#green agenda lies

[dosesofcommonsense]

The Green New Deal is a Utopia, a false reality just like communism. The GND doesn’t save the planet; it kills the planet and humanity at the same time.

—-

Batteries🔋 do not create electricity ⚡ but they store electricity produced elsewhere, especially through coal, uranium, natural power plants or diesel generators.

So the claim that an electric 🚗 is a zero-emission vehicle is not true at all, because the electricity produced comes from power plants and many of them burn coal or gas.

So 40% today ? some of electric cars on the road are carbon-based.

But that's not everything.

Those who are enthusiastic about electric cars and the green revolution should take a closer look at batteries, but also wind turbines and solar panels.

A typical electric car battery weighs 450 kg, about as big as a suitcase. It contains 11 kg of lithium, 27 kg of nickel, 20 kg of manganese, 14 kg of cobalt, 90 kg of copper and 180 kg of aluminum, steel and plastic. There are more than 6,000 individual lithium-ion cells inside.

To make each BEV battery, you will need to process 11,000 kg of salt for lithium, 15,000 kg of cobalt mineral, 2.270 kg of resin for nickel and 11,000 kg of copper mineral.

In total, you have to extract 225,000 kilograms of soil for one battery.

The biggest problem with solar systems is the chemicals used to convert silicate into the gravel used for the panels.

To produce sufficient clean silicon, it must be treated with chloride, sulfuric acid, fluoride, trichloroethane and acetone.

In addition, gallium, arsenide, copper-indian-galium diselenuride and cadmium telluride are necessary, which are also highly toxic.

Silicone dust is a hazard to workers and tiles cannot be recycled.

Wind turbines are not plus-ultra in terms of cost and environmental destruction.

Each windmill weighs 1,688 tons (equivalent to the weight of 23 houses) and contains 1300 tons of concrete, 295 tons of steel, 48 tons of iron, 24 tons of fiberglass and rare lands that are hard-to-get Neodymium, Praseodymium and Dyprosium.

Each of the three shovels weighs 40,000 kg and has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, after which they must be replaced. We cannot recycle used rotor blades.

Certainly these technologies can have their place, but we need to look beyond the myth of freedom of emission. Going Green may seem like a utopian ideal, but if you look at the hidden and embedded costs in a realistic and impartial way, you’ll find that “Going Green” is doing more damage to the Earth’s environment today than it seems.

Image credit: Jeff Spring Shu

[pastorroye1]

The Importance of Choosing a Good Bible Translation Selecting a reliable translation of Scripture is crucial when beginning to read and study the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word to us, divinely inspired and meant to guide our lives. From the time the written Word was first recorded, there have been efforts to translate what God has said. Some translators have approached this work with reverence, carefully rendering God’s holy words as accurately as possible. Others, however, have injected personal interpretations, agendas, or biases into the text. The result? Some translations are excellent and faithful to the original text, while others are misleading—potentially even dangerous. Personally, I want to hear what God has said, not what man has interpreted. Man’s words will never suffice, but God’s Word stands eternal and unchanging. Types of Bible Translations There are two primary translation philosophies: Literal Translations (Word-for-Word): Definition: These aim to stay as close as possible to the exact words and structure of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Purpose: They prioritize accuracy over readability, preserving the original wording and phrasing. Examples: King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV). Note: Literal translations are considered the most faithful to the original texts, making them excellent for study. Dynamic Translations (Thought-for-Thought): Definition: These focus on conveying the ideas or thoughts behind the original text rather than adhering to a word-for-word rendering. Purpose: They prioritize readability and comprehension for modern audiences by adapting expressions and idioms into contemporary language. Examples: New International Version (NIV), New Living Translation (NLT), The Message, The Passion Translation. My Perspective on Bible Translations I primarily use the NKJV (a literal translation) for study and teaching. On a limited basis, I reference the NLT (a dynamic translation) for clarity. My caution with dynamic translations lies in the potential for human bias to overshadow God’s intent. The most dangerous example, in my opinion, is The Passion Translation (TPT). This version often strays far from the original text, adding interpretive language that may mislead readers. For this reason, the Passion Translation is not used or taught in our church or ministry. A Comparison: Psalm 23:1-2 NKJV:
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. Characteristics: Literal and concise. Retains the structure and tone of the original Hebrew. TPT:
1 The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough.
2 He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. Characteristics: Highly paraphrased and interpretive. Adds relational and emotional language not present in the original text, such as "best friend" and "luxurious love." Key Differences: Literal vs. Interpretive: The NKJV stays close to the original text, while the TPT expands on it with added interpretations. Tone and Imagery: The NKJV is formal and restrained; the TPT is poetic and emotionally charged. Concerning Trends in Translations Some modern translations have even removed gender-specific references to God, reframing "God the Father" in neutral terms to avoid offending cultural sensitivities. Such changes undermine the integrity of Scripture, shifting focus from God’s revealed truth to man’s agenda. To truly know God, we must seek His Word as He intended it—not a watered-down, culturally reimagined version. Overcoming Challenges in Understanding Scripture If you find the Bible difficult to understand, take heart! God has provided pastors, teachers, and study tools to help you navigate its complexities. Let’s rise above the temptation to settle for simplified versions and pursue the richness of what God truly says. Timeless Truths About God’s Word Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV): "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Isaiah 40:8 (NKJV): "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." Psalm 119:105 (NKJV): "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Matthew 4:4 (NKJV): "‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’" Romans 10:17 (NKJV): "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV): "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV): "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Let us approach God’s Word with reverence and diligence, seeking His truth above all else. God’s Word matters most.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Tell me, tell me, tell me

Warnings: non/dubcon and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Loki

Summary: your husband doesn't handle change well and falls into old habits.

This is one of my birthday drabbles. Of course, little lies had a lot of votes and has earned it's own little add on. Thanks again for your input :) Enjoy.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

A birthday drabble for Little Lies 

You sit up and smile as the man exits Loki’s office. He looks content but your husband looks less than as he appears in the doorway. He crosses his arms and watches the candidate leave. You’ve gone through this routine at least two dozen times this week. 

“How was it?” You ask. 

He hums flatly and stares after the man’s departure. 

“His resume was great. What’s wrong?” 

Loki pouts and looks at you. He stands straight and crosses his arms. “He’s not you.” 

“Oh, I know. I’m so talented at keeping your agenda,” you retort dryly. “You can’t keep doing this. You have to hire someone.” 

“Don’t you understand?” He strides forward and stops just on the other side of your desk. His hands drop to his hips. “You’re asking me to replace you. That’s impossible.” 

“Ha, when did you get so sentimental?” You ignore him for the email on your screen. 

“Since the day you broke your leg, actually.” 

“Shut up,” you snip without looking up. 

“Truly. As worried as I might’ve been, I do miss those crutches. You were... manageable then.” 

You shake your head. “Well, you never are, but I’m hoping you can find an assistant that can do a somewhat decent job of it.”

He huffs and slithers around the desk. He sits on the corner, crowding you. “It won’t matter. I’ll be a mess without you, darling.” 

“I screened him. What was wrong with Peter?” You challenge, leaning back in your chair to face him. 

“Little upstart. I don’t need him flirting with my clients,” he harrumphs. 

“As if you don’t.” 

“On my honour,” he puts his hand to his chest, “I’ve changed my ways. You know it. I gave my vows.” 

“Uh huh.” You tut and check the time. “Well, who else? Jacqueline was good. She has a great CV and she’s very warm and welcoming.” 

“But I adore the way you snarl at me. It makes me...” Loki trails off and touches his belt. 

“You’re looking for an assistant,” you remind him. 

“Yes, but I will be losing my wife.” 

“That’s dramatic. It’s not like you can’t come see me. I can come back too between terms.” 

“School. You’re leaving me for school,” he mopes and shakes his head. 

“I’m trying to better myself, Lo. I don’t want to be your secretary my whole life.” 

“Personal Assistant,” he corrects. “Prized Asset.” 

“Ugh, you are so--” you put your hand up in exasperation. “This isn’t about the job. You’ll just call the temp agency, huh? So, you don’t have to pay benefits.” 

He shrugs guiltily as he examines the wall behind you. 

“What is this really about?” You insist. 

“Nothing.” 

“Tell me.” 

“I swear, I’ll miss you--” 

“Yeah, yeah, and I’ll miss you too. Blah blah blah,” you flutter your fingers at him and push yourself to your feet. You go to him and he looks at you with those sparkling green eyes. You put your hands on his shoulders and he instinctively frames your hips. “What is bothering you so much?” 

He stares at you then looks down. His lips thin and he tilts his head one way then the other. His gaze flicks back up to you. A grin creases his face and he laughs, “it’s foolish. Stupid! I shouldn’t worry.” 

“Loki,” you warn. 

He sighs. He peeks over at the door and his mouth slants. “You’re going to meet a lot of young men. Like that Peter.” 

You narrow your eyes and frown. Then you smile and scoff. You grab his chin and make him look at you, “you’re worried I’m going to meet some young gun and ditch my old man?” 

“Old? I wouldn’t use that word,” he winces. 

“You really think I would run off with some young hunk? With big burly shoulders and a nice chest...” Your let your tone drift into a dreamy drone. “Oh and thick hair and stamina like no one’s business...” 

“Hey!” He pokes your side and you cackle. 

“Loki, I’m not going to do anything like that. I’ll be far too busy studying and I’m too old for all that. Those twenty-year olds don’t want me. Now, hire a replacement so I can deal with all this nonsense.” You caress his cheek and give a smile. 

“You underestimate those twenty-year old cads. I once was one and I would've pounced on you at once.” 

“Oh really. Because you’re like forty and took years.” 

“Eh, let’s not toss around numbers here.” He sniffs. “I’m just saying that you are a beautiful woman, obviously. I married you. And those young ones, well, they like the allure of an older woman.” 

“Alright, alright,” you pat his shoulder. “Let it go.” You exhale and look him in the face. He stares back at you and squeezes your hips. “I’ll miss you.” 

His cheeks dust with pink and he smirks, “I'll miss you too, darling.” 

“You better.” 

His eyes fog and slowly crawl down. You squirm as he stands, crowding you, and his hands grazes along your sides. He walks his fingertips up and down and grips your waist again. He spins you suddenly, pinning you against the desk. 

“Let me be your young gun, eh? Show you this old man’s still got it.” He purrs. 

“Lo,” you rub his chest. 

“I can’t have you running off not thinking of me and how I’d put any of them to shame.” He winks and leans in, brushing the tip of his nose against yours. “Mm, Mrs. Laufeyson, is that what you want? A sweet young thing. I’ve not lost my touch, believe me.” 

“Lo,” you put your hand over one of his. 

“I feel you trembling, darling.” 

“Not here,” you tug on his hand. 

“Anywhere.” He urges you back until you hit the desk.  

He leans in until you’re forced to brace the desk. You strain backward and he reaches around to swipe the desk clear. Your monitor and laptop teeter dangerously near the edge as the rest of your things scatter. You gasp. 

“Loki!” 

“I’ll buy new ones,” he lifts you at once and puts you on the desk. 

“You can’t--” 

“I am.” 

He puts his hand under your chin and forces your head up. His thumb rubs along your cheekbones as he marvels down at you. He exhales and tickles your nose with his. You scrunch up your face and he presses a kiss to your lips. 

You push against his chest as his tongue glides along your lips. You murmur and try to resist. You never can. His hand brushes up and down your side then hooks up to your neck. He holds your head between his hands as he invades your mouth. He consumes you as he shifts and pushes between your knees. 

You clutch his lapel and part from his lips with a gulp. “Loki--” 

“Let me remind you who you married, darling. It was no old man,” he yanks his tie free as he clings to the front of your blouse, bunching it as he keeps you snagged. He tosses the silk and draws you back to him. 

You giggle, cheeks vibrant with heat, and shake your head. “Oh, I know who I married.” 

“And you will keep it in mind with those young lads.”  

He pinches a button, tediously undoing it with a single hand. He snarls and withdraws briefly to tear open his shirts. Buttons scatter as he snarls and steps up once more. He cradles your head in his hands and enshrines you in another fervent kiss, this one has you breathless. 

You put your hands on your chest, feeling the way his muscle tenses with need. He shudders as you drag your touch down to his stomach and the firm muscle clenches. He growls into you and bends you until your back is against the desk. He pins you there as he runs his hand down the length of your figure. 

He hooks his thumb beneath the hem of your dress and pushes the skirt up. You wriggle and feel blindly along his belt. He twitches as you latch onto his buckle. He hums and parts from your mouth, gasping against your cheek. 

His belt clinks open at your blind tugging and you pick open his fly. He growls and nips your ear lobe, laying a trail of kisses across your jaw and down your neck. He pants slacken and you push them down with his briefs. He springs free and wiggles his hips so his belt slides lower. 

