#hence why its kind of all over the board

[mazikeenhyde]

Oh Baby, Pain is Pleasure FINALE - Part 1

I have had to split the Finale into two parts as it was just getting too long to post altogether, and I enjoy making you all wait…. 

POLY JUDGMENT DAY X READER (WRESTLER) 

Y/W/N – Your Wrestling Name 

Y/W/N/F – Your Wrestling Name Finisher

WARNING – THESE WARNINGS COVER ALL PARTS OF THIS FICTION/ IMAGINE STORY- THEY MAY NOT BE SPECIFIC TO THIS PARTICULAR PART! - 

SERIOUS SMUT,  GIRL X GIRL, MAN X MAN, POLY RELATIONSHIPS/SEXUAL, BDSM, BLOOD, PANIC ATTACKS, SPANKING, VIOLENT REFRENCES, INJURY, ABUSE (CONSENTUAL) CHEATING, STALKERS/ STALKING, SMOKING/ CIGARETTES 

Part 1 Word Count - 4.5k (Hence why its in 2 parts!)

Tag List - @babybatlover @p0is0nl0ve @babiidee28 @darlingnikkisixx @commandershepardofthedas gooses-pond  rhiamaymay  scaraskzzs  (SORRY IF I MISSED ANYONE, IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED OR I MISSED YOU LET ME KNOW BELOW)

Oh Baby…Pain is Pleasure – Finale Part 1  

The stadium erupted into an overwhelming flood of cheering and chants from the many thousands of fans surrounding the ring. The barricades holding them back shook as they lept to their feet, signs which had been discarded in the air from excitement now lay on the floor amongst hundreds of sets of trainers, boots, high heels and the younger bare footed audience members. The once loved handmade card treasures, plastered with slogans and beloved wrestler’s names now trampled upon by wet footprints and washed out by the rain. 

The thunderstorm was now in full force, rain hammered down into the arena as thunder shook throughout, echoing inside that hellish cage. All hell had broken out inside the ring with every member from the opposing families in an absolute free for all brawl out with each other. 

Damian had Rowan up against the ring post as the two continued to trade blows with each other, their faces both semi blinded by the rain and fuelled with an anger which bestowed a look of utter discontent for any form of peace. These men were in it for pride, for love and for honour. Damian, who had now got one up and over a certain ramblin rabbit had climbed onto the second rope, pinning Erik against the post as he continued to hammer blow after blow to the head of the monstrous man. 

Finn and Dexter had somehow made their way out of the ring and into the gap between the steel framed cage as each of them were scrambling to pin the other one down long enough to secure any kind of balance. Dexter, who had made it back to his feet, grabbed Finn by the trouser cuff and launched him back into the ring whilst Dominik and Huskus were fighting tooth and nail across the mat, exchanging blows, kicks and punches. Again, neither one had quite managed to one up the other in such a well-balanced fight until I had run past in an effort to lock back up with Uncle Howdy, kneeing Huskus in the face and allowing Dominik to climb on top of him. 

Rhea and Abby meanwhile were tearing each other apart, feral and fearless as neither woman would let up or give in to their pain. 

With no referee inside and not one person willing to step back in line, it hadn’t taken long for management to act accordingly. Because if this war was ever going to settled, and they knew it needed to be, some form of control needed to be restored. 

The lighting colour scheme was quick to change, black and green lights flashed up across all the LED boards, glowing lettering plastered across each barricade…

‘ITS TIME TO PLAY THE GAME!!!’ 

Smoke bellowed through the doorways and down the entrance ramp as Triple H made his way into centre stage, shouting at the top of his lungs in an attempt to bring about some order of control. 

“ENOUGH!!!!” Paul’s voice was loud with a strong sense of authority, demanding his entitlement for respect. 

“CUT THE MUSIC! CUT THE LIGHTS! CUT THE GOD DAMN DRAMA FOR A MOMENT AND LISTENNN!!!!” 

The audience’s heads turned between the stage and then back to ring as not one person stopped fighting and not one person from either side of the battle was willing to listen or stand down. 

“STOP!!!!” He screamed out again before his voice shallowed out, trying to control the fury that was making his blood boil. His emphasis on specific words made his statements land in the dark parts of the soul that could recognise fear… and when someone meant every word they said. 

“The next PERSON to move from where they are standing! The next PERSON to throw a punch or lay their HANDS on another will be SUSPENDED!” 

We all froze, eyes deadlocked onto each other, with barley the ability or willingness to blink, body parts shaking in anger and fury as we all listened for the next ‘commandment’. Rhea’s hand was wrapped tightly around Abby the witch’s neck with her opposing fist raised in the air, while the witch’s knee was inches from being lodged into Ripley’s rib cage. 

Damian and Finn were being held against adjoining ropes by Dexter and Rowan as the two monsters had only just gotten the advantage before Triple H had come out to ruin our revenge. 

Dominik and Husk had managed to brawl and in turn fall out of the ring to the floor, they were now trapped in between the gap of the cage and the ring post like Finn had been before with Dex, exchanging blows to each other before the interruption. Dom’s hand now pushing Husk’s face further into the ground as he allowed his body weight to ease onto him, building pressure. That clever boy knew he had him pinned and that he wasn’t going to be able move anytime soon. He smirked down to the feeble weakling under his grasp, enjoying the dominance he rarely got to feel. 

Meanwhile I had already retrieved a beloved Kendo stick that had been secured above from the top of the cage and I had climbed my way back to the top of the ring post, gripping the top of the frame while howdy had been in pursuit. I was ready to use an aerial advantage and take this fucker out but after stopping my grip on the steel frame was starting to slip out from underneath me. My desire to drive the weapon straight across the back of Uncle Howdy felt like a dream come true. Shame I hadn’t been able to finish the job…yet. 

“Back. Away. From. Each. Other” Triple H’s words were blunt and begrudgingly we did as we were told, though admittedly I was relieved to finally let go of the cage that I had been slipping out from. Damian and Finn squared up to Rowan & Dexter as they were released from their grasp before making their way over to our side of the ring. 

Rhea had released Abby and tossed her to the side before reaching down to offer a hand to Dominik and help him back into the ring, though the boy wasn’t quite ready to allow Huskus back to his feet. But he did eventually do as he was told after Rhea gave him one of her stern looks and upon doing as he was told, a sultry wink after as a reward. She leaned into his ear, covering her lips and whispered…

“Enjoying being the dominant one I see Dom Dom, you make Mami very… very proud”  

Dominik grinned, licking his teeth and wiping the blood away from a busted lip before placing a hand over his crotch, jiggling around his package to try and calm down the ever-growing tension between his legs. 

I however, standing strong, stood face to face with the prick before me. Uncle Howdy looked down at me, his height towered mine to a degree and his demeanour was infuriating. It felt like he genuinely believed he was better than all those around him, as if he was far better than I could ever be.  He laughed as he stepped to the side and returned back to his family with open arms. Their celebrations glinted at the idea they had won the first battle, like they had gotten one over on us. It felt almost rude, it felt offensive to see him walk away from me, and it made my blood boil, my skin began to heat up, my heat raced, so I spun around on the spot to react the only way I knew how, with violence! But a strong set of arms wrapped around me before I could take another step forward and pulled me back, whispering in my ear. 

“Easy baby, easy” Rhea’s breath was warm, I could smell the sweat on her tattooed skin, the blood from scrapes and scratches from the pre-war fight. Her scent radiated throughout my senses, and it was addictive. Goosebumps took over my entire skin as she pulled me back in line with the others, still keeping her grip tight across my body as we now stood together. The Judgment Day vs The Wyatt Sicks. 

“I feel like there must be some… confusion in the air? There must be some misunderstanding between you all as to who is in charge around here? Some people clearly don’t understand their role in this company. Some people… seem to believe they have the… Authority? To do as they please…when in fact they don’t have any. You all have decided to start a war that, whether you like it or not, is NOT going to end the way YOU ALL want it to” Paul’s voice was clear and precise, but he sounded calm, and that was the most concerning part… Until he wasn’t. 

“Your roles within this company are clear, they are set out. You do as you are told; you go where I tell you to go. You behave like the good little puppets on a string you were designed for, and you DO NOT DISOBEY” 

Each of us turned for a moment to face Triple H, breaking the death glares we had locked on to our opponents. A sense of concern and confusion as to what Paul was going to do next hung in the air, all I wanted was to get my hands back on Howdy, claim my championship and go home to rather unwholesomely fuck my lovers into next week.

“This war will be fought, and this war will end here at WrestleMania…” Triple H turned to the crowd as they all began to cheer and chant. “But… Y/N, you will not be in this cage, you will not be a part of it” 

My Heart ran cold as I threw Rheas hands off me and raced toward the front of the cage in shock, gripping onto the steel frame. The rest of Judgment days reactions, very similar to my own followed behind me as the Wyatts laughed hysterically behind us. We all began shouting our frustrations towards Paul, questioning what possible reason he had to kick me out of this Championship match I had trained so long for, worked so hard to get to?! 

Triple H raised his hand up to silence us and the crowd as the entire arena chimed in with the deafening booing and shouts of discontent. 

“SILENCE!” Paul demanded, turning his attention back to my direction. 

“Because…y/n… “ Paul smirked before raising the Women’s World Championship up from behind him, having secured it from a security guard to his right. 

“As Dakota Kai has now retired injured… YOU, will instead be fighting for THIS, against Abby the Witch, in an adjoining cage. I am declaring RIGHT NOW, that this match, is a Ten Man-Grand Slam all in one, no disqualifications, no count out, no holds barred, all is fair in love and war double caged firefly street fight. Abby the Witch & Y/W/N will be locked inside one cage, whilst Rhea, Damian, Dominik and Finn will be locked in the other with Erik Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Uncle Howdy. This match will run for 1 hour and to secure victory Y/W/N, Abby, you must PIN your opponent. Your families in the opposing cage must also pin their opponents one by one to secure victory. Once pinned, you will be removed. Once the championship has been claimed, once one team comes out on top over the other, only then will this war end. Now, if the hour runs out and the championship has not been claimed, you forfeit your right to it. No arguments, no complaints, those are the rules. Suck it up and move on. I am the puppet master, I am the boss, I am THE AUTHORITY!” Triple H commanded to us all. 

“Now a referee will now come down and unlock the cage. You will all return backstage, the battle commences in 20 minutes… Good Luck.” With the rain now finally clearing, Triple H bowed his head and looked up to the heavens, in respect for the loss of Bray Wyatt before moving to exit the stage.

The lighting returned to normal, and the standard WrestleMania music played out as we began to exit the ring one by one, security keeping a lengthy distance between the Wyatts and the Judgment Day. Fans desperate to get their favourites attention were scrambling over the barricades, leaning their body weights over in an attempt for a high five, but we were all far too distracted. 

Suddenly, Uncle Howdy halted and turned on his heels grabbing a microphone and smirking down at us from the other end of the ramp. 

“Y/N, I do wish you the very best of luck, you know as well as I… I am just the ghost of the man who saved this world but, who are you? You cannot hide from it; you cannot hide from me? The truth will set you free y/n…did you tell them?” Howdy’s words were playful and taunting as he pointed to each of my lovers standing just behind me. 

“I told them! I told them everything!!!” I screamed back up at Howdy. 

He chuckled and turned his back on me, whispering into the microphone before disappearing backstage, “but did you tell, the world?” 

---------------------

THE JUDGMENT DAY CLUBHOUSE 

Swinging the door open I rushed through and began pacing the centre of the room, nervous, anxious and fearful of what could happen if the world ever found out about my past. 

Social media had gone crazy, fans and viewers speculating and debating over whether this had become the greatest WrestleMania of all time, whether Abby the Witch or Y/W/N would become the new Women’s World Champion, how brilliant it was that Rhea would be fighting against a team of all men and that they knew she would beat their asses. But alongside all this there was also the debates over what my secrets were, how they could find out, and with these debates’ rumours had started to spread, like wildfire. Unbeknown to me, Liv Morgan was backstage hiding out, and she was fuelling that fire. 

