I do I have really unsettling dreams, I can’t eat, I cry everyday, my anxiety has been non stop, and I woke up at 4am this morning and had a panic attack.

If I feel like this and I’m not even there nor Palestinian all I can think about is how every single Palestinian is feeling. It’s all so horrendous.

The Palestinian people deserve the whole world and more. Everyday I’m wishing for a free Palestine.

Showing support takes one second of your time.

Free all oppressed people.