He pulls your rear over the edge and flutters his fingers along your thigh. You curl your other leg around him as he tickles the front of your panties. He presses your clit through the thin fabric. You draw his mouth back to yours hungrily.  

Your tongues meet in a flurry of need and dread. You need each other right then and dread the separation to come. You’ve been outrunning that fact. That distance will not be easy, even so much as you’ve longed for it. 

He rubs you through your panties until he can feel you seeping through. He traces the trim of the lingerie and peels them away from your cunt. The satin bunches against your thigh as he flips your skirt up and moves closer. 

You know each other by touch. He finds you without hesitation. He slides into you in a single lunge and you drone in delight. Your turn your head as his wet lips smear over your cheek. He groans as your walls squeeze him. 

“Darling,” he drawls. 

You puff and arch your back, hooking your legs so that your heels press into the back of his thighs. You tilt your hips, goading him on as he takes his long, patient strokes. That pace he keeps when he means to torture. 

You snarl and grab his chin. You force his head up, “I thought you said you weren’t going to fuck me like an old man.” 

His eyes flicker and his lips curve into a devious smirk. He slams his hips against you and you cry out. Your nails dig into his jaw and you laugh through your teeth. He does it again, jolting the desk with you, and you quiver around him. 

“Oh, yes,” you grit. “You can do it, old man.” 

“Old. Man.” He chuffs out and rams into your again. 

You chuckle only to be met with another blunt rut. Your voice fizzles to a squeal.  

He traces along the top of your dress and drags the sleeve down your shoulder. He follows the cut of the bodice and uncovers your bra beneath. He quickly pulls the strap down and flips the cup inside out. He fondles you at once.  

His hips pump into you, harder and harder. His thumb flicks over your nipple, swirling around to tease. He hunches and dips down to take the bud between his teeth. He snarls and bucks faster. You hug him between your thighs and wrap an around his head. 

His other hand snakes down between your bodies. He pushes against your clit, the motion of his pelvis moving his fingers against you. The friction melds into the pressure inside. Your eyes roll back as you cling to his shoulder, your other hand on his lower back, beckoning him deeper. 

His harried grunts punctuate your soft moans, the slap of flesh and constant clink of his buckle adding to the twisted melody of your fucking. You roll your hips up into his. Just a little more. 

Your thighs shake and the swell in your core threatens to boil over. Your voice begins to crest and suddenly, he stops. You groan and clamp onto his side. You try to pull him down as he lifts himself. He keeps only his tip inside of you.  

Your eyes snap open as he flings his tussled hair back and looks you in the face. Your brows furrow. 

“Old man?” He challenges. 

“Lo...” you breathe, “please.” 

“No, no, that is what you said. So, allow me to prove you wrong.” He snickers and nips at your lower lip. “I can keep up, can you?” 

He dips into you slowly and you whine. Your head lolls and your lashes flutter. You bare your teeth at him and hiss. “I hate you.” 

“How can you hate this, darling?” He rears back and thrusts again. “Mm, I feel the way you’re clinging to me.” 

“Just--” You flare your nose and turn your head straight. “Do it. Old man.” 

His irises spark and he snaps his hips. You yipe and he twirls his fingertips against your clit. You shudder at the sensation. 

“Oh ho, darling, do you want to cum?” 

“Loki--” 

“Tell me you want to cum.” 

“Lo--” 

“Beg me.” He commands and pulls his fingers away. The coolness left in the shadow of his touch makes you squirm. “I did vow to serve you, darling, but I cannot if you do not say what you want.” 

Frustration, desperation, call it what you will. You whimper and reach for his hand. You guide it back to your clit and growl, “make me cum.” 

It’s his turn to shiver. He twists his hand away from yours to grab your fingers and pushes them to your bud. You gasp as he uses them to rub you instead. As he does, his hips fall into tempo. 

He fucks you so the desk scrapes the floor and his thighs hits the sharp edge. He raises himself as he spreads a hand across your stomach and watches himself delves into you, over and over. He guides your fingers in a frantic rhythm and the tension clusters beneath your own touch. 

You spasm and cry out, legs locked around his as you trap him inside you. 

“Oh, yes, make me cum, Loki, make me--” you descend into a stream of gibberish as you contort on the desk. You bite your knuckles to silence yourself, heaving wildly as your lungs burn and your skin tingles. 

“Um...” a knock sounds at the door and Loki halts mid-thrust. You share a startled look then slowly glance over at the open door. Shit. The last interviewee, Peter, stands dumbfounded as he peers in from the hall. “I, uh, forgot my phone in your office.” 

“Well,” Loki clears his throat and looks down at you with a sinister gleam. “Go and get it. Can’t you see I’m busy?” 

[sweetpianoxoxo]

Cold Hands, Warm Heart - Aemond Targaryen Headcanon

"And when i saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled, because you knew." - William Shakespeare . The only Daughter of Lord Stark is married to Aemond Targaryen.

Warnings: doesn't follow the plot of hotd, cregan sides with the greens just for the sake of this marriage agreement, but he's still noble your honor🙏, smut, fluff, very protective aemond, sorta ooc, dislike for alicent as a mother, cregan ships them, religious insecurities, part two?

The young lady of winterfell was by all accounts, a rare bird of the north. She had long, curled ginger locks and a face that held strength in beauty.

She was said to be a kind soul, eager to help the people of her community, feeding the beggars and filling the pockets of the poor. Creating homes for orphaned babes, and safe places to work for both men and women selling themselves to get buy.

Aemond wondered why Lord Stark had petioned him for his daughter. Sure, be was notoriously less rowdy than his brother, however he was not said to be any more kind or forgiving, besides, would a woman as charitable as her not make for an excellent queen? He did not wish for a kind wife, he needed someone hardened for when the war started.

Of course, the moment he laid his eyes on her he wanted her for himself, and he was ecstatic he hadnt asked the council to change their minds.

Lady stark was not excited for her bethroal. She had heard of the targaryen prince, Aemond One-Eye. She had heard tales of his brutality, even around children, and she was horrified she would be expected to conceive with a man who is said to hate babies.

Of course, she would normally assume most of these to be rumours and lies, but jacareys talked to her while he visited Winterfell, to plead his mothers case. He may have lost in her fathers eyes, however he gave the young stark girl information she couldnt do without.

He told her that Aemond was a brute and he wasnt capable of love. Jacareys explained in his detail, how Aemond attacked them as children, forcing his younger brother to retaliate and ever since then his uncle hated children.

Of course, Lady stark didnt know this was an exaggerating claim of a man sprung with jealousy. She'd be married to Lucerys, Jacareys' younger brother had Cregan agreed with Rhaenyras cause, and Aemond had he agreed with Alicent. He had an agenda

Now, lady stark wasnt naive. She knew the prince couldnt be the monster jacareys described him to be, however she wouldnt discredit the words of his cousin, nor a man she aspired to be her friend

They met in the throne room upon her arrival perhaps a moon and a half from their wedding, late, late at night. The only others in the room were King Aegon (who was very upset to be woken), Alicent, Ser Otto, Helaena (who had also been upset to be woken), Ser Cole, and a couple trusted servents. They wouldnt wake the whole palace for a meeting, instead they'd hold a grand feast on the morrow to intoduce House Stark, and the preperations for wedding.

Lady Stark and her father would come in the room wearing thin furs made purposely for the trip. There was an obvious fondness to represent their house as they strode closer to the group, Aemond could spot a silver pendent on her necklace, holding a direwolf sigil, and it shone in the candlelight of the throneroom.

Aemond stepped forward, instantly entranced with his betrothed. She was as if a winter princess born of an affair between gods of snow and beauty.

He outstretched his hand to take hers and took of her glove, slowly. He bowed as he kissed her hand and although the act was very much so appropriate, it felt sensual in the way he stared up at her.

"My young lady Stark, its an honour to meet your acquaintance, i hope we'll be able to spend much time together before we are wed." There was a certain knowingness in his voice, a joking tone that made even the tried King crack a smile and snort, and have Cregan glare a dagger into Aemonds one eye.

The rest of the introductions were boring and Aemond stared at his to-be-bride the whole time, only looking away as the stark family was brought to their chambers.

The next day, before the feast, Aemond would look for his bethrothed in her chambers and not find her, he'd soon find her in one of the smaller libraries in the palace.

"I can show you to our grand library if you'd wish. The books here are merely copies of them and theres many more in there, believe me." He startled her enough to cause the peaceful expression on her face to falter and make her jump a bit. "My apologies, i didnt know a wolf would be so jumpy."

Their conversation went on from there, he asked her about what she was so interested in, and she told him it was the Targaryen history. He didnt want to admit how that warmed his heart a bit, and instead told her that the grand library would certainly have more informed books, he of course also slipped in that his own personal library had some additions he'd be happy to show her.

She dismissed his shameless flirting, but took him up on his offer to see the bigger library.

He asked for her arm as they walked through the halls and she gave it to him wordlessly. Aemond was almost startled at how quiet she was being.

When they arrived at the library, Lady Stark noticed a guard at the front doors and must have looked puzzled enough for Aemond to take it as a sign to answer her unspoken question.

"There are scrolls and scripts in here worth more than a kings ransom, my dearest. All precious things must be protected."

Aemond watched as his bethrothed walked around the library, observing the organization before carefully walking to the section she wanted. "V" for Valyrian. She thumbed through pages of the first book she picked up and bit her cheek

After selecting two books from that section, she moved behind bookshelves out of Aemonds' sight, and reappeared in the "T" section. She was holding three more books.

Aemond would stride over to her silently, he wouldnt get too close in a bit of fear of spooking her, and yet he still startled her.

"Let me hold them." Lady stark smirked a little bit. Oh, so he was a gentleman, too? She briefly wondered if it was because she was a woman he was being so kind, or had Jacaerys been bluffing in how brutish the prince was?

"Some of these are about the north?" Aemond questioned, "Do you not know the history of your own home?"

"Of course i do!" She bit back, a bit angry at his insinuation. "I'd wish to learn what you southerners learn of our home. How you talk about our people and our land." She justified herself graciously. Aemond shocked her by apologizing. He wasn't someone she had ever expected to bow to a woman, and yet he bowed below her, took her hand, and kissed it gently.

"I would never intend to offend you, my lady."

Within a week and a half, Aemond and Lady Stark had become very close. Alicent was almost proud of her son for being so dutiful before he was even married.

Aemond enjoyed Lady Starks' presence. She was smart. Smarter than his dimwitted brother, more sensible than his kooky sister, he felt like they were on an even playing field mentally.

Lady stark, however, was just enjoying a break from the roughness that comes from Winterfell. Men there were chivalrous, sure, but they lacked warmth, Aemond one eye was filled with fire.

She didn't trust him yet, she wasnt sure if she ever could despite him never having done anything wrong to her. She found him kind, almost too kind. It went against everything anyone had ever said about him

Before long, Aemond started noticing a chance in lady starks demeanor. She was more generally sad looking, and she kept away from the people she used to look forward to being with, her maidens for tea time, Helaena, and even Aemond.

Aemond became noticeably angrier theoughout the week she distanced herself. He was upset, and he couldn't figure out why.

It was Lord Cregan Stark who had settled the tension. He had found Aemond in his study and knocked sternly to get his attention.

"You've been good to my daughter boy, made her happier than any other northern man, so I'll tell you this:" he'd begin coming closer into the room, catching Aemonds attention. "She is connected to home. Winterfell is her place. She is a baby of snow and ice. Those connections can not be broken, and it's not just to the cold. Her faith, her tradition, its all been engraved in her head and now she cannot have any of that, be gracious."

At first, Aemond almost took it as an insinuation that he couldn't make her happy because he wasn't a northerner, but he wasn't as quick to temper and thought of it logically. He was her father, of course he'd know her better then he did.

Aemond knew that lady stark believed in the old gods, but he had assumed it was in the same way his family believed in the seven, loosely. He hadn't taken interest in her religious traditions, and he should've.

He prided himself on being a smart, insightful man and as he fell more attarcted to Lady Stark. He knew he wanted to be a good husband, and eventually a good father.

Lady Stark had been missing her home. She missed sitting under the heart trees with her brother Rickon and reading him stories of the strong warriors of the old north. She missed the stew made for supper almost every week, and she missed praying before it every time, praying to her gods.

She didn't mean to push people away she just needed some space. Everyone she talked to in kingslanding unintentionally pushed their culture on her with every interaction.

She had taken all meals in her room or the given study used between her family and spent all her time in the smaller libraries and her chambers.

She wasn't isolating herself, she just wanted familarity.

As she traveled back from the east wing library to her own chambers, she noticed a lack of guards in her family's guest hall

Disregarding the fact, she would go to her own chambers and drop a heavy stack of books on a table near the entrance.

Aemond was sitting on her bed.