I was in full panic mode as the others also piled in through the door, Finn entering last locked the door behind him and turned to face me. He took a brisk walk forward before grabbing me by my shoulders and slapping me straight across the face to break my panic. I stood in shock, as did the others, what the actual fuck was he playing at. 

Then, not more than a second later he pulled me in tight, wrapping his hands around my face, my neck, then one hand on my back as he locked his lips in against mine. A full make out session had my hormones come flooding in and my body temperature spiked. My inner core heating up as I felt an all too familiar tingle rise up between my legs. Finn pulled himself off me for a second and looked me dead in the eyes.

“We are going to win this war y/n. You will become champion. There will be absolutely no distractions in that ring, do you hear me!” His Irish accent purred across each syllable, even if he meant to be stern it just sounded beyond sexy to me. I nodded in response to his questions. 

“Good. Because no distractions works both ways and you being in this new gear well, it reminded me that I have been waiting to fuck you for far too long.” The other members of Judgment Day nodded in agreement, Rhea ran her tounge along her teeth, her tounge piercing clinking across each tooth. She turned to Damian who was smirking down at her. Dominik stood running his hand across a growing bulge in his tight black and white printed leggings and watched as Finn tugged at my black and pink leather strapped top, locking his lips back onto mine as he pushed me back onto the wall. His hand quick to prevent my head from hitting the wall before kneeling down and throwing my left leg over his shoulder, Finn began planting kisses up my inner thigh towards my panties, the heartbeat inside growing stronger with every inch he covered. 

I reached out and motioned a grabby hand towards Dominick who didn’t hesitate to race forward and takeover where Finns lips had been. Our tongue’s entwined in a deep desperation for each other as his hands began exploring over my chest, pulling down the front of my top to expose one of my breasts. Dom twisted and tugged at my nipple as Rhea came over to join, swiftly followed by Damian. 

She turned his hips, so his back was against the wall as Dom and I continued to kiss and Rhea pulled down on his pants, exposing his dick to the cold air. It bounced for a moment in its solid form but before it could react to the fresh air she began running her tounge along it and took it in its whole form to the back of her throat. Beginning to bob her head up and down Dominik’s knees became weak and Finn grabbed onto one of his thighs to support him, pressing him back against the wall. 

Finn tugged at my wrestling gear shorts, knowing full well time was not on our side to be able to fully undress. Instead, he tugged at the fabric pulling it to the side, exposing the mini black laced thong I had worn, hoping to finish off a championship winning night with a trip to our sex pit of a bedroom back home. 

Finns warm tounge moved its way up between my folds, the man clearly enjoying the fact I was already soaked down there as he began playing with my clit, his tounge reaching its peak before motioning backwards and repeating the movement over and over. My breath hitched in my throat as I broke the kiss off from Dominik, riding out the pleasure of my Irish lover between my thighs, desperate moans escaped my lips which only drove him to speed up. 

Damian reached out both his strong arms and positioned himself between me and Dominik, his strong legs fitting in the gap between Rhea & Finn who were both on their knees already, busy enjoying themselves. Lowering his black ripped jeans Damian took our hands and placed them on his dick as he leant back to the wall, exchanging make out sessions between myself and Dom as we both tugged, rubbed and fondled his cock together. Damian’s cock was something to behold, the sheer size and girth that man wielded made anyone’s insides turn to jelly. To this day I still say a prayer and thank the sex lords from above and below that I get to call him mine. 

It wasn’t long before the knot in between my stomach began to build, and my thighs began to shake as Finn bought me towards my climax. My grip on Damian loosening and Dom now taking over in full as Finn pinned both my wrists against the wall by my sides. His grip so tight on me small bruises had begun to form, but this only drove my inner sex goddess wild as she was dancing in the awash of my orgasm as Finn drove his fingers deep inside me, pounding three at a time with the inward curl that drove every inch of my body crazy, while his tounge punished my clit. 

“Oh shi..Oh sh..Finn, Finn, shh…shhii” My words were loud and broken as I took quick rapid deep breaths, riding out an all-time high that I had waited so long for it seemed like my body wasn’t quite ready for this flood of pure hormonal ecstasy. 

Rhea, Damian and Dominik all turned their heads to watch as I reached my orgasm, face fully flushed and legs trembling. Dominick followed quickly behind as my summit had driven Rhea to a desperation of her own and a few deep throated swallows later saw her lapping up the delicious cum shot Dom had gracefully given her. 

Finn was quick to drop my leg and rush to his feet, taking a fist full of my hair and dragging me over to the arm of the sofa. He threw me across and pulled at my hips raising my arse higher in the air for a better access point. He was quick to lower his wrestling gear leggings too as he didn’t hesitate to forcefully ram his rock-solid cock deep inside me, I was now wet enough he could easily bury himself. He began thrusting aggressively, pounding his cock deep inside of me as Damian ditched his hand job from Dominik, planting a final kiss on the boy’s lips and then moved to position himself in front of me, opening my mouth and easing in his cock to touch my tonsils. 

Surprisingly, something had clicked inside of Dom who had pulled Rhea up to her feet and had attempted to throw her over the foldup chair in the corner of the room, not far from where Finn and Damian were fucking me front to back. Rhea had smirked at his attempt and wagged her finger in his face before pulling him into a deep kiss and whispering in his ear, “Aye Papi, look at you being the dominant one.” She smirked and winked before finishing her sentence; “Beg me baby boy”. 

Dom grinned and got down on one knee, peppering her thigh with sweet intensive kisses as he began his pleas. Taking a handful of his hair she pulled the boy up to his feet and walked them both over, kicking the stool over and having Dom take a seat. Then Rhea placed one hand on Damian’s shoulder and had him remove his cock from my mouth before Rhea climbed on the sofa cushion in front of me and pulled me into a deep sensual kiss. Damian didn’t hesitate to lower Rheas black leather gear shorts and bury his cock inside of her. 

Dominick sat watching his four partners in front of him, his two girls being fucked intensely by his two dominant daddies. His dick was quick to harden up again as he reached a hand inside his crotch and palmed at himself, ever so loving the view. 

Between the four of us our moans and groans were loud, desperate and full of passion. They echoed throughout our clubhouse, through the hallways and out of the locker room. It was obvious to passersby what was going on, but no one dared comment. It had become common knowledge regarding the relationship between us all, whether people agreed or not, they were instinctively too afraid of Rhea, Damian and Finn to dare comment. 

 Both men now thrusting in unison, groaned deeply and reached out mirroring each other, taking a handful of their girl’s hair to arch our backs as they reached their penultimate high. A warm sensation filling our cores before releasing their grip on our hair and letting us go. A hard slap on my ass from Finn gave me the go ahead to stand up, Damian knew better with Rhea and stepped back allowing Mami to return to her feet on her own accord. 

“Fuck...” I said, turning my head and stretching out my back as I looked in the mirror to see my now full after sex appearance before noticing the clock which stated we had less than 5 minutes until we needed to be at gorilla. 

“Oh Fuck! Shit, look at me!” I stated trying not to laugh, Rhea was quick to grab my hand and pull me over to the dressing table stationed in the corner where she was fast in fixing my make-up, followed by her own. 

The boys all took a seat on the couch, fist bumping each other for a ‘job well done’ while we girls just laughed. 

Once Rhea had given me the all clear I stood up and began stretching out my arms and neck, readjusting my gear and doing all the final checks. 

“Hermosa, I would have thought Finn had stretched you out enough already, no?” Damian chuckled as Finn looked up and winked in my direction, biting his tounge. 

“Very funny…” I said, looking over to them as we all began to make our way out of the clubhouse. 

---------------

We briskly raced our way to Gorilla, as each member of the judgment day walked behind me, psyching up for the match ahead. One way or another, I would be walking out of WrestleMania as the new women’s world champion! They all believed in me, heck I believed in me, and I knew I could do this. 

But it was short lived as when we reached the backstage section with the rest of production team, everyone seemed to be looking over in hushed voices or concerned looks. 

Pushing past them all I followed behind Rhea and Damian, holding on tight to Dominik’s hand as Finn closed in behind us. Security were quick to cut us off as they blocked the entrance to the ramp. 

“What the hell? What’s going on?!” Damian was furious at their actions as he came face to face with one of the security guards, Rhea in a stand-off with the other. 

“I’ll tell you what’s going on…” Hunters voice boomed out from behind us as we all turned, Finn now leading our group as my grip on Dom’s hands became tighter with anxiety and he pulled me in close to his side. Behind him, lurked Liv Morgan who was wearing a devilish grin. 

“You four…” Hunter pointed to Rhea, Damian, Dominik and Finn, “are late, get to the ring now! The match is starting in less than one minute! Liv Morgan will be joining you; she will go 1-1 against Abby the Witch for the Women’s world championship”. 

“The Fuck man?!” Rhea shouted, pushing Dom, Myself and Finn out of the way. She stood head on from Hunter, the fire in her eyes burnt with fury. 

“The Hell she will!” Damian’s voice was loud as his voice filled the room. Finn stood staring down the boss in front of him. Triple H held up a hand in Rhea’s face, his persona calm and collected as he turned to face me, smiling. 

“And you y/w/n ...........” 

His words were blunt, cold and full of the authority he loved to push in everyone’s faces. 

...

...

...

“You're fired.” 

[writerkatsblog]

So, I've got this running theory about each of the Xiaolin Warriors greatest fears as seen in "Dreamscapes". It's not that the Dragons are each afraid of these things directly, but rather that they all represent an event of some kind that hurt them personally. And I have my own headcanons of what those events are and why they manifest in these ways.

Kimiko's doll, Tamochika, is representative of her fear of social ostracization and what happens if she loses her temper in front of others too much. Her fire powers awakening in front of her classmates would've made them afraid of her, especially if what she burned when they awakened was her favorite childhood doll. Hence it's half-melted appearance.

Raimundo's being a jellyfish of some kind points to it having something to do with the ocean, which makes sense since he's canonically a surfer. I think that Raimundo's was paddling out too far into the water one day when young, and finding himself surrounded by a flock of jellyfish trapped on his board. All while the tide was coming in, and no one else could reach him. Leaving him with no one to depend on and having to gradually surf back to shore by himself, which he was proud of. But all he got when he made it back was being scolded for not listening and getting himself in trouble.

Clay's being his Granny Lily points to a family-based trauma. My thought there is that Granny Lily was the last straw when it came to Jesse finally running away from home. Needling and nitpicking Jesse too much for being so "unladylike" until she ran out. With Clay feeling guilty because he had it so hardwired into him to listen to his dad and Granny that he both couldn't speak up and tell her to stop, or leave the table to try and go after Jesse.

And Omi's being a squirrel, I have my own idea too. My thought is that, when younger, Omi found an unwell squirrel and wanted to help it. So he brought it back to the temple and tried caring for it, even though Fung warned him that it was in bad condition and it would be best to let nature take its course. And then when it took a turn for the worse, Omi went running all over the temple to find Fung and ask for help with it. But by the time he found him, it was too late and it was gone. And rather than giving comfort, Master Fung only replied that he had warned him, and that Omi must accept its not within his power to save everyone, and gave Omi the tools to bury it properly on his own as the "honorable" thing to do. So for Omi this is less about the loss of the squirrel and more about his deeper understanding that Fung would not be there for him in the way he really needed.

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD is the most inspiring series I have ever watched and here is why…

Although Love Between Fairy and Devil (LBFAD) only caught my eye on Netflix in December 2023, I’m so glad it did and that I didn’t miss out on this stunning and thought-provoking masterpiece. It is the most inspiring series I have ever watched for many reasons. Aesthetically, I found the beautiful 4K production quality as enjoyable as high-budget productions such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. I frequently felt the need to pause and admire the well-designed sets, and exquisitely detailed costumes of even minor characters. The acting is superb across the board, and the leads act and respond very naturally to each other. The long hair of male characters is especially well-done, falling naturally with subtle highlights and looks real. All these details breathe life into this fantasy world and make it very realistic.