He was thumbing through a book lady stark recognized as her fathers. A Winterfell Tradition and History guide. Lady Stark thought about what she had said when they first met in the library, that she wanted to know what southerners write about them, and she had told him later that it was barbarically uncharacteristic.

He was showing an initiative to learn about her interest. He atleast in his head he was trying. He talked to his grandfather, Ser Otto, and asked if their was any way to have a godswood somewhere he could take his wife when they wed, somewhere he could create a place of worship for lady stark so despite being a three days dragon trip from home, could feel like she had a place.

He knew this wouldn't solve the total matter. He would have to do more to help her feel like Kings Landing would be her home just as much as winterfell was. But he hoped it may have been a beginning.

"Aemond," she broke him out of his reading. He knew she was there, of course, but he hadn't looked up.

"You dont need to acknowledge me if you dont like. I'll sit on the edge of your bed and let you do whatever in silence. I can't stand being away from you anymore, my dear, im sorry, i didn't think of how hard your adjustment has been. I'd like to help you in any way, even if it's just being by your side." He stood up as she walked closer. "Your interests are important to me. Your history is. The first thing you did when you came here was learn about my history, and i should've taken the initiative to do the same."

Lady stark felt like crying. He was emotionally invested in her and wanted to be with her. He wanted to learn her.

The couple had a conversation for hours, moving to sit in a position where she was lying in his chest. She had told him it was wrong and sinful to lay together before marriage, but neither really cared.

They read the book together, Lady stark smiling widely as she pointed out some of her ancestry, and Aemond some of her favourite childhood stories.

By the end of the night, Lady Stark realized she was happy with this arrangement. She had been wrong about Aemond, and the idea of marrying him no longer scared her.

[kurishiri]

Second LAST place for Darius???? I didn't even think that was possible, had my fingers crossed for the 6th spot but guess not?. Do you think it's my sign to just say goodbye to less Darius content from cybird? I literally thought he was pretty popular. ) :

(on a more serious note I hope you're doing very well, taking care of yourself, eating and drinking enough! ❤️. Love all your posts. Thank u 💕)

hii anon! im doing as well as i can do, ty 🤍 i hope youre well too! /gen i wanted to kinda let this marinate a bit before i answered, but i think i have like my own sorta thoughts as to why he ranked low.

why darius ranked low in jp elecs and wht tht means content wise ↓

why darius ranked 11th out of 12 💔

basically, i think darius appeals to a smaller set of players bc of his trope being on the more “extreme” end. its kinda like how in politics, its better to appeal to the middle than to any extreme, bc the middle is where the majority of the population lies. same logic here, except replace ideologies with “green flag” and “red flag” or smth like tht maybe lmao

when looking at popular characters like jude, he is sort of like a mix of someone who gives of “villain” vibes with his sadistic? tendencies. but you also know tht he has his own set of morals and would always take on missions involving human trafficking or those were women or children r getting hurt. basically, jude is a good person at his core — he just exhibits traits on the surface tht would make him a “villain” tht made this game appealing in the first place as well. though jude isnt personally my most favorite, i can see why he can appeal to a lot of people, as he strikes a balance really well. same goes for william or elbert.

but darius? he doesnt seem to have as much capacity as the others to like empathize with others. he is a villain, no doubt. but he has very little to balance him out as it stands. his morals had always been fvcked up from the start and views others as lesser than him unless they r cursed. a human could get killed right before his eyes, but he wont give two dead flies ab them 😭🙏 and his “love” seems to be shaped by the basis tht he is able to control the other first. we can see this in ring especially — he probably views his feelings toward ring as a “form of love” but if ring did anything to go against darius, darius would probably feel very .. betrayed? or he wont “love” ring as a family anymore, bc he can no longer control ring and shape him in the way he wants to.

will darius get less content?

i dont think he will reach the level of content overall than, yk, jude lmao but i dont know about cybird sort of throwing him under the bus or smth like tht bc they seem to be trying to push the vogel agenda overall. now tht all the crown boys have gotten their routes, even more so.

he probably wont get as many ecb bonuses as the twins when it comes to vogel, but he probably will still pop up here and there for events, i would imagine! and they will likely place him on a lower threshold for collection events as well, when and if he is featured in those. and conversely, they may put ring on a higher threshold bc he ranked quite well overall for such a new character and first among vogel.

[queenshelby]

Daughter Dearest (Part 12)

Pairing: Cillian Murphy (47) x Step! Daughter (21)

Warning: Infidelity, Smut, Dysfunctional Family

Please comment and engage!

The following morning, when Cillian got out of bed late at around 10 o'clock, he was surprised when he saw you in the living-room with his young daughter Sadie, practicing  some arts and crafts for the girl's elementary school project.

"Where is your mum?" he asked you, as he walked into the living room, looking at his daughter's artwork spread across the table.

"Dress shopping with Cloira," you replied, glancing up from the delicate string of origami flowers you were working on. 

"Really?" Cillian asked. "Again?" he questioned, a hint of irritation in his voice. He ran a hand through his unruly hair, glancing at the mess of glitter and paper scattered everywhere.

"Again," you verified with a smile, having heard similar comments from him whenever you both found yourselves home together, especially during weekdays. Sadie turned to her father, holding up a paper flower with painted petals.

“Look, Dad! I made this one for you!”

Cillian's face softened, his earlier irritation melting away like snow under the sun.

“That’s beautiful, sweetheart,” he said, bending down to examine Sadie's creation. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, watching her beam with pride.

"Thank you for helping her with the school project, Y/N," Cillian remarked, coming closer to you and observing the origami flowers as well. "You have a talent for that," he complimented you, a genuine smile playing on his lips as he admired your work ethic.

"Thank you. I enjoy doing it," you replied with a blush, feeling warm at the sincerity in his compliment. You adjusted your glasses as they slipped down your nose and shifted your focus back to the delicate origami flower you were working on, focusing on the intricate folds and patterns.

Sadie bounced in her chair, glue smeared across her cheeks. “Daddy, are you going to help us?" she then asked and, of course, Cillian agreed with a chuckle, looking between you and Sadie.

“Alright, what’s next on the agenda?” he asked, sitting down next to you in a t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, which was what he usually wore to bed.

Sadie’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “We need to attach the flowers to this big piece of cardboard!” Sadie exclaimed, her tiny hands grasping a roll of sticky tape.

Cillian tilted his head, a teasing smile creeping across his face. “Cardboard, huh?"

“Yes. I already painted it green. We are making a garden!” Sadie declared, pointing to the green piece of paper.

"This will look like a pretty wild garden," Cillian remarked as he gently took the roll of tape from her hands.

“Here, you can stick some flowers right there!” you encouraged Cillian, gesturing to the bottom corner of the cardboard, having to guide Cillian more than Sadie.

Cillian frowned playfully, his brow furrowing in mock concentration. “You sure this is the right spot?” he asked, glancing between you and the cardboard, a teasing glimmer in his eyes.

"Yes," you chuckled and, when your fingers traced Cillian's hand inadvertendly, you noticed him swallowing hard, his gaze briefly flickering to yours before darting back to the project.

Cillian pressed the flower onto the cardboard, his fingers lingering just a moment too long as he turned to you. “This is harder than I thought,” he said, breaking the silence, his voice tinged with mock seriousness.

"Oh come on," you chided him playfully, elbowing his arm lightly. "This is child’s play.”

“Perhaps,” he chuckled, feigning offense. “But I am not very skilled when it comes to art and craft," he admitted with a self-deprecating grin.

"Well, you are, but maybe not when it comes to DYI, I guess," you responded, crossing your arms with a teasing smirk as, suddenly, your phone started to ring.

Seeing Jeremy's number flash across the screen, you picked up quickly, realising that it waas probably about work.

"Hey, what's up?" you asked, your voice light and cheerfull.

“Y/N, are you free to cover Mona's shift today? Three o'clock to nine? Then maybe a few drinks with me after? If you want to," he asked, while Cillian seemingly listened in.

“Uh, yeah, I can cover for Mona,” you replied, stealing a glance at Cillian. His expression shifted, a tightness around his mouth encouraging your heart to stutter.

“Great! I’ll see you then,” Jeremy confirmed, his tone cheery, but Cillian’s presence next to you grew palpable, a tension settling like dust in the air.

You hung up the phone and caught Cillian watching you, his brow slightly furrowed.

“Everything okay?” he asked, his tone cautious.

“Yeah, just covering a shift today,” you replied, shrugging your shoulders, trying to sound casual while Cillian's gaze weighed heavy on you.

"This Jeremy guy seems to like you, giving you that much work and responsibility already," Cillian's voice held an edge of scrutiny, his fingers absently grazing another torn paper flower.

“He is my boss and I think I am doing well, which might be why," you responded, forcing a lightness into your voice. Cillian raised an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism creeping into his expression.

“Right,” he said, his tone lacking conviction. “Just be careful. It's not really how guys work, you know," he cautioned you. "He might have alternate motives," Cillian then went on to say, causing you to raise an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean by alternate motive?" you asked, tilting your head slightly, the corner of your lips pulling into an amused smile.

Cillian's gaze shifted briefly to Sadie, who had returned to her crafting, seemingly oblivious to the conversation between her father and you.

“Just saying, sometimes guys like this are a bit too friendly, thinking that they might have a shot, you know,” Cillian remarked, a hint of protectiveness coloring his words.

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest. "The other day, I wasn't so sure, but now you do definatly sound jealous," you whispered so Sadie would not hear.

Cillian's eyebrows shot up, a chuckle escaping him. “If you say so," he said, his lips twitching into a grin before you decided to change the topic.

"Well, since I have to go to work in a few hours, and seeing how you are up now, I think I should be getting my exercise routine in for the day and go for a quick run," you said, looking up to meet Cillian's gaze.

"By all means, go for it. I've got this project covered, isn't that right Sadie?" he chuckled as he ruffled Sadie’s hair, making her giggle.

“Uh-huh!” Sadie nodded eagerly, focused on arranging more flowers on the cardboard as you stood up from your seat to get changed.

You disappeared into your room to put on short top and some running pants , before lacing up your running shoes, tightening them so that they would not give you any trouble on your run.

Then you went back downstairs, walking into the kitchen to have a drink, purposly brushing against Cillian as you passed him, feeling a spark of electricity at the brief contact.

He looked at you, staring almost, inhaling your scent as if trying to etch it into his memory. His expression flickered, a mixture of surprise and something deeper lurking beneath the surface as you give him a purposful smile.

"Have fun with the glitter glue," you teased as you stepped into the hallway, before disappearing through the front door.

The cold morning crisp air welcomed you as you stepped outside, filling your lungs with a refreshing burst of freshness that gave you a sudden surge of energy.

You started off slow, stretching out your muscles on the running path through the park that lead into the woods.

The leaves crunched underfoot as you picked up the pace, letting the peaceful, quiet atmosphere wash over you and ground you.

It was a perfect time to clear your head and refresh your thoughts.

But as you ran, a persistent voice in your head wouldn't leave you alone. The connections with Cillian that felt so intense and alluring were becoming more difficult to forget, especially when you found yourself spending more time in his presence.

***

When you arrived back home an hour later, sweaty and exhausted, you saw that Cillian and Sadie had finished  the origami project and they were now both admiring their work at the kitchen table. Sadie's smile was electric, making you happy for her.

"Did you both enjoy that?" you asked as you approached them, your eyes twinkling with amusement.

"It was so fun, even though daddy had no idea what to do really," Sadie chuckled , poking fun at her father.

Cillian feigned hurt, but the smile on his face told you that he didn't mind the joke one bit.

"Well, I am glad you both finished it," you observed, admiring the beautiful and intricate origami figures that they had made.

"Yep we did! And daddy spilled all the glitter, which was pretty funny," Sadie beamed, showing off her work proudly.

"I can see that. It's all over the floor and his face too," you chuckled before wiping  some glitter off Cillian's cheek. It was a small and innocent gesture, but it sent a jolt of electricity through you as your fingertips grazed his skin.

Cillian's gaze met yours, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. Seeing you sweaty and glowing from your run, with your hair tied up in a messy bun, made something inside of him stir. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time, and he quickly looked away, trying to shake off the feeling.

"I should stretch and then take a shower," you said, breaking the silence that had fallen between you both. Cillian's eyes followed you as you stepped back, hesitant to break the spell of intimacy lingering in the air.

You quickly made your exit, heading towards the living room and leaving Cillian and Sadie behind in the kitchen. But as you walked away, you could feel Cillian's eyes on you, following your every move. And that feeling sent a thrill down your spine, making your heartbeat faster. In the living room, you attempted to shake off the lingering warmth of Cillian's gaze.

As you stretched your muscles out on the living room floor, you couldn't help but replay the past week's events in your mind. You had developed feelings for Cillian, your stepfather, and it had started the moment he had moved into the house. It began as a flicker, a subtle admiration blossoming over time until you slept with him and ach stolen glance, each accidental touch since intensified your feelings, and now, you wrestled with the mounting guilt laced with exhilaration.

Undoubtedly, he had some feelings for you too and, unbeknownst to you, was watching you from afar, admiring you from a distance.

Seeing your sweaty hair tied in a messy bun, your body stretched out on the floor, performing various yoga poses as you loosened up before your run, all these sights invaded his thoughts, creating confusion and turmoil in his mind.

He wanted you , oh, he did so badly. He wanted to touch you, feel your skin underneath his hands, to hear your moans and see your eyes practically begging for more. 

But no, he couldn't. You were his stepdaughter, and he couldn't cross that line again. It was a mistake in the first place and the guilt he felt was intense. Not only was it guilt for cheating on his wife, but doing it with you. He prowled the kitchen like a caged animal, unable to get rid of the turmoil in his mind. Sadie was still fully engrossed in her artwork, unaware of the internal war raging between Cillian’s thoughts.

You were only twenty years old. He was forty-seven. The gap was huge and, even if it wasn't, it was wrong. He let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head as if trying to physically dislodge the thoughts. Desire. Lust. All of the things he shouldn't be feeling.

Though his thoughts were a torrent of desire right now, he was also aware that there was something more to it overall, which made it even worse. He was drawn to you, not just physically, but emotionally. He admired your strength, your perseverance, the way your mind works, and the warmth of your personality.

You had this ability to captivate people, making their heart skip a beat without even trying.

Stretching your arms over your head, you let out a satisfied sigh and, by that point, you knew that he was watching. The quiet creak of the floorboards behind you confirmed it as he entered the living room while Sadie had run off to her room.

The sound sent a thrill through you, and you paused, glancing over your shoulder.

Cillian stood just outside the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest, a contemplative expression etched across his face as he leaned against the doorframe, his gaze intense, yet filled with something softer beneath it all.

“Enjoying the view?” you asked lightly, a teasing lilt in your voice, but his silence lingered longer than expected as he shifted his weight, caught off guard by your playful tone.

“Hard to ignore,” he replied, finally breaking the tension but keeping his tone neutral.You turned fully to face him, your playful smile evolving into something more serious, as if you understood the weight behind his words.

The moment hung between you like a breath held too long, your heart racing as Cillian’s gaze locked onto yours.

“What are you thinking?” you finally broke the silence, curiosity threading through your tone Cillian hesitated, searching for the right words as if they were shadows flitting just out of reach.

“Just wondering how things changed so quickly,” he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

You leaned back against the arm of the couch, arms still stretched, allowing the moment to linger. The air thickened with the unspoken, your heartbeat thrumming in tandem with his unsteady breaths.

“Changed how?” you tilted your head, keeping your voice steady even though your pulse raced at the intensity in his eyes.

“From being conent with my life, my marriage, to wanting more," he confessed, his gaze dropping for a brief moment before meeting yours again.

You swallowed hard , feeling the weight of his words settle in your chest. A mixture of exhilaration and trepidation coursed through you.

“Something more?” you echoed slowly, allowing the words to hang in the air, heavy with unspoken tension as, suddenly, your mother and Cliora barged through the front door, interrupting the charged moment that lingered between you and Cillian.

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[homestuckreplay]

take me down to the pesterlog city where jade’s text is green and john gets all petty

(page 1394-1406)

It’s pesterlog time!!!! In a 12 page spread (1391-1402) there are seven pesterlog pages representing five characters. I feel like I am a medieval peasant attending my first palace banquet. The rich offerings of character moments and variety of colors on display is blowing my gruel-fed brain.

The art also kicks ass this update! Tbh I am going to make a post about the art more generally as I’ve noticed some big changes recently (and some slow changes that are very apparent when jumping back) so for today I’ll just say: look at this super cool art of John exploring LOWAS on page 1395. He’s so clearly questing in a way that the sprite just can’t represent. I would get this framed for my wall.

I’m delighted to get a longer conversation with CG, who I’ve named Reggie. They’re actually fun and creative with their trolling techniques here, and knowing what they look like means I get to imagine this little grey kid grinding their fangs as they tap away on their keyboard furious at a comparatively sweet and clueless guy. They look like a goofy nerd whose bark is way worse than their bite.

‘IT WOULD MAKE ME SICK TO MY HUMAN STOMACH IF I HAD ONE OF YOUR HUMAN STOMACHS’ is VERY funny. Reggie feels similar to the Felt and Midnight Crew in being so over-the-top in their violence that it loops back around to being funny. And John’s reactions are good too – he’s not upset at the trolling like Jade is, he’s hilarious and willing to turn Reggie’s snark back on them. Their willingness to play off each other definitely increases the ‘enemies to lovers’ feeling of this Valentine’s Day conversation.

It is interesting that Rose accepted GA’s offer to be friends (p.1093), and now Reggie is telling John that they’re friends in the future (p.1394). So suddenly the trolls, who act and look textbook malicious at first, are trying to play nice. Are the trolls setting this up in order to double cross the kids in the future? Or are the trolls trying to incorporate the kids into their group and get them to follow some sort of dark trolling agenda? Or are they also just outcast alien kids who troll people because they’re lonely and want some attention? Hard to say when we have only heard from three of them.

There is something amazing about PM’s sword previously being used for vengeance (p.844, 870) and this time when she tries to do similar, she’s interrupted by WV who convinces her to use it to open cans and share food instead. WV may be from the dark kingdom but he feels like a peacemaker between the light and dark sides, refusing to fight against either PM or AR. I mean he is literally followed around by the light of serenity. And now he sits between PM and AR and shares his food and Tab and they all become friends, which honestly, is amazing mayoral work. Solving disputes in the town already. I really think he could build a town just like Spades Slick did.

This view of Dave’s city is cool too, I love the color of the sky! He straight up lies by saying ‘i always keep birds in here its sort of my thing’ (p.1400) and calling it sincere, considering his earlier bird-free room (p.312). He is on way too many layers of irony to decode (i.e. he just says whatever bullshit comes to mind that might be funny with no regard for whether it’s true or false). Which is soooo great for getting to know his character (also he should stop saying slurs).

However, I can see why Dave is annoyed by Rose here. Like he does kind of bring this all on himself by being so ironic all the time and talking about how ‘cool’ his brother apparently is, but, it’s gotta be hard when he’s been telling Rose about fighting his brother on the roof and she’s dismissing that he went through a lot to get the beta to save her, when Jade had it literally handed to her. Rose doesn’t know the details so I’m not mad at her, but it still can’t be easy for Dave to hear that dismissal from a friend.

I do feel like Rose and Jade have this alliance in seeing themselves as the two who know what’s going on, with the combined power of Jade’s visions and Rose’s perceived high intelligence. This whole update is very gender roles but this does evoke page 838, where Rose is far more aware of Jade’s powers and the type of information she has access to than John or Dave are.

Meanwhile in Dave and John land...

TG: i should probably text him soon TG: see whats up TG: because TG: i love him

Straight up adorable. Don’t even pretend to me that there’s a shred of irony in this. I love how close these guys are. This is sort of the first declaration of love in Homestuck unless you count John’s telling Liv Tyler on his Armageddon poster that he loves her (p.223).

We specifically don’t get to see Rose’s conversation with a troll (yet), but I think we can assume she’s talking to GA, probably the only troll she respects enough to prioritize over Dave. We also don’t see where in the Medium Rose is; John assumes that she’s also in the Land of Wind and Shade, but according to Rose, ‘It’s hard to say for certain. But I think I like it here.’ (p.1402). If the Medium has four planets in between the light and dark (p.703) (holy shit half the story ago) then it makes sense for the players to all start on different planets and have to find each other, so we could be getting ANOTHER super aesthetically cool land within the next few weeks. Or teased repeatedly until the end of the act, who knows.

The puppets (including a wizard puppet) clinging to the totem lathe on page 1403 is a very good gag. Also, ‘eggy loking thign’ (p.240) spotted here in the menu?? Implying a limited set of Sburb entry items?? Also 2,000 starting build grist for Jade to use compared to 20 for Rose, and a bunch more gizmos and gadgets available to deploy, including a disc with a piece of green grist (?) and two devices shaped like captchalogue/strife cards; a further tease of what’s to come.

Finally, I’m so glad Hussie agrees with me that there’s no fucking way Jade knows how to clean a house. Even if she has absorbed gender roles and sees cleaning as a woman’s activity (p.1405) she definitely was not taught to do that and designed some kind of robot to do it for her.

[drakaripykiros130ac]

With the whole anti-Daemon agenda Condal and Hess have going, I am surprised they didn’t pile on him more lies and bullshit told by his enemies in the book.

Let’s be real here. The only death which Daemon might have had something to do with pre-war in actual canon, was Laenor’s (and there’s a lot of grey area here too).

Let’s recap:

1. Rhea Royce: in canon, she died nine days after she fell off her horse. You would think that if Daemon had done something to her, she would have said something to someone in those nine days she spent suffering. Whether or not Daemon was in the Vale at this time (many claim he was in the Stepstones), is irrelevant. The guy got lucky, that’s it. He wanted to be rid of this long and unwanted union and the Gods granted him this wish.

2. Harwin Strong: the idea is even more absurd than the one previously mentioned. At least with Rhea, Daemon could have had true motive. What motive could he possibly have for torching Harrenhal and murdering Lyonel and Harwin Strong? Harwin had been invaluable to the City Watch, and Lyonel was a very decent and loyal Hand.

The only thing that could determine Daemon to do this would be jealousy. Jealousy that Harwin was rumored to be Rhaenyra’s lover and the father of her three sons.

But do you honestly expect me to believe that he went through all that trouble, and created such massive destruction because he was petty? He had nothing to gain from Harwin’s death.

But you know who had something to gain? The Greens. They got rid of Lyonel Strong to place Otto Hightower back in the very influential position as Hand of the King, and getting rid of Harwin managed to hurt Rhaenyra (as a plus).

3. Laenor Velaryon: there are two theories here and I kind of think both are possible. Either his lover killed him out of jealousy, or Daemon arranged to have him killed so he could marry Rhaenyra. I am more inclined to believe that Daemon arranged it, however there are a couple of things that still bug me:

Corlys is Daemon’s best friend. Would Daemon risk his friendship with him in such a way? You would think that Daemon and Rhaenyra are both smart enough to realize that if they marry soon after Laenor’s death, the Realm would whisper that they had something to do with this death. And if Corlys and Rhaenys both believed these rumors, they would have broken off relations with Daemon and Rhaenyra immediately. And so, the Blacks would have lost the Velaryon support.

But that’s not what happened. Corlys and Rhaenys both stood firmly by Daemon and Rhaenyra from start to finish.

So, it is very possible that Daemon might have gotten lucky again, and Laenor died in the right moment. And since there was no point wasting time, Daemon and Rhaenyra married after only a few months, standing firmly against the Greens.

Bottom line: Condal, stop trying to turn Daemon into a villain in a desperate attempt to make a certain faction look better.

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

Wrote a little about the Larrie fandom’s reaction to Joe Bromley’s article in the Evening Standard.

Caveat: I am also frustrated with Louis’ PR, to some extent. I believe Louis is a father, but for argument sake, I’m willing to take Larries’ argument that he isn’t a father at face value and argue from there.

This is the article referenced:

First, Larries tend to colludes how Louis is portrayed in the article with how Louis WANTS to be portrayed. “Louis didn't do himself any favors in that interview,” according to a popular post (not picking a fight with OP, citing as an example).

The reason that all Louis UAs quoted only Joe Bromley’s quotes is because the journalist had very intentionally painted Louis as a low-class, alcoholic (he made sure to describe biological dad Austin Troy as one), sloppy, out-of-control, crass person, showing Bromley’s classism and xenophobia while he was at it:

“Inside, as a cocktail bar, make-shift band set-up and rails of clothes made in China are being frantically erected, the security is flustered and tweens outside squawk and slam on the windows. I find Tomlinson, 33, hiding in the basement alongside a crate of warm Peroni beers, two bottles of Grey Goose vodka and a basket filled with Skittles and crisps. Hardly the red carpet treatment.”

“While Tomlinson appears somewhat erratic, his hand constantly gripped to one of the green bottles, he is effusively energetic with a singing Northern twang…”

Coincidentally, a year ago the out Bromley wrote an article on Harry titled, “Why Harry Styles is definitely a gay icon (even if you think he’s queerbaiting.”

Bromley’s take? It’s better to queerbait an LGBT audience than to negotiate any other way of closeting, including admitting to being a chav.

Which is … basically the argument of Larries.

“Better to be performative than not.”

Bromley shows a bias that’s very unfortunate in fashion journalism— he has pre-judged the designer, instead of judging the clothes. You could count the descriptions of the clothes in the article in three or four sentences, starting with, “rails of clothes made in China.”