Every line of each song from the phenomenal OST is brimming with hidden meanings related to the series, adding lots of additional context! The artwork created for the opening and ending sequences is also full of meaning (minor spoilers ahead). Take, for example, the last picture where the OTP are sitting on a boat in the Oblivion River, the junction between their two tribes, the male lead has removed his crown and hence his responsibilities at least for the moment, and they are watching the sunrise together for the rest of eternity after the close of the series (sigh!)

Every single character of note in the series goes through profound character growth, the only exception being the abstract ultimate villain Taisui. Even the secondary villains and dictator of Shuiyuntian have grown and changed their perceptions by the end. It made me believe that anyone is capable of opening their minds and bettering themselves. Both lead and side characters are repeatedly faced with overwhelmingly bleak choices and heartbreaking challenges, especially in the last ten episodes. Yet every time, they show courage, sacrifice and selfless love that is amazing and very inspiring.

It is rare to find this kind of poignance in any production. I used to find Game of Thrones inspiring due to Daenerys freeing the world of slavery…until Season 8 happened. LBFAD tops Game of Thrones in this regard by freeing two distinct realms from conflict. The actions of the OTP break through a hundred millenia of mutual hatred and relentless conflict between their people with no end in sight, to create a new dawn of lasting peace. LBFAD reminds me of Lord of the Rings in terms of its cinematographic beauty and themes of never losing hope and prevailing over overwhelming odds. However, the stronger focus of LBFAD on the lead couple’s development and on creating multidimensional villains and side characters made it, for me, more engaging to watch.

The world-building and depth of characters has many layers in LBFAD, to the extent that much of the context was clear to me only in retrospect on rewatching the series and on deep reflection. The fast pace of the series also means that a lot of action occurs off-screen in between scenes. There are no filler scenes, there is no room for them. Every scene adds new plot twists and depth to characters, making the series highly addictive.

I am not a native mandarin speaker, and came to realise how beautiful the language is only on encountering LBFAD and its OST. It inspired me to learn mandarin, which makes rewatching the series highly enjoyable as I am able to pick up new nuances. I’m embarrassed to be late to watch LBFAD after its release in August 2022, but have thoroughly enjoyed the posts on Tumblr from fellow fans, including enthralling artwork, meta and links to fanfiction. It has encouraged me to post on Tumblr myself. I have started to post my interpretations of artwork, mandarin names, xianxia concepts, and story-format reflections on each episode. I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful community!

Links to some of my other LBFAD articles:

Character Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

Location Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

LBFAD Opening Artwork - Hidden Meanings

Here is a link to my episode 1 review (contains spoilers). All of my LBFAD articles and episode reviews can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[ddarker-dreams]

Loaded Question.

Yan Arlecchino x Reader. Commissioned piece.

Warnings: Yandere themes, unhealthy relationships, power imbalance, brief alcohol mention. Word count: 2k.

The Knave has grown past the point where she must investigate matters herself.

If a person’s life is divided into acts, then she’d consider the final word of that era written. The ink has dried, the page long turned. Through excruciating effort, she climbed the ranks, claiming the revered title ‘Harbinger’. In this frosty wasteland, there is no higher honor, aside from holding the throne the Tsaritsa occupies.

Menial endeavors are below Arlecchino. Not due to a lack of interest on her part, but to prove she must never lower herself to such a degree again. Her ambitions are great, her drive greater. She won’t stop at reaching for the stars.

She plans to have the entire night sky twinkle and dance inside her palms.

So why do you, a lowly creature of the ground, interest her so?

It’s an itch that’s been bothering her for some time. She’d like to say there is some grand, overarching reason to explain away her curiosity, but she’d only be lying to herself. She’s read your file frequently enough to have memorized the document in its entirety. There was nothing of note on the first read, the fourth, or the thirtieth. Still, she searched, trying to find some justification for the intrigue you sparked.

Her efforts conducted from afar have been ineffective. This is why today, she’s trying a more hands-on approach.

You stand behind her, your Fatui mask in place, uniform dusted with remnants of snow. She isn’t facing you directly. She’s opted to gaze out the windows of her office, her back turned to you. By not facing her scrutiny directly, she hopes your body language will be more open. Reveal little nuances you’d otherwise try to conceal. She can still make out your movements by your reflection in the glass.

“It’s been a busy season, hasn’t it?” The cadence of her voice is smooth. It isn’t time to put you on edge.

That’ll come later.

“Ah, yes, there’s been no shortage of work to do, my lady,” you reply, a little eager, but not inexcusably so. You have no idea what her intentions are, after all. “It’s good, though. I prefer that over sitting around and twiddling my thumbs.”

You are nervous — hence the rambling — yet she doesn’t find herself miffed by it. There’s a touch of something in your tone that warms her, like a steaming cup of hot chocolate enjoyed by the hearth. Sweet, comforting.

She could never stop at one sip.

“[First].”

“Y-Yes, my lady?”

Arlecchino pivots on her heel. You straighten your posture, your spine going stiff as a board. She clasps her hand behind her back and looks at you through thick eyelashes.

“Do you have any idea why I called you here?”

You shift your weight from foot to foot. Poor thing, she muses. Your trepidation is tangible, thicker than the blizzards that paint Snezhnaya in silvery white. Some may call her cruel for playing with you like this, but they’d be wrong. This is her kindness. Allowing you time to think, to mull over what words you should choke out next. Her patience for you surpasses what she gives her fellow Harbingers.

Your shoulders droop. You must not think your response will satisfy her.

“I… can’t say I do. I’m sorry.”

Arlecchino sighs, shaking her head while she does so. Your guess was right — your response was unsatisfactory, though it’s no fault of your own. She’s holding all the cards. You don’t even know you’ve been dealt a hand.

“So am I,” is her unexpected reply. “Up until a few minutes ago, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to kill you or not.”

You go stiff enough at the admission that it might as well be rigor mortis.

She advances on you. Slow, steady steps, her heels echoing against the stone floor. Gloved hands raise to trace the outline of your mask. It’s then tossed haphazardly into some corner of the room. She smiles at the unobstructed view of your face. Your widening eyes, inward pinching of your eyebrows. She can feel your shallow breaths against her cheek.

“You aren’t a threat,” she isn’t sure if she’s saying this for your sake or hers. “You aren’t scheming, waiting for your moment to strike. I know what that looks like. The little tells that come with it. No… you’re just you. Unassuming, genuine you.”

Arlecchino drops her voice to a husky whisper. “Are you frightened, sweet thing? Do I scare you?”

She finds the trembling of your lower lip mesmerizing.

“I don’t want to be scared,” comes your admission. She raises an eyebrow. “I want to understand.”

This earns you a chuckle. It isn’t derisive, you just stir up pleasant sentiments in her that she didn’t know existed. She cradles your face in her hands. Through the fabric of her gloves, she feels the heat your skin radiates. Lovely, she thinks. You’re oh so lovely. She regrets not doing this sooner. There is no substitute for having you in person, at her mercy, which you’re unaware you have in spades.

With some reluctance, she parts from you. Her fingertips graze your cheeks while she pulls back. She returns to her position behind her desk, her back turned to you once more. Whatever barrier she’d previously torn down between the two of you rises again. It won’t be there much longer, but she still has work to do.

You’ll be a treat to enjoy later.

“You may leave.”

At her order, you rush to gather the mask that was thrown aside. It’s slightly askew when you set it into place. She assumes you’ll fix it when you’re free from the oppressive atmosphere of her office. You waste no time shuffling toward the doors. You give her one final glance over your shoulder, then the wood creaks open, your footsteps retreating down the hallway.

Arlecchino releases a shaky breath. How long has it been since she’s struggled to maintain her composure like that? She places a hand over her pounding heart, savoring the erratic rhythm. You cause the fleshy organ to sing.

What a delight it is. What a delight you are.

-

There is no moon out tonight.

The wind doesn’t howl, tree branches don’t rustle. All is eerily silent.

Your dorm room is a small, pitiful thing. You have a twin-sized bed against the flaking wall, an old desk, and a closet too small for her to stand in. Your personal belongings are next to nonexistent. A few trinkets, some books, and a candle whose wick is charred from frequent usage.

Arlecchino pinches your thin bed sheets, pulling them up for closer inspection. How is this meant to keep the biting cold away? How many nights have you spent awake, shivering from the eternal winter this land is cursed with? It’s unforgivable.

The groan of floorboards gives you away.

“My lady?” You squeak. Water droplets cascade from your hair, you must’ve just gotten out of the shower. She frowns, she’ll need it to dry before you’re taken outside. It wouldn’t do for you to be sick while adjusting to a new home.

“You said you wanted to understand,” Arlecchino motions to the box on your bed which contains all your personal effects. You rub your eyes, as if thinking she’s an apparition. She can’t blame you for believing that. “Well, here is your opportunity. You’ll be coming with me. I assume you have no complaints, correct?”

The abrupt sharpness in her voice gives you pause.

“I—” you shiver beneath the weight of her stare. “I… have no complaints.”

“Good. I wouldn’t have listened to them, anyway.”

Arlecchino drops the box into your arms. You hold it close to your chest, shrinking into yourself. She appreciates how quick you are on the uptake. The thought of exerting physical force on you was unappealing, it’s no way to start off a relationship. You’ve done well to keep your emotions in check. No crying, whimpering, or begging.

“I’ve decided to open my home to you. It isn’t a long journey from here. Whatever you need, I’ll provide, within reason. I’m sure you know better than to take advantage of my kindness.”

You nod, wholly incapable of forming words.

She gives a closed-mouth smile. “Excellent. For being so agreeable, I’ll let you ask me a question. Just one, however. Choose wisely.”

The cogs turning in your head are apparent. She doesn’t rush you, seeing as this is a reward for good behavior. It’s important you learn this early on. The lesson will serve you well.

Your lips part, a few words tumbling out that she struggles to hear.

“Hm? Speak up, [First].”

“Do I… need to report to work in the morning?” You finally croak out. The Knave blinks. A moment passes. Her hand rises to cover her mouth, muffling the sounds of her laughter. She feels light, euphoric, any slivers of doubt that you wouldn’t entertain her melting away. It’s foolish she entertained the notion to begin with.

She can’t remember the last time she laughed like this. Not serving some hidden agenda, just an authentic expression of joy.

With some difficulty, she gathers herself. “No, sweet thing. Accept my care and you’ll never need to lift a finger again.”

That night, when she sits by her fireplace, she has a servant bring in another chair.

The flame dances to some long-forgotten melody. It casts a warm glow upon your face, hypnotizing you with its gyrations. Arlecchino rests her head upon her fist. To think this study was a lonely place a few hours ago. The difference your presence brings can already be felt in the room, sinking into the little details.

Your coat hanging by hers on the rack. Your former Fatui mask resting atop the mantle. The chessboard between your chairs.

In a few more moves, she’ll have you in checkmate.

She’s broken from her reverie by the sound of you yawning. You try to cover the display, a futile endeavor, considering how sharp her senses are.

“It’s been a long day,” she muses, sipping the red wine from her glass. “You should rest.”

The fire crackles, a piece of wood falling into a pile of ash. Glowing embers spark in its wake.

“Ah, well, I’m afraid I don’t know where my room is.”

“Our room,” she corrects, a hint of fondness bleeding through. You finally look at her, your interest in the flame lost. “And it’s just down the hall. A maid can help guide you if you get lost, the servants of this estate are at your disposal.”

You mull over this revelation. She can’t fault you for your caution, especially since you’re exhausted. Still, she hopes you can piece together that she would’ve killed you by now if that was to be your fate. She’s going to lengths to ensure your comfort. Your gratitude might not be necessary today, but she’ll expect it soon enough.

“Then… where will you sleep, my lady?”

“In our bed.”

Your lips form an ‘o’ that she finds terribly endearing. The urge to tease your blossoms, its roots taking hold.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Arlecchino leans forward, steepling her fingers. “A goodnight kiss, perhaps?”

You stand up immediately, your face betraying your embarrassment. “I could never hope to expect that from my lady.”