Okay? What is Bromley’s proof that English-made clothes are better?

My argument is that Larries have interpreted this portrayal of Louis as something Louis (or his team) would want to promote to the public. What for? As part of some “fuckboy,” “antihero,” “I hate posh” agenda? This is a man who routinely pays for his crew to stay at five-star hotels — Four Seasons, etc. — and to fly business class back to England— when they tour. He appreciates luxury and he shares. We all know this.

Louis’ quotes in the article were consistent with how he has always been. He is kind, loving, and generous to fans. He doesn’t take his fame too seriously. He is humble (too humble) about his creative instincts. He owns the chav persona that Sony thrust onto him and is proud of his roots. The journalist’s gross biases are not a “marketing strategy,” and not something promoted by Louis’ team, as evidenced by the fact that Helen Seamons unfollowed him on Instagram.

Second, it bothers me ENORMOUSLY when Larries call Louis a “liar,” specifically that word, that he “lies.”

“Lie” has value judgment that “PR” or “marketing” doesn’t. Why do Larries usually say Louis lies? Because he says he is a dad. That is 100% the primary reason. Because Louis’ being a dad rocks the foundation of Larrie ideology.

To the majority of Larries, Harry’s reported exploits with women, his unreleased song about getting a partner to have an abortion (High Tide) and about young girls tempting men and then getting pregnant (Kiwi) are all “forced” upon him, but Louis Tomlinson “lies” to them… because he wants to take responsibility for a child.

To Larries, what Harry does is “contractual marketing,” but Louis is “intentionally lying” because he wants to be seen as a fuckboy and get male fans.

Even if both of them are doing it for marketing reasons (and even if these reasons are BAD, selfish, ill-conceived), the fandom’s value judgments are different towards them.

Let’s say Louis really isn’t a dad, but he’s burdened with the same closet as Harry. Whose marketing comes off as more fuckboy? The guy who “dates” >20 women, who slept his way into a major movie role, who broke up a family with young children, who can’t keep a relationship for more than a couple of years, who won’t defend any partner publicly, who won’t speak up even when Louis is angry about Larry fanfiction being used in an HBO show by Harry’s friend? Or the guy who has had a relationship with the same girl for ten years, and publicly says he wants to be a good dad?

Why judge one but be sympathetic to the other?

Not one Larries will ever accuse Harry of “lying.” They will not dare being called a “rad” and being ostracized from the cult. They will circle the wagons, because they all know they can abuse Louis and their friends will nod along, because they know no one will drop them from their group chat, because they know Louis has no defenders in industry anyway; they feel they have power and control over him.

None of us know what Louis’ life has been like in reality, to deal with a divided and toxic fandom, to negotiate the image that he has and to continue to create authentic and honest songs, and to be responsible for other human beings in his family. Of course I disagree with some of his choices, but to see support for so much criticism toward Louis based on a grossly biased, manipulative article is really, really unfair.

[dosesofcommonsense]

[romanceclub-confessionss]

Confession:

"Ava is such an interesting LI. In another book the "rich heiress of an authoritative family who is a brat but actually just has depression" would have been absolutely boring overdone trope with no character development a very boring green flag LI.  And yet because she is in Soulless the world weirdest book in terms of Li's choices. Having a gal who is a genuine person who doesn't try to make excuses or and with no hidden agenda is such a breathe of fresh air frankly. I am now team Ava cause she deserves the world."

[captainsophiestark]

At Peace With You

Finn Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2023!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Day 30 Prompt: "Are you with me?"

Summary: When Finn is undaggered and starts conspiring with his mother to destroy the Originals, Elijah calls in the one person who might be able to convince him this immortal life is worth living: his wife.

Word Count: 3,898

Category: Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

After more than 900 years of being a vampire, not a lot surprised me anymore. But when I woke up one morning to a call from Elijah Mikaelson, surprise bordering on shock was the overwhelming emotion.

I'd picked up the call without thinking about it, without checking the number. Even though I hadn't spoken to Elijah in hundreds of years, I still recognized his voice in an instant. He asked if he'd dialed the right number to reach me, and all I could do was exist in shocked silence for a few long moments.

I waited to respond for a few extra moments after snapping out of it, briefly debating hanging up. If it had been a different Mikaelson sibling, I would have done it. But if Elijah had tracked down my number to call me, I figured it must be for something important.

"...Yeah, Elijah, it's me. What do you... what do you want?"

I could hear his heavy sigh on the other end of the line, and I had to bite back a laugh. Once upon a time, I'd started to consider that sigh of exasperation the familiar gesture of family.

"Niklaus has broken his curse," he finally said. My heart stopped dead, but I tried not to let it show in my voice.

"Okay. And what does that have to do with me?"

"Niklaus also managed to kill our father, Mikael, and now that he's succeeded... he's undaggered our siblings."

"What?" I breathed. This couldn't be real. I must've been dreaming or something.

"He kept his word to me, albeit after taking advantage of a loophole," Elijah continued. "Finn has been undaggered, along with Kol and Rebekah. We're in Mystic Falls."

I sat down heavily in the nearest chair, my mind reeling. I'd been in love with Finn from the moment I'd met him, literal ages and lifetimes ago. We'd been inseparable from the moment Finn first started courting me, and although his family initially had mixed feelings, Finn had turned me and we'd gotten married with (mostly) full support.

And then, about fifty years into our marriage, Klaus had gotten angry at Finn, and daggered him. I'd spent about another fifty trying to get him back, until Klaus had almost killed me. He'd told me the next time I made a "rescue attempt", he wouldn't hold back. I was ready to keep going anyway, until he also threatened to dump Finn's body in the ocean, never to be found. I couldn't risk him following through. So I'd mourned the love of my life as if he was dead, and then I'd ditched every last other member of his family for good.

Until now. The thought that he was back, finally, free from that stupid box... It didn't seem real.

"Elijah, I've had very little issue with you in our long, long lives, but all the same... why should I believe you?"

"Why would I lie?"

"For Klaus."

"To accomplish what?"

I paused at that. I racked my brain, but I couldn't think of anything the middlest Mikaelson would possibly want with me. If there was something, I would've heard from him before now. And I hadn't. He'd left me alone for the past 850 years.

"Finn has been undaggered for a few days," Elijah continued, correctly reading my lack of protest as a green flag to continue. "I used my connections to track you down because we have a problem, and it seems like one you would be best able to solve."

Now it was my turn for an exasperated sigh through my nose.

"So you did call me for an agenda."

"One that serves you and Finn both." I rolled my eyes, and although Elijah couldn't see it, I had a feeling he knew what I was doing. "Our mother has mysteriously returned from the dead. Like our father, she is determined to wipe us off the Earth, as she feels our current forms are abominations. Unlike our father, she's been trying to talk us into agreeing with her and choosing to end our own lives."

I gasped, a scowl making its way onto my face. I didn't exactly love all of the Mikaelson siblings, but for a mother to try to convince her own children to kill themselves was absolutely horrific, no matter how many times I'd thought about killing her children myself.

"She hasn't made any inroads with any of us," Elijah reassured me. "Except... for Finn."

"You're joking."

"I'm not. Since being undaggered, my brother has expressed freely his feelings that immortality, especially as a vampire, is a curse that he wishes to end. My mother has only fed this mindset, and now I fear the two of them are working together to end all of us."

"And what do you want me to do about that, exactly?" I asked, even as I moved around my house to start packing a bag. If there was even a glimmer of hope that I could help Finn, I would. Even after 900 years, I knew if the positions were reversed, he would do the same for me.

"I'm hoping you can talk him off the ledge, so to speak," Elijah answered. "Keep everyone alive and well."

"I'm going to stop you right there, Elijah. It feels like you're building to threatening Finn, and I've had enough of that from your family for a million more lifetimes. I'll be there later today. Just tell me where I can find Finn."

"...I'll make sure he's at the Mystic Grill. It's a restaurant in the middle of town, you can't miss it."

"Great. See you in a few hours."

I hung up before he could say anything else.

Quickly, I finished throwing my things into a bag, then hurried out to my car. I had no time to waste if I wanted to save Finn.

Luckily for me, the drive only took a few hours, which gave me time to process everything Elijah had told me and that I'd have to face in Mystic Falls. It still didn't feel quite real that I was about to see Finn again.

That hazy dream finally faded when I walked through the doors of the Mystic Grill, my bags still in the car. I scanned the room and like a heat-seeking missile found Elijah in a corner booth, sitting across from someone who still had their back to me. The last time I'd seen Finn, he'd had hair down past his shoulders. But even from the back, with a new haircut and modern clothing, I knew it was him.

I quickly crossed the room, my heart speeding up with every step, until I stood before both of them. Elijah immediately turned to look at me, but I only had eyes for Finn.

He looked remarkably good, considering he'd been in a box for 900 years. He stared at Elijah with a raised eyebrow, then slowly turned to follow Elijah's gaze until he saw me.

The world stopped, and everyone else in the room disappeared. Finn, my Finn, the one I thought I'd lost any hope of ever seeing again, the man I loved beyond all else, was here. Sitting before me, looking at me with familiar hazel eyes. Alive.

"Finn," I breathed, the smallest of smiles tugging itself onto my face. An instant later, thanks to vampire speed, he had me wrapped tight in his arms. He breathed my name into my hair, so quietly that even Elijah's super-hearing probably didn't catch it. I squeezed him tight, a few tears leaking out as I did. He was back. He was really back, and alive. No dagger or gray skin or anything else that haunted my nightmares.

"How did you know I was here?" he finally asked, pulling back with awe on his face. I smiled and nodded towards his brother.

"Elijah found my number and called me. Can we talk?"

Finn glanced back at Elijah with slightly narrowed eyes, then looked back at me.

"...Yes. Lead the way."

I didn't know the town any better than he did, but I also didn't want to hang around the Grill in earshot of Elijah for this reunion, so I pulled Finn towards the door. We wandered towards the park, and after a quick scan of the area to make sure we weren't being eavesdropped on, I led him to a bench where we could sit together.

"I'm... so happy to see you, Finn," I said, taking his hands in mine and fighting to hold back another round of tears. "I hope you know... I tried to get you out sooner. I really did. I just... I wasn't strong enough. I am so, so sorry."

He shook his head, squeezing my hands a little in reassurance.

"It's alright. I'm glad I'm getting to see you again."

"Before you let Esther kill you?" Finn's eyebrows shot up, and I pursed my lips. "Elijah told me what you're planning to do, Finn. It's why he called me in the first place. I would've come running no matter what, but none of your siblings would've reached out to me without some other motive. We both know that."

Finn sighed through his nose and shook his head.

"And that is exactly why our time on Earth needs to come to an end. Monstrous behavior like that has become normal for them. For us. It has to stop."

"Does that include me?" Finn's gaze had wandered to other parts of the park, but it snapped back to me at my words. "Your umbrella of monstrous vampire behavior that has to stop. Am I under it just by virtue of being one?"

He sighed, staring down at our joined hands for a long, long time before looking up at me, pain in his eyes.

"I wish I could say no. My heart wants to say no. But... you've lived a long life in the years I've been gone. I don't really know you. Not who you are now."

I looked away, the gears turning in my brain as I nodded thoughtfully. He had a point; I had changed a lot in my 900 years wandering this Earth without him. But I still loved him, and I hadn't changed so drastically that he wouldn't recognize the new me.

"I have an idea," I said, turning back to him with a smile. "Let's go away together. Come back home with me for... a week. Let's get to know each other all over again, and I can show you why I've decided it's worth it to stick around all these hundreds of years. Alright?"

Finn frowned. "I don't know... my mother-"

"Has had her time to make her case. And if you really want to, you can come back here to her whenever you want. But you're my husband, Finn. Nine hundred years, and I've only ever loved you. So now it's my turn."

The barest hint of a smile quirked up the corner of his mouth.

"It seems like you haven't changed much, in a few ways at least."

I grinned. "I didn't need much longer than we had together to get good at telling off pushy family members of yours. The only one who's ever bested me was Klaus, and I don't intend to ever let that happen again. If your mother's trying to walk you off the ledge... she's gonna have to go through me."

Finn sighed, pulling me to my feet with him as he stood. I worried for a second, until his small smile reappeared and he met my eyes.

"Let's go home, then. For a week. Wherever 'home' is for you."

****************

I wasted absolutely no time loading Finn into my car and getting the hell out of town. It was going to be a lot of driving for one day, but it would be worth it. I had no intention of letting any of his family members get in my way. I'd never even had to unpack my bag.

As we left Mystic Falls behind us and pulled onto the highway, I put on my favorite playlist and shot Finn a grin.

"How much have your siblings caught you up on everything you missed over the last nine hundred years?" I asked. Finn frowned and shook his head.

"Very little. Do we really need to be going this fast?"