“Hm. A pity, that is.”

She lets you turn in not long after that. As enjoyable as toying around with you is, she doesn’t want you sleep-deprived. You need to be at your best for the future to come. If you were to ever let your dissent slip through the cracks, it’d awaken a beast inside her that’s better off remaining in hibernation.

For you and her both.

When the flame starts dying off, she prods at it with a fireplace poker. Nothing can start or end without her express approval.

Not even the elements.

The Knave reclines in her chair, exhaustion’s tendrils wrapping snug around her.

This ‘investigation’ is turning out to be her favorite yet.

[nitewrighter]

Hello! Just wanted to say that your Cindy story provides me so much comfort and I read it all the time ;;

I really liked that Cindy gets really involved in ruling the country and has like 2 decrees ratified before her marriage. Thats an aspect of princess / royalty / fairytale retellings that dont really get touched upon and I really appreciated it. Did you have any more thoughts / ideas on what Cindy would have done like past the end of your story? I just want to see her do more things / grow more into her own.

In any case, thank you so much for writing that!

Thank you so much for this lovely ask!

I would say that at first, a lot of her changes basically relate to how she immediately related to her own life prior to becoming princess consort, hence why those two decrees have to do with better living conditions for orphans and better working conditions for domestic workers--she wants to be able to prevent the abusive and exploitative conditions she was stuck in for years. There's also a reference to her having an interest in infrastructure with the "potholes" line in the whole 'happily ever after' paragraph at the end. I think the thing to keep in mind with her is that for all her trauma and for all her complex relations to labor, she's a proactive fixer and cleaner! She mends loose buttons on coats! She cleans stains on rugs! She puts a lot of stock in her surroundings and will compulsively roll up her sleeves to set something right if it means improving quality of life. So she is kind of... funnily industrious early on in her career because as soon as she learns she can fix potholes she gets this rush of power and basically ends up running all over the place figuring out places that the crown can help. Like, usually that sort of stuff is left up to reports from mayors and magistrates, but like... it's very easy for that kind of correspondence to just get lost in the weeds and fall through the cracks in the midst of all the other day-to-day operations of running a palace. Cindy puts a lot of pressure on herself to be a good princess, but her idea of being good at anything frequently involves her getting up close and personal and getting her hands dirty. She's lived her whole life with people telling her things are a certain way, so she's actually very insistent on seeing things for herself rather than just being told "It's like X." It's definitely a shock to the insulation of nobility.

So imagine, if you will, you're a longshoreman, and you've been telling your supervisor for weeks that the dock at the south end of the pier is rotten and dangerous and needs to be replaced before someone gets hurt, but your supervisor's been shrugging you off and handwaving you away because that's too expensive, it's too time consuming, those are your wages if everything gets put on hold for construction, and you know he's been telling the magistrate that it's fine, the dock is fine, don't worry about it, but one day, the fucking princess consort shows up with her brick shithouse captain of the royal guard, and the king's valet.

Now, you and your coworkers know there is one board on the rotten dock that you do not step on. You've been hearing it get creakier and seen more and more salt seep into its cracks for weeks now, and you're doing your job hauling stuff off of a boat, and you're watching the princess consort and the captain of the royal guard get schmoozed on by your supervisor and you're like, "You fucking know what?" and you step on that board, very purposefully putting all your weight on that one foot. Creak, snap, crash, splash, the board shatters beneath you and you fall through. Your chin gets clipped by the wooden crate you're carrying on your way down but you manage to shove it away from you in the fall and stop yourself from falling into the harbor by your forearms. Your supervisor is looking at you, horrified, and you hit him with a shit-eating grin (your teeth are a little bloody from the chin-clip) before nobly going, "Oh, stay back, my fellow longshoremen! It's dangerous!"

The captain of the guard has to physically stop the princess from rushing over to you, and he goes, "Let me handle this, your highness," and he dramatically throws off his fancy captain of the guard jacket (to the sound of several wolf whistles even though he's still in a shirt and waistcoat) and starts edging onto the dock himself to help you. You're making a big theatrical show of hauling yourself out of the hole in the dock by your forearms, grunting and the like, when, honest to god you didn't plan this part, the captain of the guard falls right through the dock and lands with a splash in the harbor. God bless you, Captain of the guard, you beautiful brick shithouse.

15 minutes later both you and the captain of the guard are wrapped in blankets (even though you didn't get wet), the princess consort has apparently commandeered some cacao from one of the storage houses and is now insistently shoving hot chocolate at you both, and the king's valet is chewing the fuck out of your supervisor over gross negligence and what kind of message this sends to our nation's peers in trade to see our docks in this condition. About a week later, you've got a new supervisor, and there's construction on a new dock. Not long after that, once every three months there are several representatives from the palace showing up for workplace safety inspection. Congratulations, you trying to make your boss look like an asshole has accidentally created a proto-OSHA.

As Cindy kind of matures in her time in the palace though, she does make more broad changes that are more related to personal empowerment and social mobility. She's very interested in schools, but also trade education and apprenticeships. She spearheads the building of several primary schools, really impressively expanding literacy and basic math skills in the country, and also ends up creating a sort of sponsorship program to connect poorer kids with trade education and apprenticeship opportunities. I want everyone to know that the glassmaker who was convinced the glass shoe was the devil is now saddled with snot-nosed orphan sidekick apprentice thanks to Cindy's legislation.

[twotailednekomata]

Guess what I was up too ( =｀ω´= )

A few days ago, I wanted to check out the latest Clangen update. However, the majority of the clans I have has some level of a big plot point or story commitment that I didn't want to screw up so...

Meet AClan (colloquially known as GullClan)! I originally wanted to nicknamed it 'SeagullClan' but quickly realised it was too much of a mouthful for me

Long story short, this was supposed to be a dummy clan to transfer one of my older clans onto (before that no longer became necessary) and it ended up lingering in my saves before I decided to finally play it recently.

I also recently learned that MSP doodles are fun and a great way to warm up with digital art so I smushed that with Clangen and, boom, MSP kitty madness ฅ(ﾐ ゝ ᆽ ＾ ﾐ)∫

Introduction to founding cats under the cut (I will explain the doodle board in the reblogs)

Also, if anybody has tips on how to export MSP saves in a way that keeps the pixels sharp and clean (& not a blurred mess) please let me know ˄·͈༝·͈˄ So far, the best idea I have is to copy & paste the save into Krita and export it from there ♪~ ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ

Leader and Deputy

First one up is our loveable granma: Warmstar (Formally Warmdawn)! She cares so much for her rambunctious clan and treats them all like her children (✿ >ω<)♡

Next up is our deputy ♥ I believe GullClan has a tradition of appointing kind-hearted cats as their leaders/deputies hence why these cats have the positions they do The doylist explanation is that I did not think about the cat choices at all.

Fluttersmoke is a mother (as we will soon see) and a great one at that. She also likes to aid around the camp and is overall a pretty nice cat.

Healers

This is our senior healer, Troutheart. He technically wasn't the starting healer but 'deep StarClan bond' on a healer is too good to pass up so I retconned it so that he was always a healer and mentored the starting one. (I need figure out how to doodle his bengal pelt (;^_^A )

Besides that, there isn't too much for him.

I love his name. Such interesting imagery Snowyflame is a fun-loving medic that doesn't mind getting into a little bit of trouble. He is also the only cat whose MSP design I dislike (it looks too similar to one of the warriors and feels a bit generic).

Otherwise, he is a nice guy and started forming a bond with the clan's kit.

Warriors

First warrior up is our adventurous kitty, Rathaven >3 ! He is a simple cat in the sense that he just wants to do amazing travels and hikes but sticks around the clan due to its sense of community.

Quick aside: He has a bob tail :3

Not much to say about Tallcreek besides the fact he is a little childish and can get really enthusiastic about things.

Love Antlerhare (≧ᴗ≦✿)♥ She shares a prefix with one of my Lifegen cats (one of the parents of MC #2) but she is a playful, determined cat with a fierce tongue.

However, Antler has bad burn scars all over her tail which makes me wonder how she got them (especially since the clan is located in a beach where fires would be rare to non-existent).

*chuckling* Well that text prompt describes Trembletooth amazingly. He's Rathaven's former apprentice and one of Flutter's kits. A bold and rambunctious prankster as an apprentice, he recently got his warrior name so there isn't much on that front. He is close with his younger sibling and is a cool, older brother to them.

On that topic...

Apprentices (of which there is one, who is...)

Goldpaw! Fluttersmoke adopted this little orphan out of sympathy, when Gold was a kit, and he has become one with his family. I imaged he was Tremble's no. one partner in crime and they got up to all sorts of mischief. He wants to be the fiercest warrior the clan has ever seen and be like his exellent brother ฅ(≈>ܫ<≈)♥

Quick aside: He has a blep tongue (inspired by the Odd family)

Kits

And last but not least, we have little Fidgetkit ˄·͈༝·͈˄ Warmstar is not just a granma in the metaphorical sense, but a literal one as well! Fidget is just a little youngin' but I can tell she wants to be taken seriously. Like I mentioned already, she as seem to have formed a quick bond with Snowyflame (=^ェ^=)

(Note: You may have noticed that Warmstar is listed as Fidget's direct parent. In game, I marked Fidget as Warmstar's adopted kit to prevent any potential accidental incest. That way, Fidget can express any potential recessive genes she could've gotten from her parents and not just give birth to kits that look exactly like her or Warmstar.

I am aware that this will make the in-game family tree a little off-based from what is 'canonical' but this is the best solution I could think of to express the fact that she and Warmstar are grankit/granparent. Without some super technical wizardry)

I'm currently one moon in (well, a part of moon one. I have yet to do any patrols on that moon) but I am excited for this clan's journey after months in digital limbo (^･ω･^)ﾉ"

Oh! But before I leave I want to quickly show-off this cat:

✩⋆｡ ˚ StarClan Guide ⋆｡˚✩

Yep, this ancient as hell motherfucker is our guide. Don't ask me anything about him. He very recently died and I have a bit of a conspiracy theory that he and Warmstar are related.

Anyways I hope y'all have an amazing rest of your day (or Barbadian Independence Day, for those who celebrate).

ฅ ̳͒•ˑ̫• ̳͒ฅ

[shawnmendesbuddy]

Day 9–Trapped Together (25 Days of Ficmas)

A/N: Did you guys hear about the six feet of snow New York was getting? I based this story off of that.

Shawn sighed as he sat down on the bench in the underground station. He was supposed to be with his family right now, but with weather delays, he was unable to catch a flight to Toronto for another two days. Hence why he sat on a creaky metal bench, his guitar case at his feet. He would’ve taken an uber or called a driver, but they were all booked out for the holidays. And since every member from his team had gone home to spend time with their families, it was just him. 

The subway station was barren. Only him and one other girl sat around the station. He could only see her out of his peripheral and from what he could see, she was blowing hot air on her hands and shivering. It was a little chilly in the subway station, but Shawn didn’t think it was that cold. 

He glanced over at her only to be startled with her beauty. Even bundled up in a coat and a beanie, she was immediately the most gorgeous women he had ever seen. And just as he noticed this, he noticed that she was soaking wet. He jumped from his place he was sitting at and ran over to where she stood. 

“Are you ok?!” He questioned frantically, concerned for the women who stood before him. 

“Umm…I…. I…d-do y-you k-now w-what t-time it is?”

“It’s 7:25 pm.”

“Shouldn’t t-the t-train b-be h-here?”

“Yea. I think it said arrival time was right about now. Do you maybe want to take off that coat. I was going to the airport, but my flight was cancelled so I have some clothes you can wear.”

“I-I would hate t-to inconvenience y-you, but if you could, that would be nice.”

Shawn nodded walking over to his suitcase, unzipping it and pulling out a hoodie, some sweatpants, and some boxers. He didn’t care if she wore them, she was soaked to the bone. 

Just as he finished zipping his suitcase back up, the subway pulled in, opening its side doors. Shawn and Y/N quickly boarded, and Y/N retreated to the bathrooms. 

She returned from the bathroom as the subway had started moving again. Shawn smiled softly at her. She looked cute in his clothes. And most importantly, she looked warm. 

“Hey. I know this may be all backwards and all, but what’s your name?”

“Y/N. My name is Y/N. And I hope you don’t think I’ve taken advantage of you. What with you being famous and all.”

Shawn blushed. “So, you recognize me.”

She nodded. “Does that make you feel weird?”

“Np, you haven’t acted like a creep fan just yet, other than stealing my clothes,” he joked. “Why were you soaking wet anyways?”

She chuckled. “I’m a waitress at this restaurant in the city. Me and my coworker like to play pranks on each other. I was closing on my own tonight since all my coworkers were doing things with family for Christmas. Anyways, I opened the door to the kitchen as I was closing, and a bucket of water fell on top of me.”

Shawn shook his head, holding in a laugh. “I’m sorry. That’s kind of funny but really mean. How dare they pull a prank like that on you on Christmas day!”

“It’s fine. I’ve done worse.” 

“Oh, do tell.”

So, Y/N spent the next twenty minutes of the subway ride explaining to Shawn in great detail about all the pranks her and her coworker had played on each other. 

About halfway through one of her stories, the train came to an abrupt stop and the lights went out. Y/N screamed, and Shawn instinctively wrapped his arm around her protectively. 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll get the train up and running in a few minutes. Must’ve been the storm. Finish telling me your story and I’ll recount a few things from tour.”

*****

After about another hour of them sitting in the dark and telling each other their life stories, they both began to get tired and cold. Shawn produced a few blankets from his suitcase and a pillow, and they cuddled up on the floor of the subway, trying to warm the other up. 

When they awoke in the morning, Shawn’s arm was wrapped around Y/N’s waist, and they were snuggled under the blankets. The train had started to move which awoke the two of them. 

They both chuckled and laughed the night off. “That was wacky. Maybe I can take you out to breakfast to help heal our traumatized minds?” Shawn questioned. 

“Sounds nice. But I have a question for you? Once you take me out to breakfast, I have a friend who is taking me up to Toronto because I have family up there that I’m trying to get to as well. Would you like to catch a ride with us?” 

“Any time I can get to spend with you will be cherished.”

He gently kissed her cheek as they prepared to deboard from the subway. 

A/N: This was absolute trash, but the prompt for day 9 wasn’t too great haha. Sorry for the disappointment. 

[the-warlock-syndicate]

I think you are missing the point a bit. WALLE is a story about environmentalism yes, but it is also a critique which focuses on systems. Nobody is morally evil in the story. Auto is the closest, but he is an AI, and not a sapient one either, he is more an anthropomorphic representation of the societal system represented by the ship.

The point they are making is that nobody needs to be evil, or a villain, in order to be shaped by the society around them. The systems shape behavior which shape outcomes. When broken out of that system, the actions people can take change drastically, and several human characters do this.

In short, the movie isn't trying to make fat people out to be evil or intrinsically lazy, and it is inaccurate to suggest it. A film that hates fat people can be written off as a bad film. What this film is doing, is a step more complex, and worthy of further analysis.

The fat people are visual shorthand. We have a central thesis, that societies are made up of sociological systems, and that people can be shaped, influenced by, or trapped within those systems without being morally evil. It pushes back against individualism which would paint the passengers as all individually culpable for being fat and morally evil for not slimming down.

However, in a story about environmentalism, which seeks to draw the connection between sociological systems trapping people in inaction, and the end result of inaction on the climate, it first needs to educate its viewers on systems in the first place. So let's show another sociological system which encourages inaction, and then depict a easy visual shorthand for the consequences. Hence the real concern of the conversation, system encourages inaction, inaction leads to fat people. The way that fat people are implicitly seen as the negative outcome to scare kids is the commentary on how society sees fat people, and subtly reinforces societal stigmas.

A couple notes. First off, there is kind of an interesting choice here. The station clearly has artificial gravity, and some degree of facilities which could be used for exercise in the pool. So visually, we can note that were it not for the sociological system in place keeping people inactive, the obesity wouldn't be a problem. But the film itself then tries to hedge that sentiment a bit, and states in the dialogue that extended exposure to space leads to bone loss, with a diagram showing bone structure diminishing in a cartoony way, and subsequent generations on board the space station getting more obese. Which indicates a bit of cognitive dissonance there. And introduces new questions. Why do you have bone loss when you have working artificial gravity? Why do you have hoverchairs to support the weight of people if you can simply turn down the gravity or turn it off? What is actually the source of the obesity, because it is implied to be a result of people's laziness, but then also have an environmental component by virtue of being in space, that nobody has control over any ways.

A strong Doyalist might suspect even that this is just a society with a different culture and values, and that in universe, fatness is just a fact of life that cannot be avoided anyways, and viewers of the movie are projecting moral judgements onto the characters which they likely don't see as worthy of consideration at all.

In the end though, consider that this is a movie for children. It is, by necessity, not that deep. Given a task to draw a comparison between social systems and environmentalism, and social systems and some other bad, yet easily recognized visual outcome that could stem from inaction, the writers chose obesity. Because it is the obvious choice, and the one that literal children are most likely to understand.

That it is the obvious choice says a lot about societal treatment of obese or disabled people, but honestly, it doesn't say anything we haven't already heard.

It is interesting though. I cannot really think of another way they could have done it, without scrapping the idea and going for a full rewrite. You have your central thesis, systems change peoples actions, and this societal system of inaction leads to poor environmental outcomes in the past. To allow viewers to understand the cause and effect, you then show an example of a current social system of inaction leading to poor outcomes in the present. The example should be easily visually recognizable, culturally linked associated with inaction, and also so simplistic and obvious that a child could understand, by virtue of being a children's movie. I honestly don't think there are a lot of other ways of doing that which fill those criteria.

Still troubling though.

it was kind of fucked up for wall-e to be that way about fat people now that im thinking about it

[leftdestiny-posts]

Ooooo I didn't know Cherry was also a traditional artist 👀 Have you ever shared it on your blog? I imagine that your paintings/drawings looked incredible!!!

nah not a traditional artist XD you flatter me, my drawing skills have always been pretty average, but i really pride myself on my painting and designing skills! i really want to share some of my stuff online, but most of it is pretty old so i'll do it when i make something new!!

SAME!! I definitely improved my art, but I used to be unstoppable a while back. I drew long comics, world maps, created my own animals and monsters... I wish I could go back sometimes XD Only a part of my brain is creative, and most of the time it likes to hide rgebhjslngj

you seem like a really creative person! when it comes to art, i am really bounded by practicality so it puts a halt on what i can and cannot do! you sound so imaginative though, i can only wonder what a wonderous place your mind must be!! 🥺💕

Your school was WILD. This sounds like something you'd see in a movie, not irl 😭😭😭 WHY DID THEY THINK FULL GROWN HORSES AND KIDS WAS A GOOD COMBO AT ALL?? wjkesanfjsa Also that principal is so WILD

nah fr😭 the worst part was that some children were actually good with horse riding so i spent most of my elementary school years wondering if i was physically weaker or sick😂

that place was itself was amazing though, the timings used to be from 8 in the morning to 6 in the afternoon because it was a boarding school of sorts, so we'd have all the time in life!! i remember when we snuck out together and ended up getting lost in taller shrubs and discovered a carton full of drugs😂

Sorry for the late reply Cherry ;; This one accidentally got pushed back into my inbox by sunflowers orz BUT I'LL STILL REPLY :3 I hope that's okay!!

!! If you end up posting something, I'd love to see it 🙏 I'm always excited to hear when writers are also artists. Something something the creative mind is endless 😭💙

My mind is complex in a way where it's a little mad XD but in a fun way!! Stories has always been my escape from the real world, hence the development into art, comics, writing dnndnfn

STILL NOT OVER THE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE,, Horse riding sounds like the wildest classes (though sad they had grown horses for kids 💀 seems counterproductive). Aaaa I love that <3 I'm happy you had many good memories from that time!! I do believe that when kids are away from home for a longer period of time, they'll create their own family. I've been in a vastly different situation, but the feeling is familiar to me. Its really a one of a kind thing imo!!

[hr-26]

Recruitment Solutions

In the job market that has become very competitive today, finding the right kind of talent for your business seems quite a heavy task. Companies look for innovative recruitment solutions to attract, engage, and retain top-tier talent. I have been on this ground long enough to see how recruitment strategies evolved over the years and the difference they make to the success rate of any company. In the section below, we will discuss recruitment services, the advantages obtained, and how these services can be best applied.

Salahkaar Consultants provides services in these areas in many global markets. Reach them by writing to them on their website www.salahkaarconsultants.com

Why Effective Recruitment Matters

Effective recruitment lies at the very core of any successful business. Good employees enhance not just productivity but also provide a friendly work atmosphere in your organization, impetus to the growth of business. A well-planned and efficient recruitment process will ensure the pick of the best, reduce the turnover ratio, and avoid wastage of precious time and resources.

Traditional Methods of Recruitment

Job Advertisement

Another traditional source of applicants is advertisements in newspapers, industry magazines, and on-line job boards. Formulated ads must be with some care in which main duties, requirements qualifications, and perks of the job are specified .

Any Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment agencies are experts at sourcing a proper candidate for any specific profile. They would keep a significant database of potential employees. All the recruitment agencies provide pre-screened potential candidates, and that will save a lot of time and effort for the employer.

Through Employee References

This can be achieved by giving rewards to current employees when they furnishes potential candidate. The employees know the organism culture and the job nature and, hence, is more probable to refer only the suitable candidate

Modern-day Recruitment Solutions

Social Media Recruiting

Social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are strong tools for recruitment. This provides the facility for a company to advertise positions, interact with potential candidates, and display an employer brand. More specifically, advanced search facilities are available on LinkedIn, and jobs can be posted according to target candidate profiles.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

An ATS is an application that works toward automating the recruitment process. It helps manage job postings, sorts through resumes, and keeps tabs on the applicants at the various stages in a hiring process. This system will save hundreds of man-hours while reducing the administrative loads on HR teams.

Recruitment Marketing

At its core, recruitment marketing is the marketing of the employer brand and job opportunity using various marketing techniques. Marketing, at a basic level, might include content marketing and email campaigns, while advanced levels can involve targeted advertising that reaches passive candidates, those who are not looking to change jobs but are interested in a great opportunity.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are making changes in the recruitment process. AI can scan résumés, search for candidates whose profile correlates to a job description, and even pre-screen candidates with initial interviews. The machine learning algorithms might predict — based on a candidate’s profile and past performance — whether or not a candidate will succeed in a given role. It makes the process more data-driven and efficient.

Video Interviews:

Video interviews are used more and more in remote positions. They save time and other resources by being in a position to have a candidate interviewed from any part of the world. Video interviews can also be recorded to be looked at later, thus offering flexibility to a hiring manager.

Salahkaar Consultants provides services in these areas in many global markets. Reach them by writing to them on their website www.salahkaarconsultants.com

The role of SEO in recruitment

One of the most important tools of modern recruitment strategies is search engine optimization. A job posting or career page receives better visibility and helps deliver more relevant visitors. Following are the best SEO practices for recruitment:

Keyword Optimization

Use relevant keywords that a potential candidate would use in their job search and use them naturally in the job title, description, and meta tags to rank well in search engines.

Mobile Optimization

Most potential candidates look for jobs on their smartphones. So a mobile-optimized website makes good user experience and in turn helps for SEO performance.

Create shareable, relevant content that prospective applicants are going to be interested in and care about. That means blog posts individually geared towards company culture and employee benefits, and of course, industry trends. Quality content will drive more visitors to your career site and impact your search rankings.

Local SEO

Practically, for location-bound candidates, you will have to use location-bound SEO. You can do this by creating location-bound job posts, using local keywords, and listing on local business directories.

Build an attractive employer brand An employer brand is really important in the search of quality talent since it describes and communicates values for companies, cultures, and employee experience. Guidelines on how to set up a very appealing employer brand are:

Share authentic testimonials from current employees on your website and social media. These can be firsthand accounts of experiences, or describe your company culture and therefore help you attract culturally responsive candidates.