"Yes," I said, pointedly hitting the accelerator as I got up to speed with the rest of traffic. "Don't worry, I'm a fantastic driver. I promise it's normal and safe."

"Hm." Finn nodded, still looking a little unconvinced, so I reached over to take his hand.

"First lesson on the wonders of life, Finn: Road trips are the best. We've got about four hours to cruise, talk, listen to music, and stop for the most deliciously, bad-for-you food imaginable."

Finn huffed a small laugh. "I suppose that could be fun."

I grinned, cranking up the volume on the song playing, one of my favorites.

"I'll take it!"

****************

Slowly, over the course of the rest of the drive, Finn loosened up a little. He'd always been the most formal and reserved of his siblings, but when we were together, he'd always relaxed around me. This time, it took a little longer to get there, but around the second hour he started laughing at my stupid jokes and asking questions about things he saw that he found interesting. By the time I pulled up in front of my house a few hours later, he had a smile on his face and the tension had mostly eased out of his shoulders.

"How long have you lived here?" he asked, eyes surveying the house as I grabbed my unused bag out of the backseat.

"Oh, probably close to a decade. I've had the house for a lot longer than that, but I move in and out pretty regularly, since it would be obvious to my neighbors after a while that I'm not aging."

Finn nodded thoughtfully. "And does that ever bother you? The constant moving, the lying. The leaving."

"Sometimes," I said with a shrug. "But I like traveling and exploring the world. This way, I get to do that while also having a home to come back to after everything. It's more often than not been the best of both worlds for me."

"Hm. And do I need to be invited in?"

I grinned. "Nope! The house is mine. Unlike your siblings and quite a few other vampires, I haven't spent my eternity making enemies, so at least so far I haven't needed to keep other vampires out."

Finn chuckled, and the sound made a warm feeling grow in my chest. He looked happy, and seeing him glowing as he walked towards the front door of the place I called home was exactly the thing I'd been dreaming of for 900 years.

As if on-cue to interrupt my moment, my phone rang. I glanced at it to find Elijah's number staring back at me and huffed a sigh.

"Finn, would you mind taking my bag inside? I need to take this."

"Of course, my love." He gave me a soft smile as he took my bag, then headed for the front door. I watched him for an extra second, the fading light of twilight painting the world in a soft glow, then answered my phone with a sigh.

"What do you want, Elijah?" I said, not bothering with a hello. I turned my back to Finn and walked a few steps away, hoping he'd be too focused on the house to listen in on my conversation with his brother. I didn't want anything messing up our week away, especially not family drama.

"Where is Finn?" Elijah asked, his tone a bit demanding. I narrowed my eyes.

"Why do you need to know?"

"Because, as I remember mentioning to you, he's in the middle of trying to plot with our mother to kill all of us. I'd like to be aware of his location and progress for my own sake, and the sake of my family."

"Finn is family, and family you left rotting in a box for nine hundred years," I spat. I took a deep breath, getting my anger slightly more under control, then continued. "Finn is with me. I'm going to spend some time with my husband, thank you very much, and hopefully throughout the course of that I'm going to convince him it's worth telling your mother to go to hell to stay here with me. Our goals are aligned in keeping Finn from letting your mother destroy your entire family, Elijah, and that knowledge is just going to have to be good enough for you. We're supposed to be family, too, so you at least owe me that."

I hung up before Elijah could get another word in. I shoved my phone back into my pocket, then took a couple deep breaths before finally turning back around to head into the house. I was going to enjoy my week with Finn, and I was not going to let anyone get in our way.

I wandered inside to find Finn just sort of standing in the middle of the room, looking around. I showed him around and helped him get settled, and the two of us spent the night the same way we'd spent the drive, talking and telling stories and catching up after being apart.

We made dinner together, and I introduced Finn to the wonders of boxed mac 'n cheese before convincing him to sit down and watch my favorite Disney movie with me. It was late, so we went to bed right after the first one, but Finn seemed to enjoy it enough that he'd probably want to watch more after we got some rest.

For the first time in a long time, I drifted off with the comfort of Finn next to me, alive and well. I was determined to do whatever it took to avoid losing him ever, ever again.

****************

The next week felt like heaven on Earth. Finn and I quickly fell into a new, easy, happy routine together, exploring the place I'd called home for so long during the day (while also getting him more caught up on the modern world) and watching ridiculous movies on the couch together long into the night. I didn't want it to end, but I knew that if we disappeared for too long, Esther or one of her other kids would come looking for us. Finn and I needed to settle the issue once and for all, sooner rather than later.

But first, I had one last trick up my sleeve.

"So... we're supposed to go back to Mystic Falls in the morning," I said, leaning my elbows on the counter as I met Finn's eyes across the island. "But there's one more thing that I do as a regular part of my vampire life that I'm going to keep doing, no matter what. Fortunately for both of us, I think you might like it too."

Finn raised an eyebrow, and I gave him a soft smile before pushing off the island.

"Come on. Follow me."

He did, without hesitation. I tried to hide just how much that made me smile.

Finn and I walked from the house deeper into the downtown area, where people still walked back and forth despite the late hour. Finn carefully took in all our surroundings as I led him along, falling back into my normal routine.

As an immortal with superstrength, superspeed, and mind control, I was safe walking around at night basically no matter what. But also as a woman, I remembered plenty of times where I hadn't been safe. Or where I would've been in serious trouble if I hadn't had superpowers on my side. So, on a regular basis, and even more often when I started feeling down about being a vampire, I walked around at night acting as an avenging shadow, making sure any woman I came across got home safe. Crime rates tended to drop, at least for a little while, in whatever city I lived in and various muggers realized they had a real-life, superpowered Batman going after anybody trying to hurt people in the shadows.

I ducked into a dark alleyway, and Finn followed me, still looking curious. I smiled at him, then explained what I'd been doing for the past 900 years. As I spoke, a smile appeared on his face and steadily grew to a beaming pride I hadn't seen since our first few years together.

"That is... an excellent idea," he said, still looking at me like I'd hung the moon. I smiled back.

"Thank you. I've been back here long enough that I don't think we'll find too many things to put a stop to tonight, but... what do you say we look anyway?"

Finn nodded. "I'll follow you."

I took Finn's hand and pulled him along with me down the rest of the alleyway, ducking into the nearest bar on the other side. After grabbing a few drinks and compelling a few leering men to change their behavior, we popped back out onto the street to clear the next place.

Finn and I worked like a charm together, like we'd been working as a team for the last 900 years instead of just me by myself. Although the city was fairly safe, we still found plenty of ways to make an impact, and had a blast together going from place to place too. When we finally went back home around two in the morning, we were both laughing, and I swear Finn seemed lighter than he had all week.

"Well, that was my pitch," I said, flopping backwards into bed. Another perk of vampire speed was how quickly I could get ready for bed, especially when I was this tired. "I hope you liked it."

"I did. I liked it very much."

"I'm glad." Finn laid down next to me a beat later, and I rolled over to fix him with a smile. "So, how about it, Finn. I say we ditch your mom and the rest of your siblings, like I've been doing for centuries. Live our eternity together, doing good and just being happy. What do you say? Are you with me?"

Finn sighed, his gaze roving over every inch of my face. With every second the silence stretched my stomach churned, worried I'd failed, or that I should've waited until morning to ask, or a thousand different things I should've done differently. Finally, Finn's jaw clenched and he sighed through his nose before bringing his eyes to meet mine.

"I am with you. Always and forever."

I surged forward, rapidly closing the distance between us to wrap Finn in the tightest hug imaginable. After a second he wrapped his arms around me, too, holding me against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, steadily reminding me he was here with me, and I absolutely never wanted to let go.

"I'll call my mother in the morning," he muttered into my hair, rubbing soothing circles on my back. "Tell her I'm not going to help her. There's too much worth living for, and plenty of ways to exist without being monsters."

"And I'll call Elijah. Tell him you're officially stepping back, and to keep the drama the hell out of our life together once and for all."

Finn chuckled, the sound vibrations rumbling through his chest. With Finn officially here to stay, with me, the way we should've been a long time ago, I felt more at peace than I had in a long, long time. And I was going to make sure nothing ruined that peace, ever again.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury

TVD/TO Taglist: @elenavampire21

[angeleewrites]

Heart's Predicament

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, loves! ♥️ All Li have different chapters. Reader and MC are separate entities here for the storyline. Would love to hear feedbacks!

Love, scarletfulnotes 🌸💗

Chapter 1 - Calebful Heart?

On the day of Hearts around the world, most people spend the day and take their time to express love to the people they care for - may it be familial, platonic or romantic. The campus were filled with pink, red and white decorations - from balloons, flowers to garlands and even paper hearts, a contrast to the color coded outfits of students depending on what the hue represented. Romantic Love songs blasted on the speakers amongst the chatter of people inside the premises. The air was just filled with utter bliss. You could hear someone's laughters and squeals, as they relish in the moment. Couples were walking while holding hands, the genuine smiles were hard to wipe off. Others were having fun with friends or enjoying alone. Some were eating meals while some were waiting for the Battle of the Bands to start.

A week before the affair, the Student Government Organization posted announcements of the University's Valentines Day Annual Event program that surely their fellow students would be able to enjoy. The agenda composed of Battle of the Bands, Jail Booth, Marriage Booth, Kissing Booth, Serenade Booth, Confession Booth especially the Food Stalls.

Another follow-up post was about the dress codes for the event.

When you wore the red hue, you were letting everyone know that you were inlove, happy and contented in a relationship. Blue meant that the person was waiting for someone. Wearing purple would signify that you were in the friendzone. White implied that you had never been in a relationship before. The representation of gray was that the person was bitter and broken. Once you wore green, it meant you were in moving on stage. Brown would indicate that you were in a complicated situation while Pink meant you were single or would probably choose to remain single forever.

Failing to comply would result to immediate restrained order from the student officers, to make the experience all the more fair and real. If you had no plans of joining the fun of dress codes, then it's better if you simply didn't attend anymore, to make it easier for yourself rather than not following the color and ending up on jail booth where you surely wouldn't be able to enjoy.

You, a happily single person wore pink for this day. From your flower hairclips to your pink sneakers, people around you would be able to tell that you're proudly single. You decided to wear a simple pink crop top, pairing it with a pink skater skirt, making you look like a walking cotton candy. You were actually contemplating between blue, brown or pink but decided to go with pink for the added surprise you were about to do today.

It was only 8 in the morning, and there were already students walking with a lot of chocolates, flowers and letters on their hands.

You saw this popular girl named Jia wearing pink and couldn't blame her admirers for flocking to her like ants. Jia was known for being in the Volleyball team that brought Gold to the school's name. One time that you got to talk to her, despite being exhausted, she still smiled at you, as you congratulated her and asked her about their experiences of giving the university an achievement, a memory that would last a lifetime.

Others have brought their guitars to serenade their crush, which reminded you that there was also a Serenade Booth where you could just sit there and the university's infamous band 'Zero Gravity' would serenade you with random love songs. Or you could join them, if you were brave enough to let your crush know how you feel.

As you waited for your friends - Iris and Lilith, you made your way towards the food stalls to check what snacks you could enjoy with them. The variety of food stalls you saw, made you feel nervous for your wallet. Once you spot the booths for Takoyaki and Iced Coffee, you knew it was over for you and your money. You took a photo of the booths and sent it to your friends, so they would know where to find you. You were about to make your way to the nearest booth to buy yourself a bottled water when you accidentally bumped into someone behind you.

"Oh my! I'm sorry!" You muttered as you felt their hands on your waist. You immediately went away from their grasp. And you saw the most striking eyes you've ever since in your life. The ruby eyes caught you off guard and you were thinking you just immediately caught a disease called crush at first sight. His silver hair was slightly disheveled and it added to his charm. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt paired with microflared pants that accentuated his figure and the belt had a crow symbol on it. The necklace he was wearing was just as captivating as his eyes, as it was a red gemstone, the same color of his irises.

He's a total hottie! He could wear a trashbag and it would probably still look good on him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" His deep voice rumbled and it gave you chills. Really? Even his voice is sexy. Universe always had a funny agenda for you. Why would they let you encounter this illegal man? Not when the words of your heart for Caleb was about to burst from your mouth. It didn't help that Sylus was smirking because you were clearly checking him out.

Damn, I really need water now...

"You're hot." You blurted out before you could even stop yourself. You had a habit of voicing out your thoughts out loud. It's like your mouth had a life of its own.

"Straightforward. I like that." He chuckled, while running a hand through his hair. He tried to play it cool but you know that the comment made him a bit shy. You wonder why because he looked like the kind of person who easily gets complimented by his looks. But you couldn't deny that the satisfaction you felt after making a confident man into an awkward schoolboy, made you a bit powerful.

"And I like men who turn into a blushing mess after I compliment them." You winked, as you saw his ears turning red. And he's cute too?