Company Culture

Show off your company culture with photo and video depictions and blog about them — highlight team activities, community involvement, and employee recognition programs. This allows the potential candidate not only to understand but to feel what it is really like to work for you.

Professional Development

Advertise career development opportunities available in your entity: Provide details of available training, mentorship, and promotion opportunities. The underlying premise behind this is straightforward — candidates find it easy to be drawn to entities willing to invest in their growth and development.

Diversity and Inclusion in Recruitment

Diversity and inclusion are thus important components of a good recruitment strategy. Different perspectives and ideas eventually result in innovation, bringing better problem-solving in an organization. Some of the strategies to foster diversity and inclusion are enumerated below:

Inclusive Job Description

To make sure that no biased languages are used in the job description, it should have gender-neutral terms in the job descriptions and explain the commitment to diversity.

Sourcing Diversely. Increase the pipeline with the help of sourcing through diversity means. It involves partnership with diversity organizations, participation in job fairs, and other outreach efforts among underrepresented groups.

Unconscious Bias Training

Train all hiring managers and HR teams to become aware of and mitigate unconscious bias. This will definitely enhance the fairness of the recruitment process and ensure accurate decisions regarding all candidates.

Measuring Recruitment Success

Measure these key indicators and tailor your strategies around output to help ensure effectiveness of the Recruitment Solutions. Below are some key indicators that can be taken into account:

Time to Hire

This measures the average time taken to fill a position from the moment it’s posted up to the acceptance of the job offer. By application, a shorter time up to hire would thus imply an efficient recruitment process.

Quality of Hire

The performance and retention rate of new hires. In meaning, quality hires are those bringing positive value to the organization and would really stay longer.

Candidate Experience

Feedback from candidates about their experience throughout the recruitment process. A positive candidate experience can truly bolster your employer brand, so much so that it actually tends to attract more top talent.

Cost per Hire

It is the total cost of hiring a new employee, inclusive of advertising, agency fees, and HR resources. Reduced cost per hire — coupled with high-quality candidates — is one sure bet that can indicate how good your recruitment strategy is.

Conclusion

This means that real recruitment solutions for business will converge ways of the old school, enhanced technologies, and robust employer branding practice. Only then can you put these strategies into practice and get continuous improvement in the recruitment process, attracting and engaging talent that works toward making your organization successful in this highly competitive job market.

Salahkaar Consultants provides services in these areas in many global markets. Reach them by writing to them on their website www.salahkaarconsultants.com

[chanoyu-to-wa]

The Chanoyu Hyaku-shu [茶湯百首], Part II:  Poem 38.

〽 Kyaku ni nari furo no sono-uchi miru-toki ha          sumi kuzure-nan ki-tsukai wo seyo

    [客になり風爐の其の內見る時は          炭崩れ難氣遣いをせよ].

    “Should the guests [decide¹] to look into the furo’s interior, [if] the charcoal is crumbling, [that would be] blameworthy² -- [so you] should be very careful.”

    This refers not to the inspection of the interior of the furo during the sumi-temae, but rather to the guest’s individual inspection of the utensil mat as he is entering the room for the shoza.  If the three pieces of charcoal are already beginning to crumble, this might cause the guest to worry about how successfully the host will be able to heat the water.  But if the three gitchō [毬杖] are glowing brightly, yet standing up firmly, the guest will have confidence that at least things are off to a good start.

    Once again, all of the versions of this poem give essentially the same meaning³.  This should hardly surprise us, since the poem addresses a non-controversial issue.

_________________________

¹Techinically (as we will see in poem 42), the guests do not inspect the interior of the furo the way they do with the ro during the sumi-temae.  Nevertheless, there is nothing to stop them from doing so when entering the room*, and that possibility is what has made the teaching embodied in this poem necessary. ___________ *Indeed, an experienced guest will carefully look at the furo each time he has the opportunity to do so, in order to understand the condition of the fire, so that he can estimate the amount of time that can be devoted to conversation, without endangering the success of the gathering (see sub-note “**” under the next footnote).

²Sumi kuzure-nan [炭崩れ難]:  kuzure [崩れ] means to crumble or collapse (into a pile of ash), which is what will happen naturally if the charcoal was set alight properly; -nan [難] means things like an accident. a mishap. a disaster. a calamity, a difficult situation, and ideas of that sort, and, by extension, things like a fault, a defect, a blemish, hence blameworthy..

    But since this collapsing into ash is a natural process, the question must be asked why this would be so disastrous*?  The reason is that, in the case of the furo (and unlike what is done with the ro†), the shita-bi [下火] (which consists of three burning gitchō [毬杖], round pieces of charcoal 2-sun long and 1-sun 2-bu to 1-sun 4-bu in diameter) is supposed to be put into the furo just before‡ the host goes out to invite the guests to enter the chashitsu for the shoza.  Thus, even though they should be burning well when put in, they will not have been in the furo long enough to show any deterioration when the guests inspect the utensil mat at the beginning of the shoza (which is the time that this poem is addressing, when a guest might decide to look into the furo surreptitiously, with a critical eye).  If the charcoal is beginning to crumble at that point, it means that the host put it into the furo too early; and this may cause the guest anxiety, since it might suggest that there will not be enough heat to set the charcoal alight during the sumi-temae, which will have dire consequences for the success of the gathering as a whole**. __________ *Disastrous (primarily) to the host’s reputation -- though if the charcoal has burned away too far, it may be difficult to get a fire established in order to heat the kama.

†The fire is supposed to be started in the ro at dawn.  The original process was to take the embers from the previous day’s fire (which were preserved in the gan-ro [丸爐] in the mizuya -- a gan-ro, or “round ro,” is a cylindrical metal ro, the mouth of which is just over 8-sun in diameter (it can be seen in the photo, below and slightly to the left of, the window).

    This kind of ro made its first appearance (in chanoyu) when it was installed in the dauko [ダウコ] (a variety of the o-chanoyu-dana [御茶湯棚] where, rather than a furo, the kama was heated in a gan-ro that was sunk into the board-floor of the 1-shaku 5-sun deep niche.)

    The gan-ro is used as the place to save the fire overnight, dry the kama after it has been cleaned, set pieces of charcoal alight, as well as to occasionally keep things (like soup) hot before they are distributed into individual serving bowls, and so forth.

    Be that as it may, at dawn the embers in the gan-ro are scooped up with a soko-tori [底取り] (a large, long-handled scoop with the shallow bowl bent at a 90° angle to the handle), and carried into the tea room, where they are spread evenly over the circular area circumscribed by the legs of the gotoku in the ro.  After lightly sifting shimeshi-bai [湿し灰] (ash moistened with water or some other liquid that is then sifted through a sieve to produce a slightly damp, granular material) over the embers (the rapid evaporation of this moisture will draw fresh air into the ro), a full set of charcoal would be arranged on top of the layer of embers, which would begin to catch fire while the host went to the well to draw water for the day’s chanoyu -- thus, the fire would be hot when the host returned with the kama filled with fresh well water.

    In the case of the ro, outside of the sumi-temae that would be performed at the beginning of a chakai, the host would add charcoal to the ro three times over the course of the day (when guests were not present):  at dawn, at noon, and at dusk (in the latter case, the host would first empty and clean the ro, before returning some embers, around which a new set of charcoal would be laid).  The idea was that a base fire (shita-bi [下火]) and sub-boiling water would be available throughout the day, which could be expanded (through a sumi-temae) at any time to accommodate the service of tea to one’s guests.

‡In Rikyū‘s day, the front gate opening into the host’s compound was left ajar (with a notice indicating that a chakai was going to be held that day posted on the gate to warn people who had no connection with the gathering not to enter), so the guests entered, one by one, as they arrived, and proceeded immediately to the koshi-kake.  (Rikyū’s hyō-kata nure-gaku [瓢形濡額], inscribed with the word chakai [茶會], which he hung on the gate on days when a tea gathering was going to be held, is shown below.  This nure-gaku -- the word means a “wet plaque” because it was made to be hung up outside, and so had to be inscribed in such a way that the paint would not run -- is preserved by the Yabunouchi family.  Traditionally the writing was carved into the wooden plaque, and then filled in with white gesso.)

    When everyone was present (usually a guest list was posted in the koshi-kake, if the host guessed that the guests would be unsure about this) the shōkyaku would strike the ban-gi [板木], wooden gong, that was hung in the koshi-kake -- to inform the host that everyone had arrived.  This was usually the signal for the host to put the shita-bi into the furo, after which he would go out and invite the guests to enter the room.

    Unfortunately the modern schools do not always follow this kind of protocol so, like inexperienced chajin of old who were unsure about when to put the shita-bi into the furo, mishaps of the sort considered in this poem are more common than they should be.

    Maybe I should add something to this short exposition, for the benefit of those who have only recently begun to following this blog:  I am fully aware that the information conveyed in this sub-note (and the previous one, which discussed the gan-ro -- as well as many other footnotes and sub-notes peppered randomly throughout the previous 1,549 or so posts) might strike many readers as little more than a collection of irrelevant non sequuntur.  Unfortunately (or, hopefully, not), this is how chanoyu is taught in Japan, and has been taught since the days of Jōō and Rikyū (and, probably, for generations before them as well).  It is humanly impossible to set out a course of study that includes everything.  Thus, whenever a discussion allows the teacher to go off on a tangent, the opportunity is more often taken than passed over -- since the right lead-in might never come again.  I would very much appreciate it if you, my readers, would accept these digressions in the spirit in which they have been offered....

**Rikyū declared that a proficiency in chanoyu consists of being able to lay the charcoal during the sumi-temae (at the beginning of the shoza) so that it will heat the water efficiently, and continue burning until the service of usucha has concluded, at which time the fire should begin to weaken -- though the kama should not fall silent until after the guests have left the room.  If the fire fails at any point, then, no matter how well everything else was done, the mood of the  gathering will be damaged, perhaps irreparably.  Someone who can do this successfully, he said, is worthy of being called a master.

³In the version of the poem that Katagiri Sadamasa received from the Sen family, the lines furo no sono-uchi [風爐の其の內] and sumi kuzure-nan [炭崩れ難] have been switched between the two ku [句] of the poem; but this has no impact on the poem’s full meaning.

==============================================

◎ If these translations are valuable to you, please consider donating to support this work.  Donations from the readers are the only source of income for the translator.  Please use the following link:

https://PayPal.Me/chanoyutowa

[lovejustforaday]

Gay Pride Anthems (According to Me) - Your Disco Needs You

Your Disco Needs You (Casino Radio and Clubs Remix) - Kylie Minogue

Genres: Euro-Disco, Nu-Disco, Dance Pop

IT'S PRIDE MONTH BABY!!!!!!!! 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨🌈⚧️🌞🕊️🗣️🏳️‍🌈💃🏻🪩💪🏽🥵

Technically, where I'm from, "Pride Month" as a concept basically exists more between the second half of June and the first half of July (SO I'M NOT LATE THIS TIME, MMMKAY?). Our city's parade happens halfway through July every year, so I guess my definition of Pride Month is a little skewed.

Actually, we didn't get a parade last year. As is the case with a lot of other smaller cities, we're big enough to have an out and open, vibrant queer community, but small enough that seemingly everyone in it happens to have petty drama with each other. Hence, our local pride organization's executive board basically self-destructed and went kaput last year because of infighting.

But from the ashes of its implosion, a newer, hopefully better, and brilliantly flaming phoenix emerges and baby I am SO READY!!!! We also just got a new gay bar after basically having none in the city ever since 2020 *cough* happened.

But if I'm being honest, I feel like there's a lot of stress at this time of the year for a lot of gay/trans/bi/nb folks. Folks in the closet feel a greater pressure to come out. Rightwing nutjobs double down on their anti-Budlight campaigns or whatever the fuck they're on about this time around. Lonely gays gotta deal with watching all the happy gay couples being out and proud everywhere.