Someone please help. Girl, get a grip! This isn't you....

"I'm Sylus. Nice to meet you." He cleared his throat and extended his right hand. You immediately shook it and said your name while smiling slightly. You were about to excuse yourself by telling him you needed to a get drink when he asked if he could join you. You somewhat got genuinely surprised because most men when encountering someone like you, gets intimidated. It was absurd to think that they get horrified over harmless flirting, while some of them flirt in a disrespectful way. Some men are scared of self-assured women...

And now, you were with a new face. 6ft tall that could be on par with your friends - Caleb and Zayne's height. An irritating occurrence knowing you were less than 5ft tall.

Another bean pole, you sighed inwardly.

Where could those two be? And MC too. Those three were inseparable. You got stucked with them, after they recruited you on the first year of college. Ever since then, you became part of the once 'trio.' turning it to quartet. You told them you would meet them later after you get to spend some time with your long-time girl friends. Since you were on different majors even with Iris and Lilith, any chances that you get like this, you always took those opportunities to at least catch up with them. You were always trying to balance it all out, never wanting to be unfair to all of your friends.

On the way to the mineral water station, you started talking to Sylus. He was a Law major from another university. He just got invited by his friends because you do remember that walk-ins were allowed for this particular event. Outside being passionate about honesty, fairness and justice, you learned that he loved listening to old pop songs and it made you follow each other on Instagram instantly. He was particularly fond of black coffee, liked traveling and did workouts on his freetime. You told him you were a Marketing major. You liked listening to any kind of music, especially if it sounded good to your ears. You usually spend your time watching series like movies and tv shows. You prefer milktea over anything else and had a pet hamster named Nyam.

"Nyam?" He chuckled while shaking his head in disbelief. He asked why you named him that way. Hamsters were known for being a nibbler of anything and that was the reason. You were very keen about Nyam, afraid that he would accidentally send himself to the grave.

"It does suit him." His agreement made you show him Nyam's photos. There was Nyam hanging on your finger, never wanted to let go. Nyam caught in 4k for eating your opened bag of chips. And Nyam peacefully sleeping on your stomach. The rest were purely chaos - thanks to the cute hamster. Sylus and you were just laughing the entire duration of showcasing the pictures.

After you bought mineral water, he said his goodbye to go to his friends while you got back on the table to wait for the two princesses. After a few minutes, you heard someone calling your name. Thank the heavens. They ran towards you and engulfed you in a hug.

"Ewww! You guys are sweating, get off!" You giggled while they pinched your cheeks and you just let them.

"Missed you, sweets!"

"Missed you, hon!"

They said in unison and it made you giddy. The thought of talking to them about anything in person, after a while, sounded nice. Lilith was wearing white while Iris was wearing pink as well. You ordered the target snacks you had in mind while they ordered theirs. As you went back to your seats, you told them about Sylus and how intriguing he was to you.

"Girl, go get him!" Lilith shaked you while Iris tickled you slightly, saying things like you were really growing up. They playfully wiped their non-existent tears and you just rolled your eyes because they were overreacting. There's no way you would actually do that. To be frank, Sylus was an incredible person. But your years of pining for Caleb was unbeatable. The girls know about your undying love for Caleb and they were very supportive to anything that your heart desires. They were one of the pillars of your strength. They also know that Zayne had his eyes set on you, which you never believed, not one bit. While Caleb, you knew, have high standards, what more if it's the future Doctor of the quartet squad? Caleb had always been meticulous as an Aviation major. The same thing could be said about Zayne in every possible way. You know for sure, even in romance, he would be very cautious on choosing someone he would like. Despite that, you also knew that they really wanted Caleb for you as well.

You were actually planning to let Caleb know how you felt for him today. You were already in your 'whatever happens, happens.' era. You had been happily single for so long but you couldn't take another more day of feeling like you were gonna throw up everytime you were around him. Holding this secret knowing that it might shatter you once he found out about it, sounded frightening. But then again, you had always been the type of person who faced things head-on and kept going, no matter what other people say about you.

A part of you was scared of risking the friendship you had built with him. While it was true that the list could go on for you when thinking about your comfort people, he was still the first person who comes into your mind when you had any bad or good news. He was your sunshine ever since freshman year. And to think you had been hiding this growing attraction for almost four years now, made you more adamant of letting him know because the other persistent part was that you didn't wanna have any regrets at all. Knowing once you graduated, you might have to face reality and would probably drift apart.

Once you guys were done eating, you explored the booths together as planned. The first stop was Jail Booth where there was actually a huge built-in cage where it truly looked like they were prisoners. Some of the people inside didn't follow the dress code. There were also several people paired up for shipping purposes. One of their hands were handcuffed while the said people were either facepalming or trying to hide their smile. This particular girl was annoyed because her friends wouldn't bail her. It seemed she had other plans that were now put on hold because of the predicament. The same thing could be said about her partner in cuffs, who was just scrolling at his phone.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Iris?" Lilith smirked while nudging the woman between the two of you.

"Definitely! I'm sure she would love to have her alone time with Caleb!" Iris snickered while you just sighed at their usual teasings.

You headed to the Marriage Booth and saw two archways and each had its own red carpets. The pathways were filled with rose petals, the rose fragrance filled the air, making everything more romantic. People around looked like they were watching real weddings. The wedding march was playing non-stop while the officiants said their pieces. Spectators were laughing and teasing the pairings especially the ones who looked lost and didnt wanna be there. Cameras were flashing left to right for potential just for fun blackmails and social media postings. The next pair on the left side was obviously a real life couple on their batch who also wanted to experience the fun. The man looked totally smitten with his girlfriend, that he wouldn't stop looking at her instead of the altar. Someone in the audience — a friend probably, even shouted that the woman might melt if he doesn't stop looking at her, which garnered cackles from onlookers.

You were having fun watching with Iris and Lilith when a man with magnificent blue eyes approached the three of you. The two knew the guy and introduced you to each other. For some reason, you wish you could just bite or squish his cheeks. You literally just met him but adorable looking guys were hard to resist.

Xavier was an IT major who spends most of his time trying out different sort of things. He was actually looking for more volunteers for the officiant position and also people who knows how to style someone else. Man was right on time because Lilith, the fashionable in your trio was absolutely amazing when it comes to making someone pretty. Xavier guided you at the back of the altar where most pairs were being styled by different make-up artists and hairstylists. They definitely lack manpower though, since Xavier just mentioned almost a hundred people signed up for the booth, setting aside the matchmake couples. You wondered how would they would be able to accommodate all of them. An idea came to your mind, and it made you wheeze while thinking about it.

"Xavier! You said you need more officiants, right?" You tried to confirm just incase and he nodded absentmindedly. He was trying to figure a lot of things.

You dialed Caleb's number and told them to come to the Marriage Booth for volunteering as an officiator purposes and they agreed with zero hesitation. Caleb really makes you fall inlove with him even more. While waiting for the three of them, you helped Xavier to fix three more spaces for the ceremony. Two officiants were not enough at all, so they proceeded with their advanced plan of adding more. One of Xavier's teammates told them beforehand to expect more than a hundred people and prepare the materials. It was better to have excess done nothing, so nobody on the team would panic about insufficiency on the actual day. They made extra archways and other designs and true to the expectation, the plan was convenient.

Caleb and Zayne really did agree to your ridiculous idea. The job was just until Xavier's other teammates come back from having their meal. Xavier told you that dividing their group was a way to let each and everyone of them rest for a bit. Someone might end up in a bad state if they weren't as considerate of each other's wellbeing.

You actually found it incredibly heartwarming, as you see how enthusiastic these people were, for taking their responsibilities seriously. Volunteering was actually empowering and makes you feel like you were actually part of a community. And as a Marketing major, you were actually enjoying this quite a lot.

"Caleb!" You playfully groaned, as you felt someone ruining your hair and knew instantly who it was. He playfully mocked you by saying your name in the same tone you just used. Deep inside, your heart fluttered again. He was doing his usual thing just to pester you but your foolish heart wouldn't stop feeling things.

You turned around and saw them. The three were smiling at you. There was something different about Zayne though. But you didn't wanna entertain the idea.

Caleb and Zayne immediately put on the garment. You and MC snickered at them as they took their roles seriously. The once mischievous puppy in your eyes turned into a serious officiant. While the calm demeanor of Zayne never faltered. You couldn't deny how beautiful he was outside his usual uniform.

"Father, bless me!" You giggled while Caleb furrowed his eyebrows at you.

"Come here then, Princess." He gestured, his finger hypnotizing you. Your knees almost gave up right there and then.

Thank the universe for saving you, as the next pairing came. You asked MC if all of them had already eaten and she nodded, telling you they went with the usual Takoyaki too. You left them for a while to check up on Iris and Lilith. The two were in there elements. All of your friends weren't just pretty faces among the sea of people. They were so much more than that. And it made you honored to be a part of their lives. As you see all of them doing their very best, you decided to buy them, as well as Xavier's team on the booth some sushi and iced coffee with MC.

After ten pairings, Xavier's other classmates came back the same time as you and MC, who looked pretty much full in the stomach and got to rest for a little while. Your hands were full of takeouts and you handed each one to your friends, saying they worked hard while patting their heads.

Once you approached Zayne, he expressed his gratitude in a soft tone and your heart, somehow, maddeningly felt like it was about to burst. There was really something about it, whenever he said your name in that tone of his.

"No, thank you for being here, Zayne." As you smiled at him, you also patted his head. He suddenly pinched your cheeks which made you pout.

"Zayne! Ouch!" He chuckled softly as you swatted his hands away from you. He could be annoying if he wanted to be.

You went to Caleb as soon as Zayne started focusing on his meal.

"Thank you!" Caleb smiled and you felt your heart skip a beat as he once again, said your name. You shot him a smile and were about to continue helping on the booth when he patted the chair next to him. You obliged and sat beside him. You were surprised when he handed you a piece of sushi.

"Open up, Princess." He commanded as he directly put the sushi in front of your mouth.

You were delusional as hell and you sometimes wished he would stop being this nice to you. Even the smallest gesture made you overthink things and a small part of you would cling to that budding hope whenever he does something like this.

"Caleb! This is embarrassing!" You looked at your surroundings, relieved that everyone was doing their own thing. You didn't know if he was doing it on purpose, and thinking about it made you anxious. What if he already knew how you felt because you were obvious? In the end, you reluctantly went on with his antic by swallowing the sushi from him. You looked away from him to hide your smile while chewing slowly.

Your journey with your friends in the Marriage Booth ended. The next stop was Serenade Booth where you saw a huge sign 'One person at a time' with a bit of a long queue. Crew members looked drained already and you felt bad. You asked them if you could just take a peek inside. They agreed but right after reminding you guys to be quiet, so you could not ruin the experience of the person inside.

The set-up of the dome inside felt like you were in some sort of secret garden to make it more special for the individual. You saw a woman sitting in a throne-like seat with rose petals surrounding the chair. She was clearly mesmerized by Drew's voice as he sang a rendition of 'Angels Brought Me Here'. You knew the boys of Zero Gravity. In fact, you already talked to them a week ago about your plans that would about to take place later in the afternoon. You took a glimpse of Caleb in your peripheral vision. You suddenly felt anxious for what's to come. Could you really sing and convey what you felt for him? And were you ready for the outcome? Could you really risk the incredible friendship you had with him?

Hiding something from someone you cared about had always been hard on you. You were just the kind of person who was living your life as raw as possible. You were never the type to sugarcoat things just to please anyone else. You were never terrified of showing even your negative sides to someone. You were known for saying the things you wanted to say, even if your opinions and perceptions change everyday. But ever since Caleb came into the picture of your simple life, it was never the same.

You found yourself on the edge around him. The first few months of liking him were bearable. But the next months after that felt like you wanted to throw up. There were times you couldn't control yourself, you get jealous whenever he gave the same treatment to someone else. It was unfathomable. You wondered how you got to hide your feelings up to this point. It didn't matter now. You just wanted this illusion and unhealthy obsession to end.

You already have a plan once he rejected you. You were planning to cry for the whole day, eat strawberry ice cream, drink responsibly with Iris and Lilith, and write down the aftermath of your confession.

Admitting your feelings for Caleb meant you had to tell Zayne and MC as well. Doubts were now lingering on you, as you thought about the dynamics between the four of you and how it would shift.

Kissing Booth, like Marriage Booth had a long queue. The funny thing about this was the kiss marks after experiencing the fun. Someone came out with two kiss marks on their cheeks. While others came out, having a mark on their neck.

The last stop was the Confession Booth where a big red heart was plastered on the wall. The heart was filled with different colors of sticky notes forming a collage. The hosts were having fun reading some requested confession to be conveyed out loud. You were in your head, thinking about everything that was bound to happen when Iris and MC called your name. You and the others looked on their way. The two were gesturing a very noticeable paper that was different from the others.