And of course, there's the """""discourse""""" every year, surrounding everything with the the same arguments over "kink at pride" to "straights frequenting gay bars" and basically every other beating-a-dead-horse topic that the social media algorithms push like crack to feed our brains' collective addictions to ragebait. Sometimes it can be as much of a headache as it is a good time for any of us, and the increasing corporatization and commodification of what was originally a very radical tradition in our community can be disheartening. It seems that we have been undergoing a reckoning with a fundamental shift in this community over the last decade, as our proximity to comfort through class, race, and perceived "queerness" has created two very different kinds of "pride".

But idk, this year I really wanna just focus on feeling those good pride vibes extra hard, and not worrying about all the drama for once (Don't get me wrong though - no cops at pride, just Florence and her sword). Things have been looking pretty up for me ever since I've fallen in love with the most wonderful boy in the world, and I want this year to be a gay ass celebration, dammit!!

And so, I've decided to focus on something that we can all agree on - the fact that gay pride anthems fucking slap!!! Every year, one of the main things I look forward to is going to venues that'll actually have a chance of playing some good fucking music!

So I thought, why the hell not? I've got a music blog I barely touch outside of the year-end list season. Let's do some funky little reviews about ✨ gay pride anthems ✨

Now, what you and I consider to be a ✨ gay pride anthem ✨ may be very different. In this informal and unranked list, I will obviously be including songs with explicitly LGBTQ+ themes and by LGBTQ+ artists, but I am also taking the liberty of covering songs that are either culturally or historically significant to the broader queer community, or personally significant to my own self-discovery journey as a gay man.

I'm also going to throw in a couple of songs that just kinda exude gayness, queerness, and transness as per my own "gay ass music" barometer. You are free to disagree with my selections on any of these reviews, but I should let you know in advance that if you do disagree then you are simply WRONG.

Okay, with that outta the way:

THE ARTIST

Kylie Minogue really needs no introduction. If you're gay, live in an English speaking country, and are older than like, 22(?) then it should go without saying that Kylie Minogue is one of the most beloved and celebrated of the many, many queer-ally pop divas of the last five or six decades.

Ms. Minogue really kind of is the platonic ideal of her archetype. Her music is bouncy, playful, sleek, passionate, and unafraid to go camp. The Australian queen of pop just seems to get us, in a way that never feels pandering or cynical.

Perhaps what is so particularly affective about her appeal is her ability to adapt and change her sound without ever really appearing as if she's trend-hopping. Every change in her career (at least, post-self-titled) feels organic, and she always seems to enjoy whatever it is that she's doing.

Compared and contrasted (and I apologize for doing this in advance) with the career arc of her most obvious (and much more famous) counterpart Madonna, I've never once gotten the feeling that Kylie phoned it in, or just did a new sound because other popstars were doing it.

She's managed to stay relatively down to earth and focused on making fun and memorable pop music, while Madonna frankly continues to dilute her artistry with weird takes, cynical career moves, and whatever this is.

I'll admit that, while I'm familiar with many of her singles, I've really only listened to Impossible Princess, Light Years, Fever, and DISCO as far as her LPs go. But what I have heard in full, I've always enjoyed, especially her punchy yet highly introspective Impossible Princess, which is one of the most underrated and totally left-field records to have ever dropped from an established name in the pop mainstream.

Today's cut is a more well-known remix of a song off of her 2000 LP Light Years, perhaps her funnest record, which I just listened to in full last week in preparation for writing this review. And by the way, I'm covering the remix because it's bigger, better, and gayer, so don't @ me if you prefer the album version mmmkay?

THE SONG AND WHY IT SLAPS

"Your Disco Needs You" is an unabashed, unashamed celebration of all things glorious and free. And no, I don't mean whatever crappy country you live in, F patriotism - I'm talking about the dancefloor at your local gay bar.

"Camp" is an understatement, and probably too obvious to describe it. No, this song is BRAZEN and FLAMING. It has no interest in being subtle; it is a fervent call-to-action. Your goddamn motherfucking disco needs you dammit! You have been officially conscripted to get off your ass and serve your dancefloor. Make haste, you gays!

Flashy euro-disco with triumphant marching band trumpets, horny big man military chants, gratuitously french-spoken bridges, and insanely well-executed key changes are always gonna get my stamp of approval.

But it is perhaps the nasally way she sings "YOUR DIS-KOH" as she chants along during the chorus that really just seals the deal. Forgive me, but she sounds so vaguely somewhere from mainland Europe - It immediately makes me think of one of the crossover successes during the golden age of disco, like "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" by Baccara or "Dancing Queen" by ABBA which is a gay disco BEHEMOTH in its own right.

Everything about this song is everything it needed to be, and it all comes together exactly the way it should. Credit goes to Kylie's larger than life presence, as well as kudos to the backing vocalist for their thundering command, and huge HUGE kudos to the producers for getting it to sound exactly like an updated version of what it pays homage to, down to the last beat.

And have you seen the music video?!? An army of Kylie Minogue clones marching in tights towards disco glory is the only military campaign I will ever gladly endorse.

According to Kylie herself, the song was apparently "too gay" and "too camp" for the label to release it as a single in the United Kingdom. I mean, come on, how fucking punk rock is that? "TOO GAY FOR ENGLAND" is a badge of honour that I'd readily have permanently tattooed on my forehead if I were ever the recipient of such a prestigious title.

Oh, and anyone who thinks this is wholly ironic needs to GTFO now. We are now several light years ahead of when broader Straight™ society suddenly and viciously turned on the great big, glossy old-school disco in the early 80s. We should all be able to understand by now that this is a love letter to everything that was dramatic and overly-extravagant about that era. And it's all the better for it.

WHY IT'S GAY

This is the first on the list, but definitely will not be the last, of a set of songs that are really just blunt and in-your-face with its production and manner of delivery. There is something among LGBTQ+ folks, particularly among drag queens, femme gay men, and men-attracted transfemmes, where being unapologetically bold with your personality and image is widely common and celebrated.

And it makes sense; spending so many years hiding who you are because of society's prejudice means that there is a whole stock-pile of self-expression that hasn't been given its proper outlet until one's coming out eventually happens. There's also the exhilarating thrill of recent liberation that makes you just want to flaunt your colours everywhere.

There is an especially potent emphasis in most cultures on performing masculinity "the correct way" and a strong disdain for those perceived to be "sissies". To be an out and proud feminine man or woman with XY chromosomes, one must be very bold. Or as black and queer NYC ballroom pioneer Junior Labeija once put it "it do take nerve" to be who you are when you are gay/bi/trans/etc.

That amount of nerve is often doubled when faced with the extra added challenges of being poor or belonging to a racial minority, which is why a lot of the boldest and most ground-breaking underground dance music (such as the origins of House music, or the aforementioned NYC ballroom scene) originates from predominately black and brown, lower-class queer communities.

Likewise, music that feels gay is not just dance music, but dance music that often feels bold and fearless. We celebrate and laugh in the face of prejudice and adversity. Dance music that plays to this striking, defiant confidence immediately sets off our "gay barometers" because it reflects how many of us feel inside when we are partying amongst ourselves.

Kylie just gets it. She may not be one of us per se, but she understands that radical, defiant confidence and boldness that is what really makes a legendary dancefloor banger for gay bars everywhere. And okay, something also has to be said for the chants. I dare you to listen to those burly, jovial voices and tell me you don't immediately conjur up the image of a rippling 80s leather daddy muscle stud with the handle bar mustache and bikers cap. They knew exactly what they were doing when they made this.

And so I rest my case. Tis gay, your honour.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go serve my country dancefloor.

[it-solve]

A1708 Macbook Pro no Backlight Repair due to a failed Flexgate - https://it-solve.au/repair-cases/a1708-macbook-pro-no-backlight-repair-due-to-a-failed-flexgate/

Today we have a MacBook Pro 2018 for a flexgate repair in our Adelaide workshop. Although it’s a 2018 model, it is an absolutely delightful device to work on.

Did you know that the 2018 A1708 was the last Macbook with removable SSD storage? Thats right. The last Macbook allows data to be extracted by connecting the drive to another Macbook when an accident happens. And trust me, these accidents happen all the time. The amount of MacBooks with liquid damage we get daily, where customers want only the data is enormous.

Unfortunately, though, all the data is stored on an encrypted chip which is soldered onto the login board. So how do you get the data? The only options to recover such data are either Macbook Liquid Damage Repair or Macbook Data Recovery. And let me tell you, it’s neither easy nor cheap!

How and Why Macbook Flexgate fail?

Flexgate failure on Macbooks is a well-known issue, where the ribbon cable that carries a backlight voltage crimples and fails.

The ribbon cable that carries the Backlight voltage is very thin, as thin as a printer paper. On top of that with 2016-2018 models, Apple manufactured this cable slightly shorter due to being the first-gen display of its kind. Hence cable criples at the bending rea more than 90* and breaks.

Do I have a failed Flexgate on my Macbook?

An easy way to identify if the flexgate has failed on your Macbook is to check if there is a faint picture on the screen. Flexgate cable carries backlight signals,

no Flexgate = no Backlight

#ITSolveRepairs

How to fix Macbook black screen caused by Flexgate failure?

The flexgate failure on Macbooks is repairable and does not need a complete screen replacement. Although the cost can be slightly over half of the price of a Macbook Screen Replacement in Adelaide.

Unfortunately, fine soldering tools and lots of experience will be required to be able to resolder and extend the cable

IT-Solve specialises in Macbook Repairs in Adelaide, instead of a complete screen replacement, we attempt to repair and extend the cable. That way we are saving a complete screen assembly ending up in the landfill, as well as saving 40% of the cost of a new screen, win-win.

Repairing Flexgate on Macbook Pro in Adelaide

To be able to repair the flexgate on this Macbook in our Adelaide workshop, we had to cut off the bent broken bit and using a 0.1mm fine copper wire (as thin as a human hair) we extended the flexgate cable.

With extended and insulated cable. The backlight on this Macbook will not fail again.

Successful Flexgate Repair on a Macbook Pro in Adelaide

Another successful Macbook Flexgate Repair Adelaide!

These Macbooks are amazing, although have their fail points. They are much more reliable than the new Apple Silicone or T2 versions, which are overengineered and fail for no reason. Especially after a failed software update.

Worthy Macbook and will keep kicking for another couple of years with no issues!

[terielle]

Heal the Scars 8/?

Full Story sorted on AO3 or in German on fanfiktion.de

For once I made up names on my own. Fun fact: Buphagus is the Latin word for Oxpecker, the bird sitting on large animals such as rhinoceroses. This is again a shorter one.  

The remaining journey to Wind Rose was relatively relaxed. On Board of the Lumber Snail they found beside all kinds of Den Den Mushi a lot of cash and articles of value. But less then expected. Most likely they had some local hideout, but this will be a problem of the local Marine bases. They would hand over the vessel, its pirate crew and their loot to the base at Wind Rose. Their Ships was not meant for longer Transportation of many prisoners.  Of course, it would have been possible to contact Wind Rose‘s base straight, but they needed to organize further transportation, so it was better to let the Marine headquarters handle that. Elizabeth took a skeleton crew and sailed the Lumber Snail away from their vessel, so the Den Den Mushi had connection again, to even contact Marineford. They sailed like this until they reached Wind Rose. Of course they considered towing, but it would be just a nuisance to tow a seaworthy vessel.

Elizabeth held back the question, why the base at West Wind, Wind Rose‘s port city, didn’t take action against Snail Patrol. On the one hand she could guess on her own: The Island was rather tall, due to the mines it was tunneled at most parts and the Islands shape offered many coves to hide a ship. On the other hand, Drake strictly barred her from asking any questions within earshot of the other officers. He didn’t straight say it and didn’t let on about it, but her former superiors and comrades told her more than once how her many questions made the impression that she regarded other as to dumb. And yet she just wanted to be sure, or her own assumptions were correct.

The winter-island was as expected cold, but it had its charm. There were hot springs, hearty and fantastic food, unless someone wanted to watch what they eat. The mountains covering the whole island were a vision to behold and the Port city West Wind was thriving due to the trade of ore and jewels. Drake and his Crew had tailed Snail Patrol for months and didn’t get a proper break except Albatross for as long. Their stays at Thunder Island couldn’t count as such, hence they weren’t docking at the port so they couldn’t leave the ship. So she saw it more than fit to take over more duties on the ship and the Island. That is to say Captain Rhino didn’t share her opinion. A Part of the conversation wouldn’t leave her mind in general.

Soldiers flanked the prisoners, which got brought to the base with a distance between them. Not that they stood a chance against thee Marineofficers, but Elizabeth didn’t want to take risks and neither Drake nor Warrant Officer Buphagus had any objections. But Elizabeth had expected a more cordial welcome at the base. She always took effort to greet external officers appropriate. Then again, her attendance at such opportunities ended at her superior doorstep. And if she thought about it, she had no idea how Drake got greeted in Albatross. Still, she was surprised by cold atmosphere between the captains. 

„Captain Rhino“ Drake greeted his counterpart curtly.

„Captain Drake, welcome.“ He didn’t deign to look at Drake, instead he held his gaze on Elizabeth „And who is this lovely lady?“

„Master Chief petty Officer Elizabeth Newman, pleasured to meet you“ she saluted.

„Oh the pleasure is all mine. Drake, so they did give you a new second in command? How acutely surprising“ his smile seemed cold.

„Yes“

„Uptight as usual.“ Rhinos gaze switched to Drake „But as long as you enjoy our hospitality, it would only be fair if you make yourselves useful. Buphagus will tell you what you can do“

„We will only stay as long as necessary“

„Of course. But do tell Drake, you must’ve been delighted after-“

„Elizabeth, please hand over the confiscated loot to Warrant Officer Buphagus“ Drake interrupted with a blank expression.

„Oh, you don’t have to. Please stay a bit. I‘m quite certain Drake has more than enough experience at doing such things himself“ Rhino ignored the impoliteness visibly amused.

„A very obliging offer, but I have to decline. I am sure Warrant Officer Buphagus is expecting me already. And at that opportunity we can discuss everything further. if you excuse me, captain Rhino“ she saluted and left the room.

She waited on the commanding bridge with a list of more or less reasonable tasks. She already started to plan how to distribute everything Captain Rhino deemed reasonable when Buphagus listed it. She managed to reduce the amount of their men in patrol and guard duties during their conversation. After all their crew wasn’t familiar with the island and wouldn’t know, when and where to pay special attention. They could even get lost and cause the base even more trouble. She may have trouble hiding her emotions from her own Captain, but buphagus took her acted concern. On Albatross external crew only got involved in internal duties in an case of emergency. Something even the Marine behavior handbook affirmed this to be possible but rather unusual. For her. For her own better overview he added the ships standard tasks to Buphagus‘ list, like restocking and guarding the ship. Since they had to stay three days at least resupplying wasn’t urgent.

She looked up from her plans when she heard the door open.

„Captain Drake“ she saluted „I already prepared how to distribute all tasks while giving our crew a bit of well deserved rest“

Wordless he took the papers from her hands. She looked at him expectantly. She hoped to improve her captains obviously sour mood. Organization washer specialty, even back on Albatross he managed service schedules and physical inventories.

When she saw him reaching the and of the last page she raised her voice „Do you have any objections?“

„No“ he put the papers down and crossed his arms.

„Is … there anything else?“ she asked bewildered. She was not surprised by his bad mood after his conversation. But he looked quite furious. 

„Didn’t I tell you to remain silent?“

„Not… not exactly. I… wasn’t supposed to ask any questions“

„You should have held back“

„I… I… I am sorry, Sir.“ She was confused. She didn’t know, what she did wrong. She may dissented to Rhino, but only to follow her immediate superiors orders. But even then she was polite and respectful. She would have liked to ask, why he was so irritated - and how it was her fault. But she preferred not to worsens things and kept quite.

„Do you have any Idea, what you‘ve done?“

„No, captain, Sir“ she admitted sheepishly.

he sighed „Get out of my sight. And get this done. Monday, 5 o’clock here.“

„A-Aye, Sir“ she saluted, grabbed her notes and left the commanding Bridget very confused and unnerved.

—————-

The next few Days Elizabeth put in a lot of effort in avoiding Drake. It was absolutely inapprehensible to her, why he was mad at her. She didn’t insult him indirect all the time. She even offered a - in her eyes elegant - way out. Telling a Captain to take orders from a Warrant Officer. She never heard of something like that. And she never thought anyone to be insolent and disrespectful like that. But since she avoided her Captain as much as possible, she came to agreement about the tasks on Wind Rose with Buphagus. She wasn’t happy about it - she considered passing her Captain over as disrespectful as well - but he seemed like he didn’t want to see her until they sailed away. At least that’s how she understood. It was rather easy to avoid him. Especially since she took over lots of patrol and guard duties.

Buphagus was a surprisingly good sparring partner. He may had a higher rank than her and had the theoretical authority to give her directives, but calling her continuously „Lass“ was a bit brash in her opinion. Even when he was about 20 years her senior. On the other hand it enhanced her motivation during the fights. That and the fact, he once asked her, what she was doing with a weapon.  A lass like her would be a good secretary but wasn’t supposed to be fighting. If he wanted to wield a blade she could do that in the kitchen. He may not apologized for that after their first battle, but he indicated he underestimated her. It made a good way to spent time far away from her captain.

[jerry618]

LED Light Modules - Types and Usages

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The LED (Light Emitting Diode) models are a kind of LED device that can be plugged into other compatible units or can function alone as well. While earlier the LED modules were used for business purposes (for instance the channel letters and the signages) only, there today used in a variety of outdoor and indoor settings and for lighting applications as well. Read the article and information given below to know all about the LED light modules, their types and varieties available, and their common uses.

What is an LED light module?

The LED light module typically has multiple LED emitters. A board and fixture contain all these LEDs and provides power to them. The entire assembly acts as a single unit. The assembly contains a semiconductor on which a voltage is applied. When the electrons are energized and can run loose, they start to emit light energy.

The power of the assembly may come from a battery or from any other power source such as the AC current. Since the module consists of an electrified semiconductor, it can emit the lights and the energy as photons in many different colors. Therefore, an LED module can provide you the lights in a rainbow of colors and in different shades. That is why the LED display module has been used widely for advertising purposes since its discovery.

A typical LED display module will consist of a cell that is wrapping a PCB (Printed Circuit Board). There are also the LED bead arrays found on the module that is arranged to take the form of a certain pattern.

New Technologies Being Introduced in LED Modules

The highly illuminated and colorful LED lights also score over their conventional counterparts due to the new and evolving technologies that they incorporate. Some of the latest technological trends improving the LED modules and lights include:

Plug-and-Play: the new LED module that incorporates plug-and-play technology comes with an integrated circuit (IC) that is fixed on board. Hence the components of the LED module are not required to be attached externally anywhere.

Remote Phosphor: new technology can provide for lesser heating and a reduction in color shifts. LED modules having this new technology also have a better life cycle and can provide for good energy efficiency.

Bluetooth wireless communication: LED modules can also be connected wirelessly through the sensors and switches. Such LED modules incorporating the Bluetooth wireless communication technology can be controlled through smartphones as well and are quite energy efficient.

Variety of LED modules

In due course of time, many different and new LED module types and applications are available. An LED module can serve the very specific purpose that you want when you can choose the right type and variety of LED light modules.

Based on their forms, the LED light module can be rectangular or circular. However, with some search, you can also find the star, linear, and square-shaped LED module.

* Side LED module: the side LED modules can be used for illuminating home interiors, and parts and items including the large cabinets.

* Flex LED Strip Module: the highly versatile variety of LED light modules can also be further modified to take different shapes. For instance, the flex LED strips can be used for highlighting the signages, acrylic letters, and their intricate wording.

* Black LED module: this type and variety of LED modules are often used for lighting up or highlighting the inner parts and items including the channel letters, cabinets, and boxes.

Classification of LED Module Based on Size

Based on the size, the LED light models can be classified into small, standard, and large LED modules.

Small LED Module

when you are looking for a light fixture in limited spaces, the small LED module can be a good choice. These models can often be found in the display units and the signages, as well as in the events and celebrations including weddings and parties. The safe and versatile variety of LED modules does not cause problems including heating or flickering and is energy efficient.

Standard LED Module

this module can be good for external (outdoor LED matrix) use and outdoor applications. They also have a waterproof rating including the IP65 rating and can be more reliable. They may have good reach and possess features including the integrated heat sink and the VHB tapes. Such features and characteristics provide for benefits including reduced color deviation and light degradation.

Large LED Module

The large LED module offers greater return depth. Return depth is defined as the space between the surface and the LED emitters. A return depth of 50 mm or more (found in the large LED modules) provides for the precise observance of the LED module and each LED chip even from greater distances. Apart from a wide beam angle, the large LED modules can also be more power-efficient.

Uses of LED Modules

As stated earlier, the LED light modules have been used in outdoor and indoor applications as well, apart from business applications including signages. With many variations, fixtures, and varieties available, the LED light module has now grown to be even more versatile. Some of the common uses of the LED module and the lighting fixtures include:

* Decoration of the patios or the outdoor gardens.

* The smallest steps of the LED module can also be used for highlighting the drawers, cabinets, and other indoor items.

* The vibrant and the different shades of light that the LED module can throw can also accentuate certain bathroom parts including the plants and mirrors.

* The LED module can be a very powerful night lamp that can be used for reading and other purposes.

* LED light modules can also be put in automobiles, cars, and vehicles. They can light up the dashboard or any other part of the interior of a vehicle

* One can improve the ambiance and looks of his/her home interiors by lighting them up with various shades of light and colors.

* LED light modules have also been used for the headlamps and flashlights.

How to choose the right LED panel display module?

The most appropriate LED panel display module is the one that can fit the purpose for which it is purchased. For instance, aspects including the viewing distance can be important for an LED display module that is being chosen for advertising purposes. For these LED modules, you may want to buy one with a larger character size.

Cost: another important aspect can be the price. You do not need to invest heavily when you want to purchase a LED light display module for your home interiors, as you do not need excessive illumination. The lesser powerful varieties will cost less.

Pixel Size: the distance between the two LED lamps or beads of an LED light module is called pixel pitch. It can be an important indicator of the quality of the LED display. Certain aspects that may also reflect quality include protection ability, brightness, and longevity.

Application-based LED modules: Some of the varieties of the LED light module that you can choose depending on the application include:

* DIP LED: the DIP LED module is a common variety of LED module that is used for surface-mount applications. The LED consists of a dual inline package.

* SMD LED: both outdoor and indoor modules and applications are available under this category. The common variety of the LED module is used for surface mount applications.

* GOB LED: GOB stands for glue-on-board. The LED can be used in lamps and is waterproof due to the application of transparent material on the surface of the LED module.

Indoor LED light module: when choosing an LED module for indoors, you should look for the below given LED module characteristics.

* qualities including soft module (possess better resistance to compression).

* stability (for easy installation).

* easy customization, so that the LED can take any shape. The cylindrical screen options are also available now. They can be hanged, installed, or hoisted and have superior brush performance.

* qualities including high brightness, single point maintenance, low maintenance cost, energy-saving features, less dead light rate, and splicing.

Conclusion

The new and versatile LED module comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be used for a broad variety of purposes. The LED light module can be offered in varieties including small, standard, and large. There are also even greater varieties available within these specifications. Therefore, you can choose an LED light module based on the specific application you have in mind.

With some research, effort, and time, you can explore an endless number of possibilities. You can illuminate the signages, interior and exterior parts (including drawers and cabinets), and other kinds of places and instances (including events) by choosing a LED light module wisely. Those in the business and advertising industry can make profitable use of the LED light modules and apply and use their imagination to forward their interest. The affordable LED module is available both online and offline and can offer you lighting and displays in sensational colors, shades, and varieties.