"I guess a picture is really worth a thousand words." Iris said, as she smiled at you.

You headed to the unique paper and what you saw enthralled you in ways you couldn't comprehend. Your face was painted in beautiful vibrant shades. You had never felt so beautiful in that moment. It was as if you were seeing yourself in someone else's point of view. Your name was even written on it with his handwriting. Your heart couldn't anymore be confused. It wasn't like you had never been admired before, but this was on another level of adoration from someone. In the world full of words, you were an art for this person. Was this really how they saw you? You badly wanted to tear up from the emotions you were feeling all at once. It was too overwhelming and so you excused yourself from everyone for a bit and let yourself have an alone time, as your inner turmoil was too much to handle.

You had liked Caleb for so long, you never even thought of giving someone else the time of your day. You would much rather hear him talking all day than entertain other people.

But now, you didn't even know anymore. The only thing you knew was that, you had to take your time and figure things out on your own.

[respectthepetty]

Addicted Heroin (Th) Cut Scenes and Colors - Episode 5

I'm reporting on the missing scenes from YouTube's version of Addicted Heroin [episode: one, two, three, four], so here I am with episode five!

First cut scene:

After Blue Boy Hero realizes that he tied Green Guy Pop up with color-coded green rope for nothing because Pop was planning to apologize to him before he kidnapped him and forced a kiss on him, Hero goes to Pop's house to eat dinner and stay the night; however, as usual, they argue.

Pop divides the food up but gives his father more and Hero the least. Hero gets upsets and says Pop can't divide properly, and Pop tells him he divided right (implying Hero was meant to get less). Hero tells PopPY he is being childish. Pop is upset that Hero is calling him Poppy, so Hero responds that since they are brothers now and Hero is the oldest brother, it's fine.

But that's lies! They bring out their IDs and learn Pop is older by two days, so even though Hero is taller (which is something he points out), Pop is the Phi in this house! So as the older brother, he kicks Hero out of the room, and sleeps on Hero's side of their color-coded beds.

Second cut scene:

I'm going off vibes here, but the next day after kicking Hero out of the room, Pop seems to be thinking about the kidnap kiss at school when Hero walks up. Hero notices and asks Pop to look at his face for . . . something on it(?), but it really is just to get Pop to look at his lips.

Pop gets upsets and leaves.

Third cut scene:

Hero doesn't just buy Pop a make-up New Year's gift; he buys the entire family gifts. Grandma gets a neck massager, the dad gets Nike shoes, auntie gets a gift, and the future little brother gets a painting/drawing set. Everyone resists, but eventually gives in, yet Poppy is still displeased, so the green color-coded ruler comes in handy.

Fourth cut scene:

After the teacher announces the students have to work as pairs for the next assignment, Pink Person Only immediately approaches Pop stating they will be partners, which upsets Hero, and Hero and Pop start to argue. Both keep suggesting Yellow Yal Tiger as the other's partner and both keep rejecting him WHILE HE SITS RIGHT THERE! Finally, Pop says HE will be Tiger's partner, and Hero and Only can be partners.

The two girls who like Hero and Only immediately step up to offer themselves as volunteers for a partnership, but the boys quickly reject them because this is a BL and they understand the queer agenda.

Pop is worried they might not have a good idea but learns that Tiger is more than prepared for their assignment as Tiger shows him all the research he has already done on his product for nose strips that ~help people with runny noses~

Hero and Only lurk from a small distance trying to figure out how to remedy this unsatisfactory situation. Hero discloses that he is designing a robot, to which Only questions why he needs Pop then when he already has a plan in mind. Hero does what he does best and threatens Only to go partner up with Tiger or he will squash him like a disposable cup.

So my color-coded OTP sails the shipping seas another day.

Because it's clear that Tiger designed the product with needs-eighty-million-tisssues-to-get-through-the-day Only.

Fifth cut scene:

After the incident in the classroom between Only and Tiger when Only became super defensive out of nowhere then invited Tiger over to his house all in one breath (even though we know Only was actually trying to hide a picture he drew of Tiger), he threatens to haunt his "kitty cat" until he accepts the invite like the girl in Shudder who sits on people's shoulders.

Tiger leaves, but while washing his hands, Tiger's color-coded phones alerts him that Only is sending a text to hound him some more about coming over. Tiger ignores it, and BAM!

He sees Only sitting on his shoulders in the mirror being super creepy. Then, BAM!

He sees Only everywhere stalking him and haunting him around campus.

However, it's clear from Only's reaction after being questioned by Hero and Pop while getting his PINK MILK that not all of this is in Tiger's mind.

Sixth cut scene:

These scenes were in the edited version, but the colors were coloring, and I love that Pop was really going to be a BL boy who lets his love interest soak in the rain without any effs to give.

But the next day, while they are talking about the auntie and the dad flirting, the scene is longer and explains the auntie's situation. Her ex cheated on her and picked the other woman over her. She wanted their kid, so she kept him, yet the ex continues to come around asking for money and others things but never helps out.

Pop mentions how kind and motherly she has been to him, so Hero asks if she was married to someone else, would the ex finally get the hint that she has moved on and quit brothering her.

Hence why our Green Guy tells his dad to step up and be the guy the auntie needs in her life after the ex tries to rob his own son!

So it does make sense that Pop is still sad his dad is married even though it was his idea only because he just wanted to help out the auntie.

The boys end the episode in red, so I'm unsure if we are entering into the danger zone, the passion era, or both.

But either way, MY SHIP IS SAILING!

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Most memorable items of clothing in bl series in 2023

In order of their airing/me watching them:

I'm thankful I've gotten into the habit of noting which shows I watch and when otherwise I wouldn’t be able to remember. As it is, first on my list is Bed Friend, which kind of sets the tone for this post since it features the best and the worst outfit choices for Uea. The waffle robes and cat ears vs the fake sleeves shirt.

Next is a quick shout out to Por in My School President, since the show started in 2022 but did finish in 2023, and basically all of his outfits. The man is a style icon. But this stripy polo shirt takes the biscuit for me. I need to have it.

On to Moonlight Chicken and this one is a combined effort between Heart and Li Ming. @telomeke prompted me to write a little about it, but essentially the two shirts together are saying 'you're my other half'. Urthe / Tomato sauce.

The Gloves! Need I say more? (Alright, for those of you who don't know - how could you not?! - they're from Chains of Heart).

And now not strictly an item of clothing but an accessory, the most straight ankle bracelet you'll ever see in a thai series. Totally platonic, not gay AT ALL. In Midnight Museum.

In July the different Thai production companies took stock of three versions of the same stripy linin shirt – the cream long-sleeved, the brown short-sleeved, and the charcoal short-sleeved - and proceeded to clad every actor they could in one of them within a three and a half month period (six shows*, eight different characters). We had couple-shirts with both Kawi and Pisaeng and Mew and Top wearing them, and Namneua in Wedding Plan wore all three. (*Step by Step, Be My Favourite, Hidden Agenda, Wedding Plan, Love in Translation, and Only Friends).

Staying in July for a while, and speaking of weddings, Kawi rocked on up to Pearmai and Not's wedding in Be My Favourite in this brown houndstooth shirt and black pants outfit - an almost exact replica of Ray's outfit in the original pilot trailer for Only Friends. I waited with baited breath to see if Ray would still wear the outfit in the actual series...and he did! Not only that, I then realised Uea had already worn it in Bed Friend earlier in the year.

In a surprising turn of events, Be My Favourite – and Krist – turned out to actually be Quite Good. Perhaps distracted by Krist's puppy eyes, we weren't entirely ready for the first appearance of the Dudes shirt – itself a wonderful comment on the narrative since Kawi was figuring out his feelings for Pisaeng – but it was a delight to see it again on Nick in Only Friends, and offering a different narrative comment.

This next one may only be notable for me, but when I was doing my dedicated scan through of oh so many shows to collect items for the communal wardrobe, I noticed this sand and grey sweater amongst the many other items of shared clothing which appeared in The Warp Effect and then very briefly on Pisaeng in Be My Favourite. Not long after, the trailer for Last Twilight dropped and I spotted it again immediately. I've also since noticed it in a speed scan of The Shipper. Not only do I think it's a pretty neat sweater, but I loved the effect it gave in Last Twilight, which I wrote about at the end of this post.

This is getting long but I'm going to keep going (this might be the only 2023 wrap up I do so I'ma make it count).

If you've been following me for a while (or since the BBS days), you’ll know how rabid I go when I see a pair of the yellow-soled Mustard brand shoes in a show. The most recent being in Hidden Agenda worn by Zo…but they're not the ones on this list. Oh no, it's Joke's blue-soled shoes which made me sit up and scream this time...meaning even their shoes were colour-coded in this show. Oh how I wish I could buy a pair of each.

There were many fabulous outfits in Laws of Attraction (especially Charn's) but Tanthai's green rope shirt wins out for me. Green seemed to be used in the show to represent the lies and secrets Tanthai was forced to keep because of his father, and he was metaphorically bound and trapped in these lies and his life. Ah perfection!

I've mentioned a lot of brilliant items but there have also been many awful ones, and the one I can't seem to stop thinking about (or horrifying over) is the Droopy Tits shirt (or Nipple Protector, whichever way you want to call it) which first appeared in Dangerous Romance and then The Jungle just three days later. I'm surprised we haven't seen it again to be honest, but I imagine if we get more spoiled rich kids we probably will.

These next two aren't specific items but more of a shout out to the whole wardrobe design of the shows.

First, Only Friends, with Mew and Ray's transformation to Ray and Sand's (respective) wardrobe choices, as well as the inversion of colours to highlight differences in relationships, and the use of colour-groupings to separate characters (<- a post i have yet to write). I wish I could write more about it…but life is just too busy to give it the time it needs.

The second is, of course, Ai Di and Chen Yi in Kiseki: Dear to Me with how they always share a colour in their different outfits. @respectthepetty details this perfectly here, so I don't need to. I am however still feral about these two and can't wait to do a full re-watch of the show.

And lastly, much like Baseball Mom in Bad Buddy two years ago (and to be honest many of Pat's other shirts), Aof recently gifted us another absolutely ridiculous but brilliantly poignant t-shirt slogan in Mhok's Fart Proudly shirt in Last Twilight, which I went into detail about here. Just A+

Thanks for sticking with me through all that! Any others that stood out for you or that I missed?

[larrythefloridaman]

You ever think about how 'you're not the god of death' wasnt the planned reveal there.

Like. ryan's been explicit about that. and the original plan's been referenced in the text of the nccts as part of prism's original plan, that was a last minute pivot, the original plan was for cobalt to find out he's fictional, take it badly and veer off into being an antagonist and then learn a lesson™ that them being fictional didn't mean they didn't matter, and thats what she wanted to tell him in Purple- but thats not what came out of prism's mouth. And isnt that ironic? Words from somewhere else in her mouth to drive the story in a direction she didn't want?

And after it came out of her mouth, she Tried to refuse to cooperate, to get back on track, forcing cobalt to figure things out on his own in CPUK White through a series of bizarre and condescending tests, her refusal to adapt to Spectrum's difference in agenda. And what Cobalt determined as his true purpose through this exercise was something that gave him the power to stand against her.

And why did Spectrum's plans diverge from Prism's in this way? They aren't a moral being, their actions don't occur in pursuit of good or evil, they hunger for storytelling, intrigue and compelling emotion and ideas, they comply with Prism as long as she provides and turn on her just as easily, they are protective sometimes, allow their 'children' to suffer at others, depending on whats most interesting, not what is ideal.

And. Well. Spectrum would likely know better than Prism would, given it is privy to that which lies outside the camera's gaze, that Cobalt had already learned of their nature, as he admits in Majestic.

When he discovered it is unclear- but it seems to have been some time well before CPUK27, the squad strike, as Crimson rather casually references the impact of the constants debacle on 'the lore' to which Cobalt, clearly understanding what's meant by this, snaps back that he 'doesn't care about the lore.' Cobalt knows he's fictional (and this indicates that while Prism isnt aware he knows, his siblings do seem to be)- but hes not fond of that fact and already chosen to ignore it by the time its supposed to be a 'reveal'- and so Prism's little scene set up what wouldve been much more anticlimactic without Spectrum's intervention.

And then, attempting to take back control and rerail things as she wanted, she gives Chartreuse and Crimson their new titles, formed from her expectations of them, her perceptions of what they already are and should continue to be in Blue- tragedy and treachery, how cute, they match!- but this backfires and drives the train even farther off the rails because they both take this terribly! Chartreuse gives up her godhood to save folk and Crimson crumples up into a soggy wet ball in a corner somewhere too defeated to even be an entertaining nuisance onscreen anymore and by Green shes getting beat up and tied to a chair and her plans have all gone to shit 🎉